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4d ago

Booksmith Removes Harry Potter Series Over Rowling’s Anti-Transgender Fund

The Haight Street store said it refused to support Rowling’s new women’s fund that provides legal aid to those contesting transgender-inclusive policies

FILE: Some of the fiction titles on display for sale at Booksmith book store on Haight Street in San Francisco on Sept. 10, 2021.
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The Booksmith bookstore on Haight Street in San Francisco on Sept. 3, 2024.
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Overview

  • On June 23, Booksmith announced it would no longer carry the bestselling Harry Potter books following Rowling’s launch of the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund in May
  • The fund provides legal support to individuals and groups contesting inclusive gender policies in workplaces, public life and protected female spaces
  • Booksmith curated a list of alternative fantasy titles, recommending authors such as Jessica Townsend, Ursula K. Le Guin and Philip Pullman
  • Customers interested in reading Harry Potter have been directed to purchase used copies to prevent franchise profits from backing the new fund
  • Rowling’s stance on transgender issues has drawn public criticism from film actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint