so yea, this is a rant that I've been needing to get off my chest for a few days now. and note, this post does contain some talk about transphobia, and stereotypes, so take that into account whilst reading.
JK Rowling has made it clear that she thinks that trans women are predators. we're not. we're just humans trying to live in the way that feels best for us. at the end of the day, JK Rowling is wrong.
the idea that Trans women are predators is a piece of propaganda used to invalidate our community and to spread fear, and to strip away our rights. but the sad fact of the matter is, harmful stereotypes plague the LGBTQ+ community. stereotypes that gay men spread HIV, Trans women are predators, or pedophiles, the list goes on. all of these stereotypes are used in a way that invalidates the entire community.
as far as Sirona Ryan goes, Sirona's symbols have always been snakes and eggs, and people see that as a euphemism that the creators of the charactor still see the person as a male person, in spite of all physical characterists and the way the character presents herself. that is one reason that the community is boycotting the game as well as Rowlings remarks towards the transgender community.
At the end of the day, we need to remember that Trans women are not only women but also people. we are not predators at all, and we merely ask to be understood, accepted, and have our requests accomodated. I fail to see how that's such a big issue.
and why is this such a big deal? JK Rowling has such a huge following from her harry potter franchise, that these claims, and remarks are spreading misinformation, propaganda, and fear about the Trans community.
She should know better than to do this. I remember the days that the franchise used to spark hope and joy and wonder in me. but now, it represents just a symbol of a world where trans women are not treated fairly.
Harry potter sparked my childhood imagination. hell, the theme to the movies was one of the first songs I learned on guitar. but now it has just became this symbol of fear, and inequality because of Rowlings comments.
the main reason why you cannot separate the art from the artist in this case is because in this case, especially with the books, every purchase indirectly funds the anti-trans movements led by Rowling and are therefore harmful to the community.
And as far as the game goes, I'm giving the devs the benefit of the doubt here but they should have known what they were getting themselves into associating themselves with Rowlings works. They should have known how much hate they were going to get from the community
but I do think that the majority of twitter has been overreacting about the game quite a bit. playing the game doesn't mean that you necessarily support transphobia or whatever the shit. hell there have been trans streamers on tik tok playing the game while raising funds for the trevor project. personally I think that's a much better way to spend your energy. fundraising and actively helping the trans community instead of boycotting. Boycotting is honestly pretty passive in my opinion. in the words of a good friend, "Arguing over a video game is getting the trans community nowhere, take some action against something you don’t agree with. That’s how revolutions start, that’s how people win their rights back."
and they're right. don't boycott. instead, do things like fund raising, petitioning for gender neutral bathrooms, protesting anti-trans legislation. the list goes on. much more can be done by getting off your ass and actually doing something rather than whining about it.
the point is. if you think of yourself as an ally, then actually stand up for us instead of just joining the crowd of angry carpal tunneled twitter users partaking in an unsuccessful boycott of a game that they don't like cos they think it'll send a message. stand up for our rights, get out there, and petition, protest, fundraise. theres more to it than boycotting a transphobic artist
I'm probs gonna get banned for even mentioning her name lmfao