Thread by @cstross

The target age group for “Harry Potter” in the year it was written (probably 1995—publishing a book takes a couple of years) would have been born around 1988, so are now 32-33 ish. “People who grew up with Harry Potter” includes parents now introducing their kids to the books. /1

Purely in cold-blooded marketing terms it seems like a SPECTACULARLY bad idea for long term revenue growth to actively antagonize your fan base just as your fandom is becoming generational. /2

My inference is that (a) JKR is deeply, emotionally committed to TERFdom at this point, and (b) there are probably movie studio (and book publisher) executives in the background, frantically trying to get her to STFU, and failing. /3

They’ve probably been holding the lid down on her for some time, and she’s fed up and is convinced that speaking out now is the right thing to do.

So she’s going to double-down RSN, then get defensive when she’s called on her bigotry, and it’s going to be very messy.

/4

Also: trans-* people are vulnerable to violence and bigotry, and under perpetual attack by the far right. JKR is wealthy and privileged, and punching down on a minority here while aligning herself with the religious right.

J. K. Rowling has gone full Voldemort.

/5

Insofar as there are any overarching themes in Harry Potter, integrity and standing up against bullies are in there.

JKR is positioning herself as a bully, and expecting support from a fan base she taught to hate bullying? That’s not going to fly.

/6