‘Harry Potter’ Store Opening in London Draws Trans Rights Protesters Amid J.K. Rowling Controversy
Transgender rights protesters gathered outside the opening of London’s new “Harry Potter” flagship store on Wednesday, as controversy surrounding author J.K. Rowling’s views on gender identity continues to follow the franchise.
A group of around 16 demonstrators assembled outside the shop on Oxford Street, carrying signs reading “protect trans lives” and “stop funding trans erasure.” Using megaphones, protesters chanted “trans rights are human rights,” “the queers united, we’ll never be defeated” and urged fans waiting in line to reconsider supporting the franchise. The queue — which wrapped around a nearby alleyway — slowly filed into the store, mostly ignoring the protest.
“Considering the impact that J.K Rowling has on trans rights, it would be a disappointment if trans people weren’t here to have their voices heard,” one trans activist West, who led many of the group’s chants, tells Variety. “It is largely J.K Rowling making the biggest impact on people’s lives,