Member-only story
QUEER RIGHTS
The Anti-Trans Fans of 'Hogwarts Legacy' & The Consumers Who Ignore Them
Examining the discourse around whether you should buy the controversial wizard game
Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world RPG by Avalanche Software set in the Harry Potter universe. This game takes place in the 1800s, approximately a hundred years before the original books. It is set against the backdrop of a goblin rebellion as well as the emergence of a new, forgotten form of magic.
The game has come under fire for various reasons (one of them being alleged antisemitism), but the most prominent is that the IP comes from the mind of author J.K. Rowling — a well-known anti-trans activist who has become a figurehead in the movement for campaigning for the erroneous belief that gender is tied to sex (side note: gender has changed culturally throughout history), has perpetuated pseudoscience and pushed for transphobic legislation. Many critics fear that the game's success will further cement her cultural influence and have consequently called for a boycott.
Today, we will examine whether bigoted people are rallying around the game — and if this and other problematic media are worth consuming.
