‘Harry Potter’ Pulled From Shelves as Protest Against Rowling’s Comments Grows

It’s the end of an era at one San Francisco bookstore. The magic of Harry Potter has officially faded from their shelves — literally. Local shop, Booksmith, just pulled all seven books in the series, saying they can’t support J.K. Rowling’s repeated comments about the transgender community.

Over the past few years, the author has repeatedly made headlines for comments about gender that LGBTQIA+ advocates call hurtful. In 2020, Rowling mockingly tweeted about a UN report on “people who menstruate.” “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people… Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” Rowling sarcastically asked via Reuters. She later framed her stance as defending “biological sex,” writing on social media that she “respects every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic.” Still, she insisted her own “life has been shaped by being female” and that “it’s not hateful to say so.”

In May, Rowling announced that her Women’s Fund would provide legal support to women challenging trans-inclusive policies. This was the final straw. Bookstores have since removed the entire “Harry Potter” series from their shelves as they refused to support the controversial author.

J.K. Rowling’s books are being pulled from shelves.

In June, the independent Booksmith on Haight Street announced it would stop carrying the entire Harry Potter series. The decision followed Rowling’s pledge to channel franchise royalties into a “Women’s Fund” that critics say is committed to dismantling transgender protections. Booksmith’s statement was blunt and direct. “We don’t know exactly what her ‘women’s fund’ will entail, but we know that we aren’t going to be a part of it,” Booksmith wrote in a blog post. “As a group of queer booksellers, we also had our adolescents shaped by wizards and elves. Look at us, it’s obvious.”

Another Castro District shop, queer-run Fabulosa Books, quickly followed suit. They placed a whiteboard in a window, making their stance on the author clear. “We are no longer buying and selling books by J.K. Rowling as she is devoting her life to nastiness,” the message reads.

The post thanked Booksmith for “setting a good example.” Meanwhile, Booksmith published a list of alternative fantasy titles to try — from Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea to Rick Riordan’s series — and suggested fans consider used “Harry Potter” copies instead. Essentially, the stores urged customers to keep enjoying magic and adventure while opting not to fund Rowling’s new political campaign.

J.K. Rowling has an obsession with trans women.

Rowling has spent years targeting trans women without justification. She has launched the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund, leaving many stunned and frustrated. The legal initiative, fully funded by Rowling herself, aims to defend what she calls “women’s sex-based rights.” Through the fund, she plans to bankroll legal cases across the UK and Ireland that challenge policies that allow trans women to access women-only spaces.

The move has sparked backlash from the LGBTQIA+ community, but Rowling seems unbothered. She doubled down on her beliefs in a tweet shared about the legal fund. “Promoting the idea that men can become women by performing their idea of what a woman is — which, funnily enough, often turns out to be a pornified sex object – does not liberate women and girls,” she tweeted.

Should bookstores stop selling Harry Potter in protest of her activism? Comment below!

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