Happy Friday, Gentle Readers,
I pray this missive finds you well. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve had just about enough news for one week. At this point, I may (heart) New York, but I (heart) not living there even more.
Accio, brain cells!
I’ll admit it, I read the entire “Harry Potter” series. I know that they were originally written for kids, but somebody gave me a copy of the first book when I was still a bachelor. I never bought a wand, hopped around on a broomstick pretending to play Quidditch, or tried to figure out what house I was in, but for a guy in the middle extricating himself from a bad marriage and who was so broke I practically had to put a taquito on layaway at 7-11, the books were a pleasant diversion.
Incidentally, author J.K. Rowling went on to write the novel, “A Casual Vacancy,” which I can assure you is about as far from Hogwarts as one can get. It was an interesting read, but for those looking for another wizarding adventure, it may be wiser to go back and read H.P. again.
Once upon a time, Rowling made the perfectly normal observation that people could dress however they wanted and call themselves by whatever name or gender they felt like on a given day. With that came the caveat that men could not be women, and therefore did not belong in spaces normally reserved for women. That, of course, was a spell too far as it were, and many former loyal Potter enthusiasts decided that Rowling was a transphobe and a threat to the general welfare.
This included the three stars of the Potter movies, who pretty much owe their careers to Rowling. This is old news, and everyone knows that at the time, when it came to the trans issue, one had to be in complete and total agreement with whatever the majority opinion was at the moment, or one was a transphobe. All of which is very odd, since Rowling is by no means a staunch or even lukewarm conservative. She always championed liberal causes. But she held one unapproved opinion, so it was off to Azkaban with her, post-haste.
The author has created the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund:
The J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund (JKRWF) offers legal funding support to individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights in the workplace, in public life, and in protected female spaces. It provides women with the means and confidence to bring to justice cases that make legal precedents, force policy change, and make positive contributions to women’s lives in the future.
We fund legal representation for women and organisations who:
- Have lost their livelihoods or are facing tribunals because of their expressed beliefs
- Are being forced to comply with unreasonable inclusion policies regarding single sex spaces and services, or female-only clubs and events
- Are challenging legislation which takes away the freedoms or protections women are entitled to
- Don’t have adequate means to bring actions to court or to defend themselves.
The JKRWF does not hire a lawyer on your behalf, so you must already have sought legal representation, and have a clear desired outcome to your case.
Once again, bear in mind that when it comes to trans issues, there is either complete acceptance of the current thinking or one is handed over to the Dementors, which is why Rowling’s efforts have proved to be just too much to stand for Booksmith, a book store in the once interesting, now derelict neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco (which was also once interesting and now derelict). Booksmith has decided to no longer sell any titles by Rowling. According to NBC, Booksmith announced via Instagram:
With this announcement, we’ve decided to stop carrying her books. We don’t know exactly what her new ‘women’s fund’ will entail, but we know that we aren’t going to be a part of it. As a group of queer booklovers, we also had our adolescences shaped by wizards and elves. Look at us, it’s obvious. If you or someone you love wants to dive into the world of Harry Potter, we suggest doing so by buying used copies of these books. (sic)
One person accused the store of only selling books by authors with whom it politically agrees. Not so, said Booksmith; it was the fact that Rowling would be using the proceeds of her sales to help her fund her project. The store has created a list of books similar to the Potter series, which, one may assume, have passed the censor’s scrutiny. Speaking of censorship, consider the post below:
So this store that is banning Harry Potter books, @Booksmith, has a “Books Not Bans” program where they fundraise to send “banned books” to people.
Again, a total lack of self awareness is the defining feature of modern leftists. pic.twitter.com/vGF51ZcGOs
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) June 26, 2025
Wine recommendation
I’m taking a break from wine this weekend, mainly because temps are going to be in the high 90s, and I have a yard to mow before it gets Sahara-hot outside.
Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you next time.
Since the weekend is upon us, you can bet something will go sideways between now and Monday. And you can bet that the writers at PJ Media will be there to cover it for you. If you’d like to be part of the magic (see what I did there) at PJ, click here to become a VIP member. Be sure to use the promo code FIGHT for 60% off.
