ladybusiness | (Reply)

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Also, there are trans authors who write trans HP fanfics.

Indeed. Which is why I find it somewhat disingenious to argue for boycotting the HP franchise by relying on the wishes of (at least some) trans activists as a kind of ultimate authority.

This is not to say that the activists have been wrong to express those wishes nor that there aren't very good reasons for boycotting HP, especially the consumptive side of it, as you aptly called it. However, I'd be very surprised if there weren't differing opinions among trans people regarding this topic, and cherry-picking one set as the authoritative one feels disingenious.

To be fair, I do actually think that engagement with transformative fandom may help keep the franchise in its powerful position. However, I'd expect it to be a rather marginal effect in the grand scheme of things. Most people, HP fans or not, simply don't spend time in transformative fandom. I would also expect that the effect on HP from potential fans engaging with fiction that is vaguely HP-adjacent would be even more marginal.

I think disengaging completely from HP is a perfectly valid choice. Disengaging from things adjacent to HP is also a valid choice, even though I personally find that odd. It's the refusal to respect other people's differing choices and the refusal to acknowledge that it's a complicated issue that bothers me.