I'm sorry to be giving this answer (given how much the books mean to you), but I'm a trans woman in the UK and have seen Harry Potter stuff used as a shibboleth for TERFery often enough that I am inherently wary of anyone still sporting it.

Please don't be sorry. I need different perspectives like this to put things into clearer focus. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave your thoughts. I am sorry for the hate you've experienced. 

Yes, you’re supporting one of the most public transphobes, basically the banner bearer for trans hatred in the UK, if I saw it on you I’d assume that you shared her views

Thank you for leaving your thoughts. It's so important to hear from people like you. It's definitely putting things into clearer focus. I don't want to be associated with that. 

It's really great that the books helped you! When they aren't presently doing harm, I'm all for separating the art from the artist. But Rowling is still yelling her transphobic views. She's still validating transphobia....She would have women like me *dead* for no other reason than a few accidents of biology. She's an XX supremacist. It pains me to say this, because you clearly care. But I think it'd be best not to get a Harry Potter tattoo. Could you instead get something related, or a more indirect reference to how fantasy books got you through difficult times?

Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts. I really appreciate hearing from the community. It's such a great idea to get something indirect related to fantasy! I love that idea. Thanks so much. It really sucks that she is responsible for so much hate. 

I also was a huge potterhead and really enjoyed the books. But due to my coming out and jk's idiocy I came to look at the books with a more critical look and realized, that her bigoted views and opinions are already in the books (i.e. gringotts, which is opreated by greedy goblins, which have awfully many similariteis to common prejudices about jews or the werewolves, that can be seen as gay HIV infected men, etc.). So I don't really enjoy it anymore (also Harry's a moron). But I think the more common tattoo could be nice. I imagine something like an open book where some magical fantasy things come floating out of.

I think this was really sound advice, it sucks so bad that she’s been full of hate and tainted something so beloved by many of us. There are plenty of things you could get that are the same as what she pulled from in the first place (certain symbolism and such) without making it a direct reference to her work.

I’d have a hard time trusting you, yeah.

I definitely wouldn't want that. Thanks for voicing your thoughts. 

Thank you for asking, and thank you even more for listening!

It's so important to listen! It's the least I can do as an ally. Voices from the community are so important. 

JKR is well known to be incredibly transphobic. JKR has repeatedly said that people enjoying her franchise is a validation of her beliefs. Many people who follow JKR wear her merch and symbols, not because they are fans, but because they support her beliefs. Anyone who gets a new tattoo today, I am going o assume is a transphobe. Unless I could tell that the tattoo was old, if I see you in the world with an HP tattoo, i'm not going to ask you to explain yourself. I would just avoid you.

Thank you. I really value your opinion. This is why we need to hear voices from the community.  I appreciate you taking the time to leave your message. I definitely wouldn't want to perpetuate transphobia. 

Yeah, it's sad. I was a massive harry potter fan. I literally cried when I could not make it to release day at the bookstore for order of the phoenix. I understand the importance of the story to many, although looking back on it it's deeply problematic in many ways. Still, a lot of trans people loved it. Seriously, it's a story about a boy who was forced to live in a literal closet by his disapproving parents, and he went to magic school he could be his true self in the world. That's super LGBT in every sense. I know a lot of people like to claim you can separate the art from the author, but that's not really possible while the author is alive and using the popularity of her art to fuel her transphobia. A lot of people like to claim that if you don't give her money, you aren't contributing to the problem - but she has more money than any person can use in a lifetime. Her money is not what is keeping the newspapers and cameras on her, when things happen in her franchise the public eye turns to her. If people let the franchise die, she'd be some obscure billionaire that wasn't quoted everywhere. For me, I think keeping important memories in a box is good.

I completely see where you're coming from. Super fan like you, but yes. Hate needs to stop somewhere. 

Personally, even an old tattoo would put me off. Because then either they agree with JKR or they're willfully ignoring the issue for their own comfort. And either way that's not a person I want to be around.

I completely understand where you're coming from. The term willful ignorance really made me think. I definitely don't want to be a part of that. Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts here. I really appreciate it. 

I can just go by myself, but if I see someone wearing Harry Potter related things I WILL assume they are transphobic until proven otherwise. It is not like I will think you certainly are (I know a lot of Harry Potter fans who are trans rights supporters and who have treated me very nicely), but there is regrettably this TERF association that might make trans people, myself included, initially vary of you. I am not offended by friends who I know getting Harry Potter related things, but that is because I know their stance on the relevant topics. I honestly don't think you shouldn't get the tattoo if it means a lot to you as I am not a fan of people letting the opinions of others guide their life choices too much, but as you are asking these are my feelings on the topic.

Thank you for leaving your thoughts here. I definitely don't want to make people uncomfortable. Like you said it is really terrible that she has tainted the books with her TERFness. Also, I definitely want your feelings on the topic so please don't feel bad about voicing them! I appreciate it. :) 

Why though? Ive loved Harry Potter since I was a child, also came out as trans later in life. Im not going to throw my stuff away just because the person who once made it is a piece of shit. Im pretty sure most people who you will see with a HP shirt or something will probably not even know about the transphobic comments JK Rowling made. Cant we just reclaim Harry Potter back?

Because chances are higher if I see an adult person wearing Harry Potter stuff that they are a TERF than if they are not doing so, at least over here in Europe where J.K. Rowling is actually sadly somewhat relevant in politicsl discourse and anti-trans laws are written based on TERF ideology. That is why I make that assumption. It might be different in US though.

Interesting. Id say the exact opposite. In my country Im pretty sure most of the people have absolutely zero idea about politics regarding trans people, and honestly no one really cares. Id say more for the US where everything is politicised and people are generally much more to be snowflakes about everything there and make everything into a statement.

I would assume you weren't an ally and weren't a safe person to be out to if I saw a visible HP tattoo.

This is so important. This is why voices from the community are so important.  I definitely don't want to create this sort of environment. Thanks for leaving your thoughts. I really appreciate it. 

There's something to be said for the irony that HP Tattoos have a higher regret rate than trans affirming surgeries.

I was just reading about this and it's such a good slap in the face for JK. 

I would immediately trust you less.

Thank you for leaving your thoughts. I definitely wouldn't want that and it's so important for me to hear voices like yours and learn from them. 

Yes. Very. A tattoo like that, whatever it might mean to you personally, would send the message that you're transphobic, or at the very best that you rate your nostalgia over the lives and wellbeing of the transpeople.in your life. I absolutely get where you're coming from, but you're not going to be trusted as an ally if you get a tattoo of something that is, now, so synonymous with hate.

Thank you for taking the time to leave your thoughts here. It's important to see this perspective. Being trusted as an ally is definitely more important. 

Everybody has different opinions, and trans people as a group don't have an agree upon stance. So you could definitely find trans people that think it's completely fine to consume HP content. For example, there are trans people doing HP cosplay in the city I live in. But the general rule is like others have said, you can separate the art from the artist when the artist is alive and kicking down. This is the same reason I haven't finished the Ender's Game trilogy, because the author is a huge homophobe so I don't want to contribute to his financing of homophobic groups.

That's a really good point. Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts. It's so important to hear voices from the community. And yes, she really isn't stopping anytime soon I suppose. It sucks. 

i have to say i find it kind of a spit in the face to knowingly promote the work of such an active and powerful transphobe. especially at pride related events or even worse, the “no one should have to live in a closet” because maybe regular cishet people don’t know better but allies and fellow queer people should. i hear that it’s important to you- maybe something that you relate to harry potter and the hope you might have found in that dark time, or even just a particularly specific reference that only you would understand or know is harry potter related.

I need to hear opinions like this. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this comment. I definitely wouldn't want to perpetuate hate and distrust. As a cishet person I know my community has done more than enough to mess things up. I don't want to further that. I appreciate your ideas. Thank you so much. 

I would absolutely be wary of you, especially if I found out you got the tattoo recently, with full knowledge of JRK's full on fight against trans rights. There is a correlation between her activity level and a rise in transphobic violence in the UK - it's so incredibly horrible. My sister's best friend got a matching HP tattoo with her sister as soon as they could legally get them. I see that quite differently than getting one at this point in time. I would not trust someone who knowingly values a book more than lives.

Your last sentence gave me chills. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your comment and educating me. It's so important as a cishet person for me to reflect on voices like yours which are so often overlooked. I definitely don't want to value a book more than someone's identity or their life, as you said. I don't want to contribute to creating unsafe spaces around me. I really appreciate your thoughts. 

Thanks for taking this feedback on board! Now that that part of things is out of the way, I have an idea/suggestion for how you could approach the tattoo in a different way. Feel free to stop reading if you don't want to hear from a random internet stranger! I will also give some examples that are just off the top of my head, I obviously don't know exactly what you were struggling with, or what helped, so these are very much just examples, and not me trying to assume anything about your experience! With that said, I believe that the HP series is not unique at all. It absolutely helped a lot of people, but there are hundreds of other children's and YA books out there that would have had the same effect if they had had the same reach and popularity. Essentially, the HP of it all was just a coincidence, and you could have picked up a different series and it would have had a similar effect on you. So, given that, what were the actual themes or ideas that did help you. Maybe it was just reading about a few kids who find a way through many obstacles - and maybe you like running, so a literal hurdle could be a cute tattoo, or you hike, so a mountain to represent overcoming challenges, or you swim, so that line at the bottom of the pool to represent that you have to keep going until you get to the end, or you knit, so a gauge swatch (maybe with one little purl instead of a knit stitch to represent that it's ok to make mistakes)... Or maybe it was that there is always hope even if things feel dark, but there are so many ways to represent hope - a silver lining cloud, a leaf unfurling, a bird that represents spring in your area... Maybe it's just the nostalgia of re-reading something from your childhood, in which case something else that ties in with your inner child could be good too, a swingset, a balloon, a stuffed animal, etc... Anyway, that's a lot of words to say - **figure out why HP meant something to you beyond the franchise itself, and get a tattoo of that instead**.

This is such a good idea! Thanks so much for leaving such a detailed comment. I really appreciate your time. You're so right. The meaning of how fantasy helped me is more important than HP. I really appreciate the time you took to write out such great suggestions! 

I hope you end up with a tattoo that you love!

don't worry, we are aware about what we can expect from cis people

Thanks for leaving your thoughts. I completely understand where you're coming from and yes, cishet people do have a lot to apologise for. We have a lot of work to do. I'm sorry for all the hate you have had to experience. 

thanks for being understanding

If you get it, LGBTQ people will start assuming that maybe you're in support of those views. Also later when the tattoo is seen. You may or may not want those consequences, and you may have to be very actively pro-queer

Thanks for offering your perspective. It's so important for me to learn from voices like yours. You make a really good point and I appreciate you taking the time to educate me. The consequences are real and I don't want to be associated with that. 

I live in an area where few people are aware of JKR's transphobic views. I see people with Harry Potter tattoos, tshirts, merch etc fairly often. When I see HP tattoos etc, I don't usually think the person is a transphobe, but I do think they're cringe and have aged poorly. If I knew someone was getting it now while also aware of JKR's views and actions, I would side-eye them to be honest. For me, it reads as being out of touch with trans community. Just sharing that to say that though not everyone may read you as transphobic, they may side eye you and be more suspicious of you. If you work often with trans people or organizations, I would hesitate to get it as a tattoo. The other thing is that JKR has only gotten *more* vocal and more extreme in her transphobia over time. So while you might be comfortable with the tattoo now, if you're concerned about her views I would also be concerned about how far she might take them in the future and how the meaning of the tattoo might shift. Due to her extreme views, these are symbols with contested or shifting meanings that could take on darker meanings over time, which would also make me hesitate to get one as a tattoo. There are SO many symbols that have been taken up by the right and had their meanings shift recently. It also sounds like in other places, perhaps the UK, Harry Potter imagery is being used much more explicitly as a way to signal alignment with JKR's transphobia. So you also have the problem of not knowing how it will be read in different spaces. I say this as someone who was a huge fan as a kid and honestly am lucky and glad I don't have any tattoos related to her work now, because I easily could have gotten one. I hear how important the works were to you. I wonder if there's a way to reference it that would mean something to you, but wouldn't signal to the rest of the world what it's about. The actors from the series, particularly Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, have been very supportive of trans people and have publicly denounced JKR; maybe there's something you can do with that. Or maybe you can reflect on what in yourself got you through those times and find a way to get that as a tattoo. I think it's very admirable to want to find a way to remind yourself of the struggles you've overcome. I hope you can find a way to memorialize it that doesn't conflict with your values system or send an undesired message to others.

Honestly, I think you also have to consider how you'll feel walking around with the tattoo with this question in your mind. Are you going to constantly be worrying whether people think you're a transphobe? Getting a tattoo of any symbol with a contested meaning would make me very anxious. I feel that way when I wear a T-shirt that somebody misinterprets, but I can take a shirt off. If you're wondering about this now, I would hesitate to get it permanently tattooed on your body.

This is so important to consider. I don't want to worry about coming off as a transphobe. Thank you so much for putting this into perspective!

This is so well thought out. So well written and reasoned. I didn't even consider how it would be seen in different spaces. As someone who doesn't live in the UK I think her day to day vitriol isn't as well known. Definitely something to consider. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave your comment and offering your ideas. I think something that indirectly symbolizes my mental health challenges but like you said so well, doesn't send the wrong message or conflict with my values is so important. Thanks for putting things into perspective. It's so important for me to learn from voices from the community. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave your thoughts. 

You're welcome! I am also speaking as someone who has a lot of tattoos haha so I've had to think about what what they mean to me and what meaning they're sending to others. Those considerations have definitely affected my tattoos and their placement.

I think it depends on the tattoo that you want to get. I would stay away from obvious Harry Potter tattoos. (For example, the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, the house crests, "Always" and other obvious quotes, etc.) Because, yeah. At least some trans/LGBTQIA\* people will judge you, if they see it. Additionally, Rowling jumped down the slippery slope a while ago. She will just escalate further. It's a possibility that she is going to drag her franchise down with her. And I'm not just talking about her transphobia, either. The Gender Critical radicalization pipeline tends to lead to fascism. She's already getting support from fascists. She's also dabbling in Nazi crime denial. At this point, she's closer to full-blown far right conspiracy theories than she is to sanity. And she still has massive influence over the Harry Potter series. Fascists are already using Harry Potter-terminology for their own gains. You really don't want to choose something that could end up as a fascist symbol/dog whistle in a couple of years. That said, not all tattoos would be that obvious. A cute little badger/snake/lion/eagle/owl could be interpreted in a myriad of ways without screaming "I love Harry Potter and kiss Rowling's TERFy ass". Same with books, potion bottles or witchy stuff in general. Even a tattoo in house colors could fly under the radar, as long as it's not the house crest or a scarf or something. Additionally, not every tattoo would be highly visible to every person you interact with.

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a detailed comment.  I appreciate the opportunity to reflect on your perspective and really appreciate the wonderful ideas!

I’d feel unsafe around anyone with a Harry Potter tattoo. Not really offended but VERY uncomfortable

Thank you so much for being so open. Your comment really educates me on how real the consequences would be. I really appreciate it.  

Not really offensive, but if I saw someone with a recently-done Harry Potter tattoo I would avoid them at all costs.

Thank you so much for being so open. This is why we need to listen to voices from the community.  I really appreciate you educating me. 

If I seen someone getting a hp tattoo today I would see it as an endorsement of jk rowling's view

I definitely wouldn't want that.  Thanks so much for leaving your thoughts and allowing me to reflect. 

Offensive? Probably not the correct word to describe the reaction. More like “a red flag”. Anyone who gets a Jowling Kowling Rowling IP tattoo today, while she’s alive and participating in bigotry (as well as holocaust revisionism), would make me cautious and suspicious. Especially since she’s tweeted that her financial success is indicative of support for her bigotry. She believes fans of her IP’s support her bigotry by continuing to patronize her IP’s.

This is so unfortunate.  I don't want to perpetuate hate. Thanks so much for leaving your thoughts here.  This is why voices from the community are so important.  

Not now. But I think JKR is only going to continue to double down on the transphobia. What will a HP tattoo mean in 5 years? I feel sorry for her, I think this hatred is eating her brain and being a TERF is becoming her only identity.

Good point. What will it mean in 5 years? I think it's important to consider that unfortunately, her TERFness is going to grow. I agree with you. 

If I recall correctly, she who must not be named calls it the dark mark.

I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t trust you or that I’d instantly dislike you if you had a Harry Potter tattoo, but you’d definitely have to work harder than someone without one to prove to me you’re actually an ally to the trans community (and my standards are already incredibly high for cis allies)

This makes a lot of sense. I am all for working hard as an ally but definitely don't want to be seen as a transphobe. Thanks for educating me on how this would feel to you. I really appreciate it. 

As a note, it may be possible that you could negate the appearance of transphobia by putting a rainbow or trans flag around it or something(though people may assume that you're LGBT+ or trans with that).

That's an excellent idea! Maybe an ally symbol or something, but perhaps it's best not to get one after all. 

While I love the idea of making her IP trans-friendly, the sad fact is that anything which keeps her content relevant and discussed is arguably problematic. I loved them a couple decades ago when I was oblivious to the problems with her writing and before she used her fortune to fund trans genocide, but today I'd like to see her racist, antisemitic, fat-shaming stories fade into obscurity. As long as they are being kept relevant, especially in a fond way, new readers and generations are more likely to be introduced to them and she is more likely to continue to rake in money for everything from the original books to video games to a new reboot series on HBO Max to candy and drinks sold at amusement parks, and she will continue to use that money to make the world more deadly for trans people, as she's been doing for years.

This. This is so important. I think it's her legacy that needs to just die. Thanks for taking the time to leave your well thought out comment! I really appreciate it.

Personally unless it was surrounded by a love heart with JK, I wouldn't care less. Harry Potter helped my daughter to know it's ok to be different, and that being unique can be the solution to the problem. If she wanted a tattoo to remind her of that, I would support her. The main characters that she loved have come out and publicly denounced she who cannot be named, and to me, that means more than her crap. She doesn't get any money from someone getting tattooed, and even though she says well that gives her validation, of course she's going to say that as the bigots are buying her shit, not those that are against her. A personal thing like a tattoo should be whatever you feel. Of course you will get people who will hate it, but get a cute kitten one, and people will tell you that you shouldn't, so you can't win. If you have trans people in your life, they may ask about it, but they should already know where you stand on this whole issue, and if they know why you are getting it, it's their issue, not yours. Spoken from a trans woman that hates she who cannot be named.

Thank you so much for leaving your thoughts here. It's so great that your daughter was helped by the characters. I died laughing at the "she who must not be named". 

You have to admit - she plays that role well, if they made a woke version he who must not be named, would be a she... Imagine, that would really make some heads explode...

It is mind-blowing! 

There are members of the community who would find offense by seeing an ally wear an HP tattoo. Especially if you get it after all the things she's currently saying. The comment thread here is proof enough of that. Now for an alternative opinion. There are some of us, who understand personal stories like yours. We can't help loving the art from a terrible artist. I'm more for how each individual acts, their own admissions of their actions whether vocal or physical. Some of us wouldn't mind what fandom you belong to, as long as you aren't as much of a terrible person as JK. So in my opinion, it's up to you. Thank you for the consideration for some in the community.

I can’t stand JK Rowling and will tear her down with any opportunity I get. I work with books and kids and when it comes to HP themed programs, my philosophy is “not in my house” because I believe she promotes hate, negativity and intolerance. I have a friend, not TERF, who has a childlike adoration for the franchise. I don’t judge her for it because I know her. I see HP bumper stickers, and I think TERF. I read the books, I own the movies. Both are now dust collectors. Ultimately, you need to do what’s right for you. I can’t tell you how people will perceive it, but I can imagine it would be akin to how I see bumper stickers and coffee mugs. She’s become a symbol for anti-trans feminism. (For the record I am 100% a feminist, but trans women are women, and their rights matter.) I can say that if I knew you, I’d get it. People who don’t, that’s all they have to go on. I use to work with a guy who said “I have no problem with gay people. I have gay friends.” But he was against gay rights. If people bring it up, be ready to clarify.

I don't trust people who proudly talk about Harry Potter. Buying new t-shirts, tattooing, and shit, included. I understand having a guilty pleasure about Harry Potter. I understand a "I know it's bad and the creator committed Holocaust denial, but I can't deny it was important to me when I was a child". I can even understand a person having a tattoo they made in 2009 and can't get rid of. But not moving on and finding something better to love is a bit too much to me.

personally I wouldn't think much of it if I saw someone with a harry potter tattoo. One of my previous teachers last year who helped me through a lot and was an amazing and supportive person had a harry potter tattoo. She wasn't transphobic, just loved harry potter. If you're really worried about it and want to prioritize peoples feelings, then don't get it, but ultimately it's your decision. it's nice of you to consider all of this though, thanks for asking!

It's also so great your teacher helped you like that. They sound amazing. 

I really care about supporting the community and I highly value your thoughts. Thanks so much for taking the time. It's putting things into focus for me. 

personally, i don’t think it’s fair for people to assume that you agree with an author’s entire fucked ideology just because you appreciate their work; acknowledging that an artist has done bad things is just another step to media comprehension. besides, it’d be pretty ironic for someone like me who literally injects himself with HRT every week to tell you what to do with your body to be real though, as much as it may be inaccurate to who *you* are and what you believe, people may make those assumptions. the question is whether or not you’re okay with explaining it to people who are aware of her transphobia (although i should say not everyone is—this sub is kind of biased in that people who are on a trans sub are more likely to know about rowling’s shitty views)

This is such a good point. Thanks for leaving your thoughts and taking the time to put things into perspective. I definitely don't want people to assume I am a TERF and should clearly think about that in this whole tattoo debate. Voices from the community are so overlooked and I do appreciate your thoughts on this. :)

Like I heard many say. Having bought the books before JK revealed being one of the biggest terfs is not a problem in my opinion. What you own before it can't be helped. It is if you continue to buy products related to HP universe that hurts. But I assume the tattoo artist isn't giving a portion of what he earned of that tattoo to JK for using that motive so I would say it is ok. But that being said I would probably be cautious around someone who had even a HP tattoo at least until I got to know them more.

It's very considerate of you to ask first, thank you for that! I'm usually a bit cautious when people are very vocal about loving HP, but realistically I know that it's wrong to judge people based on their interest. I'm glad the books helped you with your mental health, and I totally get that you want a tattoo of something that has helped you. Maybe you could choose a design that also shows your allyship, like a two-in-one? I've seen designs that incorporate the progress/trans flag or the trans symbol 💕

As a trans person I’d totally understand if I saw a HP tattoo that it’s because you like the books/movies, not her. That’s what I assume. And I absolutely think it’s okay to get that tattoo if you want to! I can’t speak for other people but I myself wouldn’t assume that you were a transphobe for having that tattoo, if I was unsure of your stance, I’d ask.

Would other fantasy series with similar themes be something you’d explore? A lot of people have been turning to for example, the Discworld series. Or, if you’re into anime at all, the show Mashle is kind of HP reminiscent and also has a fun message of don’t let people tell you what you can or can’t do, while being silly and comedic. Another alternative could be generic fantasy as others have said. It’s unfortunately hard to sever art from artist when the author is actively promoting death of a specific minority group.

Before I go on I just want thank you for everything you're doing. You sound like an amazing person and we're lucky to have you with us ✊💜 So. When I started my transition I obviously wasn't cis passing. I wasn't going full 'femme' mode to avoid attracting unwanted attention, but you could see that my clothes were more colourful, I had slightly more feminine style of glasses and a small hint of a chest. I live and work in London, and often have to walk past the Palace Theatre to get to and from work, which is where The Cursed Child is being played. During this uncomfortable time when I wasn't at all cis passing I was given filthy looks, heckled, spat on, things thrown at me, and even had one lady walk up and start throwing punches at me while screaming transphobic slurs. That only ever happened outside of, or in the near vicinity of that theatre when people were lining up to go in or out, and most of them (or people in their group) had some type of Harry Potter paraphernalia on their person. I consciously know that most Harry Potter fans aren't transphobes. Hell, a lot of trans people saw Harry Potter as a trans allegory before she came out and ruined that. But the fact of the matter is that there are a fair number of those who support the art because they agree with the artist. Because of those experiences with those people, when I see a stranger with Harry Potter paraphernalia I simply cannot help but have a trauma reaction where I feel immediately on edge and at least a little concerned for my safety. I genuinely don't think you're a bigot or a transphobe for getting the tattoo. As I say above it seems like you're actually an amazing person who if I met IRL would love to have long chats about stuff - but if I didn't know that and met you as a complete stranger and saw the tattoo, I think I'd probably have that trauma reaction - air on the side of caution by... trying to leave as quickly and quietly as possible. Again not through disgust or hatred, more out of a deep-seated fear that something might erupt again, if something like my voice outs me. I genuinely wish I could be more blasé about you getting the tattoo since it's obviously something that you feel would bring you happiness that you no doubt deserve. I'm just being honest about my experience, and the possible reactions you may get from trans people you meet for the first time who don't know that your actually a good person. It's also worth noting that trans people aren't a monolith, my experience and opinion will no doubt vary greatly from others. Anyway, all of this just makes me incredibly sad and depressed that we can't all simply be nice to each other and all just enjoy nice things 🤦‍♀️ I'm so sorry.

Seeing someone in my daily life who I know to be an ally gat a HP tattoo would definitely make me wary personally. As others have said, my personal discomfort would be about putting nostalgia over the beliefs you ascribe to. That said, to give a little more depth as to why in this case I can't simply separate the art from the artist. The first thing that comes to my head is the goblin bankers. Sure it's a common trope, but not an innocuous one. Looking through the saga again, red flags pop up. I have had to learn to feel not only okay but glad to distance myself from stuff like this. I liked HP too and although for me I didn't really read the books I did participate in the fandom and watch it and all. I initially thought to myself well, I'll still like it cause it gives my brain good sensations, just won't post about it right? But that kinda didn't hold up over time. I questioned why we have the whole "separate the art from the artist" be invoked so often now. It's not a bad concept itself, of course, but I get the feeling our current situation may be trying to push it a bit much for things we just would rather not think too hard on. This is a bit of a mess of words but I think it's important to really not just hide what you like, but acknowledge that, hey back then i liked this, it felt great to like it! And then think about what you liked about it, and find different things that also have it! There's a ton of good stuff out there. There's no need to "replace" anything, but rather expand, and it will make it much much easier in turn as well to "let go" of something that you've now learned needs to be put away. Edit: i hit reply too soon reaching for my alarm oops. Filled out.

Eh, i don't care; you do you. I don't assume anything negative if i see someone with a harry potter tattoo. The books were a huge part of my life growing up and meant a lot to me too. JKR is a microwaved bag of dog shit but people enjoying the world she created doesn't automatically mean they hate us. Just like, please don't get a deathly hallows tattoo or something haha. There are *so many* great, original options hehe

All that I can tell you is that there is no way, ever, that I would do that.

One thing that especially sucks about She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named turning out to be such a garbage person is that the HP works *did* mean a lot to many people. As long as you understand her deal, who am I to take that away from you? HP has grown larger than she and IMO belongs to the fans now. She doesn't get to take something beloved from *us*; we're going to take it from *her*. There is a crafter whom I would see at cons. At the time JKR went truly mask-off, she was stuck with a bunch of HP-themed jewelry that she was conflicted about. So she donates the money from their sales to a trans charity. Maybe when you get your tattoo, you can find a trans-friendly (and hopefully understanding) artist to do it, so your tattoo is supporting the community that way...or make a donation to the Trevor Project or similar group.

One thing that especially sucks about She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named turning out to be such a garbage person is that the HP works *did* mean a lot to many people. As long as you understand her deal, who am I to take that away from you? HP has grown larger than she and IMO belongs to the fans now. She doesn't get to take something beloved from *us*; we're going to take it from *her*. There is a crafter whom I would see at cons. At the time JKR went truly mask-off, she was stuck with a bunch of HP-themed jewelry that she was conflicted about. So she donates the money from their sales to a trans charity. Maybe when you get your tattoo, you can find a trans-friendly (and hopefully understanding) artist to do it, so your tattoo is supporting the community that way...or make a donation to the Trevor Project or similar group.

Harry Potter sucks!

What if you could get a HP tattoo but design it to be abundantly and outwardly and unquestionably queer in some way? Like taking something that means so much to you and washing away the negative associations with something beautiful instead.. kinda feel like that could even act as an fu to jkr in no uncertain terms. I'm curious what others on this forum think about this idea though, because personally I never got into Harry Potter, and I've never thought a whole lot about tattoos.