An independent bookshop in San Francisco has pulled all Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling titles from its bookshelves in response to the author’s anti-trans views and campaigning; most notably, funding the recent Supreme Court ruling in the UK.
A spokesperson for Booksmith, an indie bookstore on Haight Street in San Francisco, explained that the decision to remove the still-popular series and all other books by the author was in response to the news that Joanne had set up an organisation to fund further ‘gender critical’ cases.
“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.”
The spokesperson explained: “In May of 2025, author JK Rowling publicly committed to using her private wealth from the Harry Potter series to develop the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund, an organization dedicated to removing transgender rights “in the workplace, in public life, and in protected female spaces”.
“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.”
The bookstore also offered a list of alternative suggestions including Rick Riordan’s young-adult fantasy novels, however, if readers are still looking for more suggestions then why not delve into For Reading Addict’s list of ‘Alternative reads for trans allies’.
