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cis-splained · 3 years

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Stop Making Me Talk About JKR

If you were sent here, then a boundary of some kind is being set. Read through this in its entirety, and check to see if any of your questions are answered here. The person that sent you this post might not wish to continue talking about Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy, or anything related to JK Rowling, in any context. Please confirm their comfort levels, after you have read and reflected, if they have not already been stated.

Respect their decision, even if you do not like the answer you receive.

Now, with the standard, trademark disclaimer-slash-introduction neatly out of the way:

Some Points of Clarification

The LGBTQIA+ community, self included, has been attempting to point out the red flags of JKR’s dangerous beliefs for years. These attempts have largely been in vain until she published the essay in 2020.

JKR owns Harry Potter. She profits monetarily off of everything associated to the franchise. She is Harry Potter, and she has worked hard to ensure this.

Having no creative control is not the same as making zero profit. Neither of these things detract from her continued relevancy in the global consciousness.

There is a long history of tokenism, retroactive virtue signaling, regular virtue signaling, fatphobia, homophobia, transphobia, misogony, and many, many other things present in all of her works, social media, interviews, etc. Some of these are mentioned in the link above, the rest is easily found with a Google search.

JKR also publishes under the penname Robert Galbraith. Some of these themes are more apparent in those titles, as they are intended for adult audiences.

Including the option to have trans characters in Hogwarts Legacy is problematic because of its execution, the controversy around it from within the studio, and furthermore, is not the gotcha one might think it is. JKR does not believe that she is a terf. She fully believes that she is acting in the best interest of the trans community. You can’t pull a fast one on somebody that fully believes themselves to be an ally.

Why are people tired of talking about this?

A myriad of reasons, some of which are alluded to or stated outright above, or in the link at the top of the post.

JKR is celebrated, loudly, not just for her body of work, but for these opinions that cause real world harm to the trans community. It is exhausting to explain the reasons, scientific or otherwise, that she is wrong, how she is causing harm, and why it feels like a betrayal.

It is exhausting to spend all of this time, effort, and energy justifying and defending your very existence and extremely real emotions, just to hear “well I still like Harry Potter” at the end of it.

It is exhausting to feel like your emotions do not matter, particularly while trying to tackle your own grief and conflicting desires to separate the franchise from its creator.

It is difficult to try to remember that your friends, family, and people who otherwise support you entirely are not trying to hurt you. That it probably isn’t willful ignorance that leads to them ignoring you.

It is possible to be rationally and logically aware that someone who supports you is defending Harry Potter because of their own hurt feelings, and still be hurt by the fact that they’re trying to defend it to you.

We know that we have no recourse. Frankly, it sucks.

We can’t boycott Harry Potter in any meaningful way. Unfortunately, we do not live in a world where harmful rhetoric and transphobia will nuke you from the global consciousness.

An entire essay full of hatred and misinformation would, in a perfect world, remove you so thoroughly from pop culture you suffered the same fate as Game of Thrones: never discussed again, not even to say how much you hated the ending.

This is not what happened here.

People will continue to support her. People will continue to support the franchise. We can not hurt her financially, and we know this. Somebody with millions of subscribers and followers might be able to convince a fraction of their fans that she should not be supported. Even if that scenario is replicated a thousand times over, it’s not enough.

Because nobody has a platform that can realistically rival hers.

This unfortunate reality means that every article, every Tweet, every video essay only serves to grow or maintain her platform. Every time that Harry Potter is mentioned, her relevancy is ensured to continue.

And she will always win while she is relevant, such is the strength of her platform. She is, and always will be, Harry Potter and the Wizarding World.

Even if she never earns another penny from her IPs, she will never suffer financially. Even if she is never discussed again, the damage she has already caused will take years, if not an entire lifetime, to erase.

All of this is adds to our exhaustion and burnout.

In the end, it’s a zero sum game with no clear answers.

Consume consciously. Respect the trans people in your life. Respect the trans people in your online communities. Elevate their voices. Remember that the trans community is burdened significantly by constantly being put in a position where they must educate others. Remember that there is significant emotional labor that goes into this education, justifying your existence, and also with justifying your emotions. Respect our boundaries. Listen to what we have to say. Take the things that you learned and put it into action.

As always, reblogs and shares are welcome. Safeguard your mental health. Guard your boundaries. This was, once again, written with the express purpose of helping people within the community do both of those things.

Here’s a Tiny URL to make that easier:

https://tinyurl.com/ebmsusa

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cis-splained · 3 years

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Harry Potter/JKR Masterlist

If you have been sent here, there is a chance that the sender is safe guarding their mental health. Please respect that possibility. Whatever their personal reasons may be--burnout, feeling overwhelmed, not able to give this subject the time and attention it deserves at the moment of sending, etc.--they did send you here for a reason. Please read through, watch videos, and use this opportunity to further educate yourself before broaching the subject again.

What’s this masterlist for?

This is by no means a complete guide to all things Harry Potter, JKR, or Hogwarts Legacy. This is merely meant as a starting point. A place one may come to educate themselves on what the trans community has to say, or what the issues at hand are.

Once more for the people in the back, this is coming from a trans/nonbinary/GNC perspective.

Twitter Threads:

One Tweet Summary of Why Trans Inclusion in Hogwarts Legacy is Meaningless

(Author’s note: this is the category most likely to receive future edits/inclusions. Due to the nature of Twitter, it’s nearly impossible to find old threads. In fact, I’m having trouble finding them now.)

YouTube:

Death of The Author and JKR

Defining TERF

History of Transphobia in Cinema/TV

Op Eds and Articles:

JKR is Harry Potter, and the Issue of Continued Relevance

A Breakdown of Commentary/History

Summary of What Point They Completely Missed

On the Topic of Boycotting (with brief, incomplete summary of transphobic history)

A Brief History of HP games, WB commentary, and Confirmation WB Does Not Own the IP--JKR Still Profits

Why Trans Character Option is Tokenism

A Little More Info on Surrounding/Outside Controversy, Mentions of Games That Did Better

General Write Up with Quotes

Reddit Pulling Receipts (another masterlist)

Latest Robert Galbraith Book and Why it’s Transphobic

Stephen King vs JKR

Similarities of Inclusion Attempts Between Hogwarts Legacy and Cyberpunk 2077

Very few articles or videos that I have seen at the time of this writing have gone to any lengths to explain why mixing and matching voices to different body types is, in its own way, a form of transphobia. (Attractive women with deep “male” voices has been played for laughs and disgust at the expense of the trans community for decades.)

The options so far discussed excludes trans nonbinary and nonbinary people, and I have seen little/no mention of this either.

As always, feel free to share this. Send the link to anyone and everyone. Especially send it if you need to safeguard your mental health on this subject.

Elevate trans voices.

Author’s note: This has been compiled before the game launch. Depending on level of personal burnout, this list may be edited in the future to include further resources. The goal here is to prevent burnout in myself and others in the community. Considering the difficulty of discussing this face to face/offline and the fact that that’s where my highest risk of burnout comes from, there are zero guarantees of updates/edits.

Shareable Tiny URL:

https://tinyurl.com/xb49krcd

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cis-splained · 3 years

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Shut the fuck up about Harry Fucking Potter

#that is all #by request #shut up about harry potter #seriously does nobody remember what happened with dr who and star wars #and how the fans killed the franchise #though honestly that would absolutely be a blessing here #we do not support jkr in this house

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cis-splained · 3 years

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Important Notice About Cyberpunk 2077

The person who directed you to this page needs you to know something.

It is important that you read this message in its entirety before proceeding with a response or any further questions.

You have not been sent here as an attack against you.

Do not respond as though it is an attack if this message feels personal.

The following statements apply to the sender of this post either in its entirety, OR in combination.

The sender is:

No longer accepting questions

No longer engaging in discussions

Will not accept further defenses

Does not accept your good faith arguments

Has experienced direct attacks against them over this

Has experienced significant lack of support

Is no longer in a good place mentally or emotionally

Is preparing to engage in, or already engaging in, a social media blackout

Is experiencing activism burnout

Feels as though they are being dismissed

Is questioning whether they are being gaslit over their experiences

They have likely been defending their own existence, trauma, and identity to strangers, family, and friends from the beginning. They are now in a state, immediately following the actual release of the game, of having to live in a sustained state of this defense and trauma. They are feeling an immense pressure to educate others, which is one of many ways this person is experiencing burnout.

If you have already been sent links, or seen articles linked, read through the information you’ve already received or come across. Focus on what the activists and journalists have said. Google the information before you ask questions of the community. If you have not organically come across this information, consult this list.

Again, this is not an attack. This is a reminder that the sender is no longer able to handle the situation the way that they would like. They are running out of the resources needed. This is a reminder that even questions asked in good faith can cause harm and contribute to burnout. This is an invitation to reflect on what you have already seen, read, and been told.

Your personal feelings and desire to play and love this game DO NOT change the fact that very real, very tangible harm is happening in the real world because of this.

Your personal feelings DO NOT change the very real negative impact.

Defense of your personal feelings is unlikely to be viewed as anything other than a dismissal of their own trauma or willful ignorance.

No matter how much good will and good faith is behind your questions or defenses, understand that this conversation has been nonstop across multiple platforms for them. Your questions and defenses, no matter how good your intent, are causing this person mental distress. Every contribution adds to the burden of emotional labor they are experiencing.

If you were sent here, consider this as a firm boundary being set unless otherwise stated. If the sender has already made a post about whether they will continue to engage in talks about this game, then this is either a reminder or warning of the boundaries they have already established. It is also possible the sender is using this as an opportunity to adjust or update their boundary.

The information is out there. All you have to do is listen.

#cyberpunk 2077 #boundary setting #trans life #transphobia #activism #activism burnout #cyberpunk 2077 seizure warning #social activism #trans advocacy #links #send and share #content warning #content warning sexism #content warning homophobia #content warning transphobia #content warning racism #content warning ableism #a brief look at why good faith arguments and questions are bad #reblogs welcome

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cis-splained · 3 years

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Here’s (some of) What’s Wrong With Cyberpunk 2077

This is by no means a fully comprehensive masterlist.

This is merely a starting place for anyone that has not already been informed or heard.

Please feel free to share this with others, especially if you are experiencing any sort of fatigue or exhaustion. Reblogs are naturally welcome.

If you have been sent to this post by someone else, read through all of the articles and threads. Take time to reflect on the messages before you make any additional commentary or ask further questions. Understand that if you were sent here, that the person linking to this list is likely not willing or is unable to answer further questions without serious drain and negative impact on their own mental health.

Articles

https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/4/22058784/cyberpunk-2077-marketing-cd-projekt-red-transphobia https://www.cbr.com/cyberpunk-2077-transphobia/

https://www.them.us/story/cyberpunk-2077-video-game-transphobic-stereotypes-boycott

https://www.syrupaus.com/entertainment/cyberpunk-2077-transphobic/

https://www.dailydot.com/irl/cyberpunk-2077-trans-voices/

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/06/14/cyberpunk-2077s-in-game-context-doesnt-matter-if-its-marketing-contributes-to-transphobia-right-now/

Twitter Threads

Twitter Threads:

https://twitter.com/JesseHeinig/status/1336913378564919297

https://twitter.com/outstarwalker/status/1336990599669485568

https://twitter.com/MarionNatik/status/1336942912567988229

https://twitter.com/hmwsgx/status/1337130770779971584

https://twitter.com/Tosthage/status/1337154203999932422

SEIZURE WARNING

https://www.gameinformer.com/2020/12/07/cyberpunk-2077-epileptic-psa?amp&__twitter_impression=true

This game uses the same strobe sequence used in the medical field to intentionally cause seizures. The article above contains more information.

There are other issues in regards to ableism, accessibility, sexism, and racism present throughout the game. The reader is encouraged to google any of the topics for more information that is not covered here, rather than reaching out to the people bringing it up for the information. It is very likely that going through their post history will turn up links, threads, comment chains, and information that they have already mentioned.

In short, the information is out there. If you want more information that is not covered here, look for it before you ask.

#cyberpunk 2077 #seizure warning #content warning #content warning sexism #content warning homophobia #content warning transphobia #cyberpunk 2077 seizure warning #articles #further reading #twitter threads #links #content warning racism

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cis-splained · 3 years

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Whoops! You Made it Awkward!

Whoops! You made it awkward!

The person who has directed you to this page wants you to know that you're making things super awkward. Before saying anything further, please read through the following instructions so that no one has to feel weird.

So you were asked to correct a term and made a big deal about it.

You were asked to change a pronoun, name, or other gendered term, and then you felt a need to apologize, explain why you made the mistake, reassure the person you are speaking with that your mistake wasn't intentional, and/or otherwise make kind of a big deal about correcting your mistake. First of all: it's great that you care about using the correct terms! Your intentions are good. However, by making a big deal about it, you are calling greater attention to this person's gender identity, forcing them to remain in the moment of being temporarily misgendered, and worst of all, making the situation about you, your intentions, and your feelings. You're inadvertently putting a huge emotional burden on the person you're trying to reassure, making them feel like they need to look after you and your feelings and reassure you that you are not a bad person for making a simple mistake.

What should I do?

The good news is, it's super simple. For now, just drop it and move on with the conversation! There's absolutely no need to discuss it any further. These things happen all the time! This person knows your intentions are good and it was an honest mistake. In the future, if you are corrected or asked to make a change again, try adapting one of these simple scripts to your situation to ensure a comfortable resolution and avoid being sent to read this guide again:

You This is my friend Sam. I know him from work.

Sam Them, not him, please.

You Oh, right, sorry. I know them from work.

You Is that a new shirt? Look at you, fashionable lady!

Pat Not "lady", please.

You Oh, sure. Look at you, fashionable friend!

You This is my friend Sarah, from school.

Josh It's Josh now.

You Whoops, sorry. This is my friend Josh.

And then carry on the conversation. It's as simple as that.

But I still have questions!

It's great that you want to inform yourself. However, now is not the right time for that. Remember that your gender non-conforming friend just wants to live their life, and isn't necessarily eager to educate every single person they know, especially not in the middle of a totally unrelated conversation. Imagine if every time someone accidentally called you the wrong name and you corrected them, they immediately began interrogating you about your family history and origin of your name - not the most comfortable of positions to be in! If you want to ask your friend more questions, try doing it at a later time, and be prepared for them to say they'd rather not talk about it.

If your friend says they'd rather not talk about it, consider doing a little research on your own. There are plenty of resources available online, including communities of people who are happy to answer your questions. (Editor's note: doing some research before you start asking this person questions will help you ask better questions, and go a long way in showing that you care.) Try starting here:

Dictionary of Terms

Understanding Transgender People

Nonbinary People

A Guide to They Them Pronouns

PDF Guides on Gender Minorities

Harvard Business Review Guide to Workplace Inclusion

There are many more resources available online, from organizations and members of the community alike, as well as numerous blogs and Tumblr accounts dedicated to respectful education and representation. First hand accounts are incredibly helpful, but keep in mind no one person (including your friend or family member) can represent the entire community.

Written by: Secret Foxfire

Edited and hosted by @primitivedisaster

Need a quick link to share?

https://tinyurl.com/y3caoqkp

This was created with the intent to be shared in an effort to help the community.

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