Life is short. There are too many things to worry about to get caught up in petty disagreements over things like fast food, media franchises or streaming platforms. Really the short of it is people have a right to enjoy what time they get on this earth without fear of retribution. Nobody should live in fear of being told they are a bigot or a bad ally because they watch Harry Potter or eat Chic Fil A. Those are things that shouldn’t be used against other people.
Here is a deeper reason why it’s disgusting to pick on people who can’t or refuse to give up Harry Potter or anything else deemed problematic from their childhoods. First there are the neurodivergents. People on the autism spectrum, people with ADHD and neurotypicals with mental health disorders such as PTSD or BPD can become hyper fixated on things that provide them comfort. In the case of autistics if they found Harry Potter to be helpful in their youth then they are not likely to give it up in their adulthood either. In the case of someone with Borderline Personality Disorder they might deem it not a fixation but a safety net, something that brings them joy and reduces anxiety and stress. If something considered problematic by one person brings joy to another, it’s the responsibility of all to let the one getting joy enjoy themselves. Especially neurodivergents.
I have been thinking about this for a long time. Someone once scolded me for continuing to listen to Marylin Manson after learning about his abusive scandals. My reasoning was simple, as a person with scars, and I have many scars from trauma, his music helped me through difficult times. If I didn’t have Tourniquet to get me through those tough days I might not have survived. While he himself is problematic, no doubts there, his music healed me at a time nothing else would. I am not going to give that up just because he is a monster in real life.
The same can be true to someone, neurodivergent or just struggling with life, who found comfort in Harry Potter. Just because one person was able to move on and find comfort elsewhere doesn’t mean everyone else needs to give up things that offer them safety. It really comes down to feeling safe for me. Neurodivergents fixate on things that make them feel comfort, things they feel safe. I wouldn’t want to take that away from them just because someone associated with the creation is a terrible person. Boycotting things is a personal choice. Giving something up is a sacrifice not everyone is willing to make nor should they be forced into that sacrifice unwillingly. It doesn’t make you a bad ally or a bad queer if you eat Chic Fil A. It just means you get comfort in a chicken sandwich that brings you some joy in this chaotic world.
I could have spent my time arguing you can’t boycott one company over another because frankly they all suck, that’s a cope out sort of argument although I feel it holds tons of weight. I chose to get personal. If an autistic person needs Harry Potter in their life it is nobody’s place to call them out on it. I am calling out the haters and the bullies that do this, you need to let people live their lives.
Stephanie Bri 