Discrimination impacts muggles

zAK KINDER

The “Harry Potter” series has a special place in my heart as it does for many others. Its quirky sense of individuality gave me comfort about not conforming to stereotypical conceptions of identity. For others, it helped them deal with anxiety, depression, and gender dysphoria.

Despite the enormous good the series has brought into the world, it has significant shortcomings that undermine its positive impact, and J.K. Rowling’s actions rarely seem to help.

One of “Harry Potter’s” most significant issues is underrepresenting people of color and the LGBTQ community. The best example is that all three main characters are heterosexual and white. Furthermore, most of the other important characters are also white, including the Weasley and Malfoy families, Dumbledore, and Neville Longbottom. Even when people of color appear, they are heavily based on stereotypes. Padma and Parvati Patil and Cho Chang are prime examples of this. Their names are stereotypical for Indian and East Asian people. For example, Cho Chang is a mixture of the Korean “Cho” and Chinese “Chang.”

These three characters also lack development and remain as side characters. The Patil twins are best known for going to the Yule Ball with Ron Weasley and Harry and getting abandoned midway through. Cho Chang is known for her brief romance with Harry, during which she spends most of her time relying on Harry. As a result, the Patils and Cho Chang turn into racist caricatures instead of characters who create racial diversity.

The series’ relationship with the LGBTQ community is no better. The books never describe any characters as members of the LGBTQ community, which is a severe lack of representation.

Rowling’s actions only exacerbate this issue. In 2007, she stated that Dumbledore was gay, despite no mention of this in the series. Furthermore, Dumbledore has never been portrayed explicitly as gay, even in the recent “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Crimes of Grindlewald,” where such clear-cut portrayal was possible.

Alongside her lack of commitment to Dumbledore being gay, Rowling’s relationship with the transgender community is notoriously horrible. She has liked and supported numerous people identified as transphobic, including Dave Chappelle.

In June 2020, Rowling published an essay titled “J.K. Rowling Writes about Her Reasons for Speaking out on Sex and Gender Issues.” There, she purports the transphobic belief that if transgender people use the bathrooms of their gender, crime rates in restrooms will increase. However, a study by the Williams Institute, a think tank at UCLA, found no significant correlation between transgender people and bathroom crimes, invalidating Rowling’s argument.

The combined influence of “Harry Potter’s” racist caricatures and Rowling’s homophobic and transphobic actions have left a dark stain on the series. Regardless of the series’ overall effect, the harm caused by these stains on equal rights movements and fans’ love for “Harry Potter” is undeniable.

Celebrities like Rowling need to take responsibility for their words and think about their effect before they speak. Society looks at celebrities for guidance, so these people’s words have an immense impact, especially on children.

However, we must also take responsibility as readers. We must learn to appreciate the immense good “Harry Potter” has brought into the world while also criticizing its shortcomings. While the series has many flaws, they don’t warrant its abandonment.

We should keep in mind that Rowling has no credentials that validate her statements about race or the LGBTQ community. We should look to medical professionals and psychologists for this instead.

Additionally, we must apply Death of the Author to Rowling’s additions to her story, like Dumbledore being gay. Death of the Author is a concept created by 20th-century literary critic Roland Barthes. It states that an author’s intentions should not influence the reader’s interpretation. Consequently, readers should ignore Rowling’s intentions for “Harry Potter” and postpublishing statements.

“Harry Potter” presents an excellent opportunity for societal growth through recognition of the responsibilities of both artists and art-enjoyers because of its wide-ranging audience in regards to age, sex, gender, and race. If we use this opportunity well, a society of more tolerance and awareness may soon arise.

ARt by KAI yoSHIDA AND ANIKA MARINo