For years, “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling has faced pushback over her take on the transgender community, which she’s been vocal about on her social media pages. She recently started an organization dedicated to providing legal funding for cases over “women’s sex-based rights.”
Now, a California bookstore is taking a stand against the world-renowned writer, and sparking global debate in the process.
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What’s at issue?
In May, Rowling announced she planned to use the money she’s earned from the multi-billion-dollar franchise to start the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund.
On its website, the fund says it “…offers legal funding support to individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights in the workplace, in public life, and in protected female spaces. It provides women with the means and confidence to bring to justice cases that make legal precedents, force policy change, and make positive contributions to women’s lives in the future.”
What did the bookstore say?
In response to the creation of the women’s fund, The Booksmith in San Francisco announced it will no longer sell Rowling’s iconic “Harry Potter” series.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the bookstore said: “As a group of queer booklovers, we also had our adolescences shaped by wizards and elves. Look at us, it’s obvious. If you or someone you love wants to dive into the world of Harry Potter, we suggest doing so by buying used copies of these books.”
The store then followed up with a post this week containing a link to a list of books about “Wizards, but not that wizard.”
How are people responding?
The move has sparked a debate on social media over whether bookstores should only make books they deem fit available to customers.
One Instagram user posted the comment “That’s one way to teach children about censorship and the removal of the freedom of speech!” in response to the book seller’s announcement.
Another argued, “This is not censoring. This is just not funding her or her antics anymore.”
Booksmith responded to criticism in one of its comments by saying: “There are plenty of books we carry that we don’t ‘agree’ with, but in this case, it’s not politics at all. When the author of a book states that all sales of those books will contribute to an anti-trans fund, the only way we can choose not to participate is by not selling the books any longer.”
Rowling has yet to comment publicly on the issue.
At least one other San Francisco bookstore has followed The Booksmith’s example. Fabulosa Books announced Thursday, June 26, that it will no longer buy or sell the series.
How much money does Rowling have to put toward the fund?
While Rowling has not specified how much of her personal wealth she’s setting aside for the organization, she likely has more than enough.
Last month, Forbes reported Rowling’s personal net worth is about $1.2 billion.
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The “Harry Potter” series has sold at least 230 million copies in the U.S. and 600 million worldwide, making it the bestselling book series of all time, according to Scholastic.
Forbes noted Rowling is known to post about her controversial views on the transgender community multiple times a day on social media. Still, the magazine said that it does not appear to have impacted her ability to make money, especially off the “Harry Potter” franchise.
“Rowling’s business empire is now larger than ever,” Forbes reported. “In the four years since she began posting about transgender rights in 2020, Forbes estimates Rowling has earned more than $80 million per year from the sales of her books and the vast litany of Potterverse brand extensions, including movies, TV shows, theme parks, video games, theater and merchandise.”
She also does not appear to be stopping anytime soon. A new “Harry Potter” television series is on the works for HBO right now, expected to premiere in late 2026.
