- Over the years, many dedicated "
Harry Potter " fans have gotten tattoos inspired by the series. - However, J.K. Rowling's recent comments about trans people and gender identity have prompted many people to make plans to remove or cover their tattoos.
- Some graphic designers and artists are working to help redesign people's "Harry Potter" tattoos in exchange for donations to organizations that support trans women.
Over the years, the fantastical world of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series has been a safe haven and source of community for millions of fans. Many people have gone so far as to get "Potter" tattoos in honor of its impact on their lives.
But now that Rowling's beliefs about trans people and gender identity have fully come to light, fans are left wondering not only how to deal with the author's hurtful comments, but what to do about their ink.
Recent criticisms of J.K. Rowling were sparked by her comments about trans people
Rowling has come under fire again recently for a series of tweets and an essay that led many to call her a trans-exclusionary radical feminist, or "TERF."
In her June 6 tweets, Rowling said that transgender activism can hurt women and lesbians. She then followed up in a 3,600-word essay published to her website explaining her "reasons for speaking out on sex and gender issues." The author reiterated her belief in the importance of "biological sex," and perpetuated harmful and false myths about trans people, including why they seek gender-affirming care.
Rowling has since faced backlash from "Harry Potter" film stars, other celebrities, and fans alike. Organizations like GLAAD and Human Rights Campaign also called Rowling out, with many labeling the comments transphobic and inaccurate.
Given Rowling's comments, many fans no longer want tattoos associated with her work
Speaking to Insider, many longtime fans with "Potter" tattoos felt hurt and conflicted towards her recent comments.
"It was sort of just confirmation that even if this magical world that she's created has meant a lot for me, that I would never be welcome in that world," Lo, a 23-year-old "Harry Potter" fan from Sverige, Sweden, told Insider. "She would see me as mentally ill, or deranged, or a betrayer of women, since I'm assigned female at birth but don't I.D. as female."
Lo got their first
Olivera, a 30-year-old fan from Canterbury, England, largely credits the "Harry Potter" series with sparking her love of reading and eventual decision to study English Literature at university. She got a tattoo of the Marauder's Map — a map of the magical school Hogwarts from the series — on Halloween in 2016, to commemorate what she thought would always be an important part of her life.
But after reading Rowling's recent comments, Olivera is now working with an artist friend to cover the tattoo up.
"This is sad because this tattoo was nostalgic and meaningful, but it is now tainted with the knowledge that the person ultimately behind it doesn't believe some of the people I love the most deserve rights and that they are less important than she is," she said.
Alexandria, a 26-year-old teacher from Seattle, Washington, has her students in mind when thinking about covering up her "Harry Potter" tattoo — a Deathly Hallows symbol (a well-known symbol from the series) on her right wrist.
"Although I honor that 'Harry Potter' has a special place in my growth and how I came to find community, I don't agree with her values," she told Insider. "I teach students, middle schoolers specifically. And they are always especially curious at the beginning of each year about my tattoos, which I am happy to share about. But for me, it goes against my classroom values to say I have a safe classroom space and then have a tattoo from a woman who is a TERF. It seems disingenuous to not show my values in my actions."
Others are considering only keeping 'Potter' tattoos with less blatant ties to the series
Sierra, a 25-year-old "Harry Potter" fan from Illinois, decided to get two "Harry Potter" tattoos in 2016 — one of a lightning bolt, the scar titular character Harry Potter has on his forehead, and the other of the three stars that are in the corners of the original "Harry Potter" books' pages.
She says she added the stars while getting a larger tattoo to commemorate being a fan of the series for 15 years, but now plans to cover her lightning bolt tattoo with a tattoo of plants or greenery following Rowling's recent comments.
"Since the tattoos were pretty impulsive anyway, I'm just not that bothered about keeping them," she told Insider. "I am more inclined to keep the tattoo of the stars because that is more about magic and possibility, but the lightning bolt is a definitive and specific reference to 'Harry Potter.'"
"I think as more time passes since the books and movies came out, statements like those from J.K. Rowling become more and more prominent in people's minds, and I do not want to be associated in any way with the beliefs she has recently described," she added.
Some artists are designing 'Harry Potter' tattoo coverups
A number of designers and tattoo artists are working with "Potter" fans to cover up their tattoos with new designs in the wake of Rowling's comments.
Writer and graphic novelist Molly Knox Ostertag offered to draw coverups for "Harry Potter" tattoos in exchange for donations to the Trans Women of Color Collective or a similar organization — and to draw coverups for trans fans' tattoos for free.
—Molly Knox Ostertag (@MollyOstertag) June 9, 2020
Trans comic creator Sfé R. Monster is also designing coverup tattoos, particularly for other trans "Potter" fans.
—Sfé ✨⚧✨ Monster (@sfemonster) June 9, 2020
"I knew I wanted to do something tangible and immediate, so I offered to design coverup tattoos for free for fellow trans people who no longer want to carry Rowling's work around with them," Monster told Insider. "Being able to say 'Hey, this hurts, but I want to help' and be part of someone's personal healing process has honestly been restorative for me."
Monster also told Insider that in their experience, fans are hurt by the famous author's comments and are "grieving."
"I'm a freelance artist, and I've designed hundreds of tattoos over the years, but I've never done anything like this before," they said. "The people I'm working with right now are hurt, and they're grieving, but they're also kind and enthusiastic, and it's made the work really fun for me."
While they may no longer want 'Potter' tattoos, many fans would rather celebrate the fan communities associated with the series
Although many "Harry Potter" fans want to distance themselves from Rowling and her beliefs, the community and relationships that they formed through the
"[My tattoos] definitely represent more of a connection to the 'Harry Potter' community or the idealistic memories I have of the series, rather than a connection specifically to J.K. Rowling or any other specific person," Sierra told Insider.
"The books were never perfect, but the community they brought has been very important to me," Lo said. "And I still want to have that, but I just feel like I can't have this on my body anymore. It doesn't represent something I want to have on my body."