Your H**** P***** Shirt Ruined My Day

we actually shouldn't let people enjoy everything

I went to get a tattoo a couple weeks ago. I had a Venus symbol on the back of my arm covered up because over a decade later I’ve trans’d my gender and I was sick of having it there. On my way, I stopped in a local coffee shop to grab some lattes for myself and my tattoo artist. I’ve been to this place before and the vibes are usually pretty good! But as I walked up to order I saw it: the person taking my order was wearing a fucking Harry Potter t-shirt.

My heart started pounding and I really wanted to say something. I thought to myself “okay, no, don’t make a scene”. I ordered. I tried to stay calm but internally I was getting riled up. I sent a bunch of text messages to my partner and friends about it. I thought “okay, say something politely while you grab your drink” and then I panicked. I never want to be that rude customer, I really don’t, but for fuck sakes…why would a person choose to wear that to work?

Here’s the thing: JK Rowling’s violent transphobia is not new. We are years in at this point and I am so fucking over people still engaging with Harry Potter. GET A NEW INTEREST, YOU ARE OLD AS A HILL! But seriously, this vile woman has said that she considers it support for her and her opinions when people a) watch/read Harry potter b) go to HP world c) buy the games and the merch and whatever the fuck else. She has said that if you engage with these things, you support her. And I really don’t care if you think you are the exception. When you wear this shit, you signal to other people that you support her and her transphobic vitriol.

Setting aside the fact that it was an ugly t-shirt¹ for Harry Potter world in Florida (ICK!!!), to actively decide to purchase that and then WEAR IT is a truly idiotic choice in 2025.² I am sick of being polite and nice about this stuff. I do not think that media choices are praxis, but my god, you KNOW how awful she is! If you want to watch the movies in your home and not tell anybody about it…well, fine. I mean, fucking weird, but fine. BUT TO WEAR THE T-SHIRT?

We need to erase Harry Potter from our lexicons. Why am I sitting and enjoying a podcast only to hear a 40 year old adult human being say “patronus”??? Why are people still talking about wether or not they’re a Hufflepuff? I loved HP as much as the next person (I even did the whole late night showing line up thing), but the minute she even STARTED this transphobic bullshit, I dipped out. And I would’ve done this even if I were not trans myself, because why cling to some books written by somebody so vile? I don’t care about the argument that it meant so much to you or you have nostalgia for it. I really don’t. You are not special.

No piece of media is so important to me that I could support it, publicly³, on a fucking shirt, when the creator of that media has been so hateful. The conversation about separating the person from the thing is important and worthwhile, but most of the time I am never going to do that. Maybe that’s my ASD brain that can’t let it go. But in this particular instance, I know that I am right. I am begging people to read other books, use other metaphors, and let go of this (honestly pathetic) millennial attachment to some mediocre books about an orphan wizard.

That barista’s t-shirt genuinely upset me because I began to wonder if I was safe. The blood rushed to my cheeks and I felt shame. It might just be a shirt, but it also isn’t — it is a signal to other people, whether you like it or not.

JK Rowling’s vitriol has had an impact. Trans women in the UK are not safe.⁴ They are literally being legislated away — an act of administrative violence that, while it cannot change a trans woman’s truth, has serious material consequences including emboldening transphobes. When you walk around with an HP t-shirt or bag or patch or whatever the fuck else, you are signalling that you agree with these things. That you support transphobia. If you somehow didn’t realize this (which I doubt), you should probably turn those items into fire kindling or wash rags.

The fact that this woman can be so abhorrent and still get her shitty books rebooted into a TV franchise is astounding yet not surprising. And if people are going to tune into that — well, you know what I think about them. Sure, being ethical in a deeply unethical world is complicated, but some things are not complicated at all. By watching that show, you’ll be putting money directly into her pocket. You’re giving a violent, hateful, disgusting transphobe your money. All for a television show. Or a video game. Or an ugly fucking t-shirt.

1. White v-neck, slub knit, black and ‘gold’ font. BLEGH.

2. And if it was a gift, you should remove that person and the shirt from your life.

3. Or privately, because again, I am not a fucking loser.

4. Trans women are not safe in the US either. Trans women are not safe anywhere. All of us need to protect the dolls — cis people need to step it the fuck up for all trans people and this INCLUDES Queer cis people.