People are boycotting Hogwarts Legacy because of J.K. Rowling and so am I - Alexander Brown

There is a new Harry Potter game out, and I wish I could be excited about it.

Hogwarts Legacy, released this week across consoles and PC, involves playing the role of a fifth year, going to classes and living the dream so many of us grew up with.

Set hundreds of years before the events of the books, your character can fly around on a broom, explore the grounds and save Hogwarts from yet another evil.

And that’s what I would like to do, engage with the nostalgia of my childhood, put on some John Williams and immerse myself in a world I love.

A young visitor holds a magic wand during the opening of the European exhibition of Harry Potter in Vienna. Picture: Andrea Klamar-Hutkova/AFP via Getty Images

What it can’t do, however, is make you forget the views of the author, though I’ve not played it, so maybe that’s a spell you can unlock.

I’d love to play it, but I feel uneasy, with Harry Potter something so many of my generation feel guilty about enjoying, now having to justify it to others and ourselves.

When I did the Harry Potter Studio Tour I loved it. But upon leaving, I felt like I’d put my own enjoyment over the right thing. It no longer feels for everyone.

Because there is an issue here, with J.K Rowling a controversial figure, whose comments about trans people have probably inspired just as many as they have disappointed.

She seemingly blocked author Stephen King for saying "trans women are women", liked a tweeting comparing hormone therapy to anti-depressants, and wrote a book where the serial killer dresses as a woman.

I'm not saying she is transphobic, because I’m sure it’s well-intentioned, and besides, she has good lawyers.

It is, however, worth noting the stars of the films – Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright and Eddie Redmayne – all felt compelled to speak out.

As did Warner Brothers, issuing a statement stressing its renewed commitment to diversity and representation. She might not mean it, but Rowling’s actions have made some people feel worse.

Some may agree with her, but I’m more inclined to listen to trans people – a persecuted minority who make up such a small percentile of the population, yet so much of Britain’s head space.

My trans friends feel let down, attacked by someone they loved, with childhood memories tarnished by association.

This is why so many are boycotting the game, a quiet protest in support for a marginalised group they feel have been wronged.

Ms Rowling is, of course, entitled to her opinion, as are others for thinking those views are wrong.

It's not cancel culture to walk away from art because of the artist, and I’m sure she can bear the financial hit.

Gender recognition reform is a contentious issue, as seen by the spat between the UK and Scottish governments, but how Rowling has made trans people feel is not.

I’m not going to tell others not to play Hogwarts Legacy because really this isn’t about the game. But I won’t be joining in.

Missing out in solidarity with others makes me feel more magical than being a virtual wizard ever could, and allyship isn’t only for things impacting you directly.

Besides, I was always more of a Lord of the Rings guy. Real wizards have beards.