Brave enough (to be yourself)

"If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion, nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much."

-Daniel Radcliffe-

I published the whole essay some time ago in an IG story, but I feel today to report it here, wearing my Tina Goldstein necklace.

Since J.K. Rowling expressed her transphobic comments, it has been difficult for me, and many like me, to live openly their love for these characters and fandom.

And it is not just about my very unimportant feelings while wearing a t-shirt or a necklace. Entire organizations, like the @thehpalliance (Harry Potter Alliance), faced new biases and difficulties, despite the incredible work they do for gender equity, LGBTQ+ rights, net neutrality, climate change, and more, in campaigns like #NevilleFightsBack, #DAFightsBack, #AccioBooks. They use the power of story and popular culture to make activism accessible and sustainable, believing that heroes aren’t born, but they develop with practice and support.

"We're his army. Dumbledore's Army. We're all in this together." - Neville Longbottom

One of the reasons why I love Star Wars, Star Trek, Buffy, or Harry Potter, is because they push me to be a better person, every day, in small and big things.

Because I am inspired by the characters (Janeway, Ahsoka, Neville, Eli, Luna, Picard), their unapologetic embrace of diversity, and their courage in fighting for change.

I need to stop allowing narrow-minded creators to rob me of that.

"Being different isn't a bad thing. It means you're brave enough to be yourself." - Luna Lovegood