Say what you have to say. Create a petition for free.

145,375 petitions, 8,940,641 signatures and counting!


17 Supporters

Created by Susan McGee on July 17, 2006, 6:51 pm

An Open Letter to J.K. Rowling – I trust you to do the right thing!

Okay, I’m 55, I’ve been reading your books from the beginning, and I run an internet list serve called Harry Potter for Grownups over 40. My entire family, my partner, my 8 year old son and my 6 year old daughter have read the books over and over and over again, heard both versions of the tapes (when too young to read), seen the movies and play our own version of HP Trivia constantly.

I’m a fanatic. I love your books.

Now, I know that you are a progressive who believes in social justice, bravery, fighting for what’s right, loyalty to friends, doing the right thing – it oozes out of every page in every one of your remarkable books.
You are clear about how the wizards and witches have oppressed and mistreated other magical creatures (goblins, giants, elves, centaurs, etc.).
I quote you! “…. bigotry is probably the thing I detest most. All forms of intolerance, the whole idea of ‘that which is different from me is necessary evil.’ I really like to explore the idea that difference is equal and good….” Entertainment Weekly, 9/7/2000.
One of the most de****ably evil characters in your book is Delores Umbrage, a pillar of the Ministry for Magic, who despises half breeds, enacts laws against werewolves, ridicules and persecutes Hagrid (culminating with an attack designed to send him to Azkaban for no reason at all), and who calls the Centaurs filthy half-breeds.
When Hagrid is outed as a half giant, the trio leaps to his defense, as does Albus Dumbledore. Olympe Maxime may initially succumb to internalized oppression (believing what the wizarding world says about her and denying her true identity as a half giant). But then, we witness her personal transformation – moving to embracing her giant side she travels with Hagrid as an ambassador from the wizarding world to the Giants, who as a race are almost gone.

Remus Lupin is the victim of vicious prejudice against werewolves – unable to get a job, becoming more and more poor, shunned by many.

Although we are invited to laugh at Hermione who goes a little over the edge with SPEW…we see that the House Elves ARE treated cruelly and indifferently by the wizard world. We see the excesses of barbarism – Sirius Black’s Aunt Elladora who instituted the practice of beheading house elves when they got too old … Barty Crouch, Sr., gets rid of Winky despite her many years of service in keeping his secrets and caretaking his son. Hermione’s obsession with the welfare of House Elves becomes more and more reasonable, and less and less silly.

You are particularly clear about racial prejudice and discrimination based on ancestry. The evil guys in your book – Draco Malfoy and Lucius Malfoy for example - are obsessed with their “pure blood.” They ignore the contradictions in their own bigotry – they ignore that Tom Riddle, styling himself as Lord Voldemort, is himself a half blood. They despise blood traitors like the Weasleys, themselves pure blood who take the side of not only mudbloods and half bloods but of MUGGLES…… Sirius Black’s mother obliterates such trash by blasting their names out of the family quilt.

You are clear about how some members of the privileged class (Weasleys, and I’m assuming Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall are also pure bloods) use their privilege to assist the oppressed giants, elves, goblins, Mudbloods, and half bloods.

It’s obvious that you are a feminist. The first three books saw women in quite limited roles (with the exception of Hermione) and defined primarily by their relationship to men. Yet, starting in the Goblet of Fire, and breaking out big time in the Order of the Phoenix, women and girls start coming into their own. Hermione masterminds how to tell the wizarding world the truth about Harry’s experiences witnessing the return of Lord Voldemort, and squashes Rita Skeeter. Ginny comes into her own as more than someone who is crushed out on Harry – she is outspoken, an outstanding Quidditch player, inspired caster of bat bogey curses and other hexes. Professor McGonagall charges heroically into battle to defend Hagrid when he is attacked in the OoP. Luna Lovegood and Nymphadora Tonks are new wonderful female characters. I have imagined that you heard some feminist critiques of the first few books, were annoyed, but still listened, which resulted in the changes in the last few books.



You celebrate resistance to tyranny and injustice – the wonderful student uprising against Umbrage, Dumbledore’s Army, Fred and George’s dramatic flight from Hogwarts….

And of course, the whole character of Harry Potter is shaped by the injustice done to him by Vernon and Petunia Dursley – who abuse, neglect, scapegoat and ignore him. Harry’s resistance to their maltreatment of him grows as he gains power, support, and a sense of how truly valuable an individual he is.

So, I’ve got to ask you to go the next step.

There really needs to be a lesbian and/or gay male character in the Harry Potter series. And…as everyone in the whole world knows, there’s only one more book to go. It’s possible that your original visualization of the HP universe did not include any giblet characters. I don’t know.

Perhaps there is no out lesbian and gay character because you wrote the books from Harry’s point of view, AND he is just discovering his own sexual orientation and feelings, and does not see or perceive any same gender pairings, so there are none in the book.

Or – could this be a publisher’s ban, like the ban on profanity?

I KNOW you do not buy into the right wing crap that says that the books don’t include “controversial topics” such as abortion, incest, drug abuse or homosexuality. Unlike too many of your right wing critics, I DO read the books. First, you do talk about drug abuse – Winky is addicted to butterbeer, Madame Trelawney is addicted to sherry, and Sirius smells of alcohol in his despair and isolation at Grimmauld Place. Second, it is true you do not discuss birth control, abortion, portray teenagers as having sex, or portray any explicit sexual activity at all.

BUT you do show the kids having crushes, dates, holding hands, and kissing, and show some good and bad examples of mixed gender couples (Weasleys, Dursleys, Potters, etc.) Of course you know that our sexual orientation is just one part of our lives and identities as lesbians or gay men, and that in creating a lesbian or gay character (or outing one that already exists) you do not need to discuss their sexual practices. (anymore than you discuss Molly and Arthur’s sexual practices other than the fact that he calls her Mollywobbles in private). You know that lesbians and gay men are not “flaunting our sexuality” by holding hands or doing things that mixed gender couples often do without thinking twice about it. So that can’t be your reason.

I KNOW (because I know your values) that you do not believe that people who are lesbians or gay men are deviant, or sinful, or damned, or unnatural. I know that you’re aware that lesbians and gay men are like everyone else – some bad, and some good. I know you understand that lesbians and gay men are not child abusers anymore than heterosexual women and men are child abusers. I know that you understand that child rape is a barbarous act that cuts across lines of sexual orientation and that most of it is committed by men against girls.

I KNOW that you are not a bigot.

Many of us were very hopeful when we saw the movie the Prisoner of Azkaban. It was reported that you approved many of director’s Alphonse Cuaron’s minor changes from the book that showed up in the film. So when we saw Lupin portrayed as the quintessential gay man (limping away as in Goodbye Mr. Chips..file in), and when Severus snapped that (Sirius and Remus) were “quarrelling like an old married couple,” we really hoped that Sirius and Remus – two guys who loved each other – would be revealed as gay men.

We were disappointed when in the Half Blood Prince, Remus got involved with Tonks. But never fear…there is a rationale here. Many gay men have at one point been involved with women, and tons of lesbians have been involved with men (compulsory heterosexuality). So Lupin could have been in love and involved with Sirius as a youth, and later turned to women, or whatever. NO PROBLEM!

Here’s why we urgently need you to have a positive lesbian or gay male character in the last book (and we’d welcome a bisexual or transgender character, too!)

1) Many of us lesbians and gay men have kids. In the U.S., the 2000 census reported 601,209 lesbian gay households with kids – and that’s just who decided to come out to the government! (And remember, lesbian and gay teenagers are more likely to be children of heterosexuals than lesbians and gays) One study in Scotland found that more than 20% of lesbian and gay people have children. Some of us lesbians have children by men in prior relationships. Some of us did artificial insemination. Some lesbians and gay men have done surrogate parenting. Some of us (including me) have adopted children.

Our children urgently need reassurance that their parents are okay. As my kids read and absorb the Harry Potter series, it is hard for them not to see any families like their own.

2) There is a tremendously high rate of suicide, suicide attempts, and other self destructive acts among lesbian and gay youth. You have the power to send these children and these youth the message that they are OK, and that they are valuable, wonderful, amazing lovable people.

3) There are many adult lesbians and gay men who still believe on some level that they are unnatural, or condemned by God, or lesser in some way. You have the power to mitigate those feelings.

So what if your publisher objects..I think you have the leverage.

So what if the right wing across the globe goes bananas, it can’t hurt you.

So, please, please, please…..consider my request.

And from the bottom of my heart, thank you for the joy and wonder you have brought to me, my partner, my children, and the world.

Love,

Susan McGee

P.S. Please tell me that Snape is not really evil.

Those signing this petition ask J.K. Rowling to consider including a lesbian or gay male character in her next book (but do not necessarily agree with every single point in the letter).
      


Discuss in Forums
Report Petition
View Statistics

Sign the Petition by signing the application below:

By filling out this form, you are agreeing to all the terms listed under this petition, and that you have read and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Petition Signatures


17 A day ago    elvire vitas: I support this petition. I was hoping that JK Rowling make hermione & ginny together in love, but it's not happend.
16 20 Oct 2007 - 8:42    JAcky : Now you got your gay character:JKR just revealed that DUMBLEDORE was gay and in love with Grindelwald!!!!!!
15 26 Jul 2007 - 7:54    Steve Redferne : A bit late now, but I do think it is rather a shame that JKR didn't manage to add a gay plot. Mind you, parents would then have to explain it...
14 25 Jul 2007 - 22:54    Jorge Fierro :
13 8 Jul 2007 - 8:49    Martje :
12 1 Jul 2007 - 20:35    Sophia S-W : As a 13 year-old activist, I completely agree with this. I know that this would definitely help put JK's message of acceptance across. Things like racism and sexism exist, but right now I don't think they are as much a problem as homophobia. I believe if JK did add a gay/lesbian character to her books it would help a lot of young readers who might otherwise become prejudiced to see that being gay does not make you a bad person or anything like that.Plus, RemusxSirius is too cute. XD
11 23 Jun 2007 - 4:32    Sarah :
10 30 Apr 2007 - 14:47    Jesus Christ : Homosexuality is a man-made choice. No where else in my living kingdom does it exist. It is immoral and against my laws of nature.
9 8 Feb 2007 - 3:20    Katherine Sommers : I agree that a gay or lesbian character would greatly help my son who is trying to come to terms with being "different" from his friends who do not have two mothers.
8 12 Jan 2007 - 23:29    Eva :
7 5 Jan 2007 - 10:31    Monik Chetty :
6 19 Dec 2006 - 23:35    rachel :
5 19 Dec 2006 - 17:51    Margret : As a lesbian myself, I agree with the point you make her. I would like to see a gay character in the books.
4 3 Dec 2006 - 7:45    Anna : We already HAD a gay person. it was obviously voldemort. :D and Draco Malfoy. didnt you see him checking harry out in the 3rd movie? looking him up and down? oh yeah! ;) hes definately gay/bi. so no worries.
3 26 Nov 2006 - 13:07    Ibbs :
2 31 Oct 2006 - 3:24    Juliet Miller : It's not that I'm gay and want to see gay charracters for the sake of seeing gay characters. It's that I want young homosexuals to know that it IS a part of society. A gay side character is what's needed to show that it's OK to for people to be themselves.
1 30 Aug 2006 - 15:31    J.K : Dont worry David Lee Snape is not evil.
view more