‘Harry Potter’ Helped Me Come Out as Trans, But J.K. Rowling Disappointed Me

On Thursday, J.K. Rowling caused an uproar when she tweeted her support of Maya Forstater, a British researcher.

Earlier this year, Ms. Forstater filed a lawsuit claiming her employer, the Center for Global Development, discriminated against her because of beliefs she has often shared on Twitter — namely, that a person cannot change their sex, and her opposition to the proposed changes to the United Kingdom’s Gender Recognition Act that would allow people to legally change their gender. A tribunal ruled against Ms. Forstater on Wednesday, on the grounds that her belief is “not a philosophical belief protected” by British law.

The beliefs that trans women are not really women and trans men are not really men are the core argument of a movement of so-called feminists who deny the reality of the transgender experience. (They are sometimes referred to as TERFs or trans-exclusionary radical feminists, though they tend to prefer the term “gender critical.”) Despite agreement among scientists and medical professionals on the validity of gender identity and the importance of respecting that identity for the safety and well-being of trans individuals, these activists perceive trans and nonbinary rights as a threat contributing to “female erasure.”

Ms. Rowling’s association with Ms. Forstater doesn’t come as a complete surprise; in June the author was criticized for liking a tweet by an anti-trans YouTuber, which her publicity team tried to pass off as a “clumsy and middle-aged moment.” But this week was the first time she explicitly broadcast her viewpoint to her 14 million Twitter followers.

As a devoted Harry Potter fan who also happens to be transgender, it was like a punch in the gut.

For the past decade, I’ve been an active player in the Harry Potter fan community, serving as the spokesperson for an independent nonprofit inspired by the boy wizard, sitting on the brain trust for a prominent Harry Potter fan conference and making videos about the impact the series has had on my life. I’ve seen the mind-blowing creativity of fans — from wizard rock music to cosplay to fan fiction that will make you weep — as well as their unparalleled capacity for positive change. Fans have organized in Harry’s name to donate over 400,000 books around the world, campaign in support of marriage equality and even convince Warner Bros. to switch to ethical sourcing for its Harry Potter-branded chocolates.