On this special edition of MuggleCast, the hosts are joined by Dr. Sarah Steelman (Marriage & Family Therapist, Ph.D., LMFT) to discuss J.K. Rowling’s recent tweets and open letter regarding trans people. We review her statements and why so many of them are wrong, share responses from around the Harry Potter community, and analyze our own feelings.
MuggleCast has donated $700 to Trans Lifeline to support transgender people during this difficult time. In addition, MuggleCast will be making the following changes to how we cover J.K. Rowling:
- We will no longer speak about, promote, or review JKR’s projects outside of the Wizarding World.
- We will no longer talk about what JKR is saying on Twitter, unless she’s hurting fans (again).
- We will cover Wizarding World-related announcements and continue to review various elements, but we will avoid discussing JKR’s involvement, if any.
- We will strive to highlight more fan projects to focus on the fandom who’s made this place what it is.
Given the sensitive nature of this conversation, please be aware that this episode carries a trigger warning. Below is a list of resources referenced in our show, for both those individuals looking to better educate themselves as allies and for those who are personally affected by recent events.
If you’re a LGBTQ person who needs to speak to someone:
- The Trevor Project: 866-488-7386
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
Other resources:
- Follow Dr. Sarah Steelman on Twitter, and read her Medium blog post
- Andrew James Carter’s point-by-point breakdown of the various issues with J.K. Rowling’s blog post.
- For Scottish listeners who want to support the Gender Recognition Act, you can head to lgbtyouth.org.uk to find an email template and a list of your Members of Scottish Parliament to contact in support of the Act.
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OR, now read the Episode 469 Transcript!