Harry Potter (Wizarding World Universe) Book • Page 18

JK directly donates to politicians and organizations that promote anti-trans rhetoric. She is very open about money made from the game will continue to be used in this way.

Some people who play this game are not transphobic, some are. But the action of playing it and being open about it is a trans phobic action. It just allows the trans people in your lives know that you are not safe person to be around in relation to identity.

The game has a trans woman character named “Sirona”. Like what the fuck?

 

“I have a trans friend.” “I have a black friend.”

 

when every trans person I know, some of whom I am extremely close to, is telling me they’re upset by the amount of support this game is getting, it really just seems like a no brainer to me. but idk maybe I would just prefer to not get a call that another one of my friends attempted suicide because society won’t accept them for who they are but maybe I’m just built different

 

trans people are not a monolith you chuckleredacted

 

I say being trans and it giving you some sort of comfort in this shitty world is the only excuse to play this game

 

the difference between right and wrong here couldn’t be more clear, if for some reason I had decided that playing the game is worth it to me, somehow, I would keep my fucking mouth shut about it and just play it in secret and wallow in my shame. but again, I’m built different and have decided to circumvent the shame altogether by simply not playing the game

 

just a shred of critical thinking here should land you on the right side of this debate

 

Re separating the art from the artist:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRGGdh2F/

 

For what it's worth, I'd 100% dislike this person to their face too if we ever met. And yes, before anyone chimes in with the inevitable sarcasm, that's all I got from that.

 

wow, we reached a new low

 

I'm trying to understand something. Does anyone think they're going to convince the other side here? This is an online forum, one of the notoriously worst places to try to engage people in a meaningful and constructive way.

The people in this thread clearly aren't going to be swayed and they're not going to sway you either. But you are the ones who chose to come into this thread, not the other way around. They stopped talking about it in the primary video game thread because they didn't want to trigger people or be disrespectful.

Listen, saying "I'm built different" and basically parading around that you're better than others isn't the look you think it is. I'm here because of my own curiosity, but I'm not getting the game because I don't support Rowling or her actions/ideals. But I'm not going to go around claiming I'm better than everyone else.

I struggle to see what the point of antagonizing each other is. People clearly know the situation and people have made their choices. That's on each individual person.

 

honestly I am using this thread like a CIA watchlist and yeah, you're ofc 100% right on most points, but it baffles me that people like that post on here, straight up just out there enjoying this game despite... well, fucking everything, really.

I can only speak for myself here but I yeeted High on Life from my hard-drive so fast when the allegations against Roiland came out and not because I wanted to virtue signal to myself that I am built different but because I find it gross and infuriating that my real world actions could be construed in support of such behaviour.

 

also either we can discuss Harry Potter here, or not. And yes, the real-world implications of consuming media is also part of the discourse, especially with JK Rowling on record that purchasing and enjoying her works is understood on her part as direct support of her views.

 

is watching the movies or reading the old books that you already have considered "supporting" her? or is it just continuing to give money to the franchise's new stuff they put out?

 

according to her it is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

if your enjoyment of it isn't tainted by her behaviour, I say go for it.

 

I'm only here to be educated on something that is being debated far and wide in all the corners of the web, but only has one clear, moral, correct choice.

I'm also here to know if the game is any good so I'll pop in and out and see if that ever gets discussed.

 

Yeah, I agree. I think if someone can separate themselves from the writer's personal shit in those cases and they can just get lost in the HP world, and they aren't actively putting money in her pockets by still buying all things HP, I'd say that's fair.

 

I do genuinely regret posting anything expressing interest in this game - I don’t know what I was thinking and I’m disappointed that I literally said I was “really looking forward to playing.”

Usually I am fully on the same side of the people speaking out against the game, and while I certainly don’t agree with a lot of the comments in here in support of it or even the replies to one of my posts, I’m more conflicted than I would normally be and it sucks. While the antagonism isn’t helpful, I do appreciate the conversation at large and it is making me wonder if I truly am in the wrong by suggesting it may not be inherently harmful to support a new entry into an IP just because Rowling’s presence may not be super obvious. Maybe it truly is just childhood me willfully trying to find a way to feel comfortable playing a game I’ve always wanted, although I know right now that if I do actually end up playing it at some point I won’t feel comfortable, and so maybe there’s my tell.

Sorry for rambling, I’m just trying to process where I’m at!

 

I guess, if nothing else, just watch people livestream it. You get to watch the game be played front to back (I assume), you can save your money, and JK isn't getting anything out of it. Right? (I don't watch video game streams, so I really don't actually know, haha.)

 

I consider myself an ally for trans people, I’ve gone to bat for my trans friends on more than one occasion, and while I’ll never willingly give the HP franchise any money ever again, I’m not going to feel bad about watching the movies, reading the books, going to universal theme parks, or buying a used copy of this game. I don’t give a fuck if that piece of shit JK thinks that’s me supporting her abhorrent beliefs or not, because frankly she has no idea what I’m doing with my time and in no way is me engaging with the material benefitting her financially or otherwise. The HP franchise played a big role in helping me get through some seriously dark shit, and I’m not going to just walk away from something I hold so near and dear because the creator is a scumbag. She won’t be getting my money anymore, and she certainly has none of my respect, but I know who I am and I know I’m an ally.

I don’t need to discuss the game here or anywhere else if it makes anyone uncomfortable, that’s a very reasonable ask, but I absolutely cannot fuck with the notion that someone can’t be an ally because they played a video game or read a book.

That’s all I’ll say on the subject and I’m gonna dip out of this thread now.

 

The idea of ethical consumption is incredibly nuanced and it’s difficult to give a clear boundary that is applicable to everything. It’s on a spectrum. Staying a Trump hotel or buying a My Pillow isn’t the same as using Twitter still after Elon purchased it isn’t the same as purchasing gas isn’t the same as shopping at Amazon isn’t the same as listening to Michael Jackson and so on and so on.

Policing others purchases or shaming when they’ve just arrived at a different conclusion on a gray area probably isn’t the best way to go about expressing your decision in a way that would maybe influence them to have your same level of boundaries in the future.

Of course the intentions of those against playing or purchasing the game are good. They want to support their trans friends and neighbors and not give any support towards an IP created by someone who is transphobic.

Though I fear sometimes the intent gets lost and it becomes a call out, bully cycle that just ends up with various forms of people on the left side of the political spectrum who all do want to validate and support trans people fighting with each other while the right is United in their front of transphobia. (Of course plenty of debates about the harm or help of the moderate)

(not explicitly stating what any poster in here has as an intent)

 

I want to be a good allly but ill admit it's easy because everything I have seen this games looks like complete ass and I probably wouldn't play it regardless of the ethics involved.

 

I’ve convinced others on different forums by breaking down their weak ass arguments and I’ll do it here. Don’t actually care if I convince them or not I care that I tried because it’s important. But maybe I’m just built different

 

And yes people have made their choices. Your choices aren’t above reproach. I can call out a shitty choice that contributes to the slaughter of trans people when I see it.

 

Hyperbole is a rhetorical trope by means of which statements are made that are
obviously exaggerated and thus untrue or unwarranted.