Carrying bullhorns and toting signs supporting the trans community amid Rowling’s active and ongoing campaign against trans rights, the protesters chanted slogans such as “Trans rights are human rights,” and “When trans are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back.” One protester, quoted by The Standard, offered up a polite-but-firm statement to the many families waiting in line. “You should not be reading Harry Potter to your children and then bringing them to this store,” the unnamed protester said. “We will be here protesting all day. We’re sorry for the noise but unfortunately kids are dying. Trans kids are killing themselves. Trans kids are homeless and we need to think about those children. Go home, do something better with your time.”
While greeted with a nearly one-to-one police presence, the protesters remained peaceful and were not impeded in their actions, as families continued to file past on their way to buying more Hogwarts house scarves and the like. A spokesperson for the store told the press, with practiced corporate diplomacy, “We support everyone’s right to the peaceful expression of personal viewpoints and look forward to a day full of magic.”
With the new HBO series premiering on Christmas Day, there has been heightened scrutiny of both those who’ve chosen to work on Rowling’s latest cash cow and those who support it with their wallets. And while the age-old question of whether or not to support the work of a terrible person rages, the conundrum becomes starker when the still-living creator is actively using profits from their work to fund a hate campaign against a vulnerable community. Growing protests against Rowling’s anti-trans bigotry have seen activists making similar scenes to the Harry Potter store opening at the recent West End gala performance of the play Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, the 2023 release of video game Hogwarts Legacy, and other author-enriching projects. Meanwhile, nearly every actor involved in the HBO series has had to clarify whether or not they agree with the billionaire author’s views, and whether they’re okay with putting more money in her pockets.
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