Heather Shea, W*SS Director
This is the question we are grappling with in W*SS: Can we separate the art from the artist?
Can we appreciate the Detroit Industry Mural in the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA) by Diego Rivera while at the same time condemn his dominance over and infidelity to his wife Frida Kahlo?
Can we covet a pair of Yeezy’s even though Kanye is antisemitic?
Can we applaud the groundbreaking public coming out of lesbian icon Ellen Degeneres while also holding her accountable in 2022 for just being plain mean?
Can we love the ways in which members of marginalized communities found connection, comfort and belonging in the world of Harry Potter, while also denouncing JK Rowling as a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF)?
As the semester comes to a close, on behalf of the office of Women*s Student Services, I want to issue an apology and invite further conversation as we work to continue on our journey to create a space in W*SS that is inclusive of all who are impacted by gender-based oppression, including transgender women.
Last month, for our “Bestseller to Movie” series in collaboration with Campus Center Cinemas, we hosted an event featuring the first movie in the Harry Potter Series, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerers’ Stone.” Let us be clear--we do not support JK Rowling, nor do we condone the fact that she has continued to broadcast TERF-y statements on Twitter and her blog. And, like the author of this post, we wonder – can we love the world of Harry Potter but not love JK Rowling? The author of this post says,
“I don’t understand how someone who is capable of creating such an intricate, fantastical world can have such a limited and narrow-minded view of ours.”
Some of you have already disavowed everything you previously loved about the world that JK Rowling created. Some of you will choose to continue to love Harry Potter, while disregarding and dismissing the author of the books whose words and actions have been deeply problematic. To cancel or not to cancel JK Rowling is indeed everyone’s right. For some of us, “it’s complicated” will forever describe our relationship with Harry Potter.
For us, in W*SS, we will not be showing additional Harry Potter films. We recognize the ways in which the programming our office plans and implements for the campus community sends a strong message about who belongs, who is welcome, and what is acceptable. What JK Rowling has said about the trans community is UNacceptable. And, Harry Potter is forever tainted.
And, while we agree with @MalloryRubin, who tweeted “Harry Potter is about the magic of love, acceptance, belonging. The power of courage. The impact of hope. Trying to take those things away from people is a terrible tragedy. Trans women are women.” @MalloryRubin, as the title of this post suggests, we cannot separate the artist from the art. And, we cannot accept and promote the art of someone who has doubled-down on transphobia. Thank you to those who have provided constructive feedback and called us into a conversation.
Finally, we want to leave you with this: How do we respond when we do harm---whether intentional or not? We take in and consider critical feedback, take responsibility for harmful actions, apologize to those who we have harmed, hold ourselves accountable for our own learning and understanding, and do better.
If you’re looking to learn more, check out this article.