We at the Lexicon are proud to share this statement alongside other leaders in the Harry Potter fan community:
The Harry Potter fandom has been going strong for more than 20 years, and we are so proud to have been there alongside so many, celebrating, learning, and growing together.
As this fandom enters its third decade, J.K. Rowling has chosen this time to loudly pronounce harmful and disproven beliefs about what it means to be a transgender person. In addition to the distaste we feel for her choice to publish these statements during Pride Month—as well as during a global reckoning on racial injustice—we find the use of her influence and privilege to target marginalized people to be out of step with the message of acceptance and empowerment we find in her books and celebrated by the Harry Potter community.
Although it is difficult to speak out against someone whose work we have so long admired, it would be wrong not to use our platforms to counteract the harm she has caused. Our stance is firm: Transgender women are women. Transgender men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary. Intersex people exist and should not be forced to live in the binary. We stand with Harry Potter fans in these communities, and while we don’t condone the mistreatment JKR has received for airing her opinions about transgender people, we must reject her beliefs.
We have seen countless people use the Potter books and fanfic to explore their own identities while spreading love and acceptance. We know that this is still possible, and we know that we want to continue to be part of that movement. We are committed to doing better work in our community to uplift and center the people who have been marginalized and create positive change from within our fandom platforms.
The Lexicon has never covered Rowling’s personal activities since it is not a news website. However, we stand with the other leaders in the fan community with our pledge to have this mark the beginning of a renewed commitment to serving the Harry Potter community from a more conscious standpoint than we have done in the past.
Thank you for continuing to the visit and support Lexicon and help us work to realize the vision of a truly inclusive fandom. If you have input or ideas on how to achieve this, we’d love to hear from you.
If you are a trans person seeking support, we urge you to do so by calling Trans Lifeline’s peer support hotline.