Prompt 4: Controversy

The first controversy that came to my mind was the current Dr. Seuss one, especially since our library is currently grappling with what to do with the copies that we have. However, I am going to discuss a different one. The first controversy that I was personally and professionally affected by was the controversy following J.K. Rowling's comments on Twitter in December of 2019. 

She tweeted the following in response to judgment received by Maya Forstater. Maya's employment contract was not renewed by the Centre for Global Development based on her views on sex and gender (Trepany, 2019). Ms. Forstater had stated that biological sex cannot be changed (BBC, 2019). Trepany (2019) noted that Maya attempted legal action to get her job back but lost. This tweet was in response to the news that a judge ruled against Ms. Forstater.

From Twitter Feed: @jk_rowling


I was the YA librarian at the time, and the teens that loved Harry Potter and were aware of these comments were very upset. It was difficult to understand how the person who created a world where an outsider found a family and became a hero would say things that hurt and ostracized some of them and their friends. Many felt as Kacen Callendar did; it was a "painful moment" (Yasharoff, 2020). 

Fans, activists, and celebrities alike have spoken out on the issue. Including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint stars from the Harry Potter movies (Gardner & Rosa, 2021). I personally appreciated the statement Daniel Radcliffe made "To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished. I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you…. And in my opinion, nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you, and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.” (Radcliffe, 2020, para. 4). I felt like it gave the teens I was talking to permission to value the camaraderie, support, or help they felt through these stories without having to reconcile those feelings with the author that wrote them.


References

BBC. (2019, December 19). Maya Forstater: Woman loses tribunal over transgender tweets. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50858919.

Gardner, A., & Rosa, C. (2021, January 26). 'Harry Potter' Fans Protest Possible New Show Because of J.K.'s Transgender Comments. Glamour. https://www.glamour.com/story/a-complete-breakdown-of-the-jk-rowling-transgender-comments-controversy.

Radcliffe, D. (2020, June 8). Daniel Radcliffe Responds to J.K. Rowling's Tweets on Gender Identity. The Trevor Project. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/2020/06/08/daniel-radcliffe-responds-to-j-k-rowlings-tweets-on-gender-identity/.

Rowling, J. K. (2019, December 19). @jk_rowlings tweet December 19, 2019. Twitter. https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1207646162813100033.

Trepany, C. (2019, December 20). J.K. Rowling sparks controversy for transgender comments; GLAAD responds. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/12/19/j-k-rowling-transgender-comments-maya-forstater-glaad-response/2701579001/.

Yasharoff, H. (2020, August 4). How trans 'Harry Potter' fans are grappling with J.K. Rowling's legacy after her transphobic comments. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2020/07/31/harry-potter-fans-grapple-j-k-rowling-transgender-remarks/5471834002/.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 7, 2021 at 9:02 PM

    Ugh, I am so glad you wrote on this. It was one of the author controversies that came to mind for me as well. I'm also thankful for Daniel Radcliffe's statement because it's been hard to see people I care about have to look at one of their favorite childhood stories differently. Luckily, the folks at the library where I work are all on the same page about liking Harry Potter and being 100% DONE with whatever J.K. Rowling has to say.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bobbi SchoonMarch 8, 2021 at 4:43 PM

      Brianna, I absolutely agree with you! I had not seen Daniel Radcliffe's statement until this assignment - I was so glad to find it! If nothing else, it reinforced what I was trying to say! And you said it well in your final sentence.

      Delete
  2. Erin CataldiMarch 10, 2021 at 10:21 AM

    Great job! Like you I was soo saddened but but at the end of the day - my life was changed by those books so I have to hold onto the books - not the author. It's hard to do. Great quotes and resources used. Full points!

    ReplyDelete

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