Before the new Harry Potter television series comes out in December, a fresh wave of promotional content is boosting both the franchise and the author’s fame.
Stores like LEGO, MINISO and Warner Bros have done Wizarding World merch for years, but recent tie-ins have re-sparked the controversy surrounding the wonderful films… and their source material’s not-so-wonderful creator.
“A person whose public advocacy has contributed to anti-trans narratives and the rollback of trans rights around the world”
Tim Hortons is the big one. For the 25th anniversary of the movie franchise, the Canadian coffee chain came out with “Back to Hogwarts” house-themed donuts, Golden Snitch Timbits and even a contest to win a trip to London to experience Wizarding World events.
While in theory this all sounds wonderful, this is actively putting money in the pocket of a woman who has made her views on the trans community very clear.
Many people have expressed their displeasure at Tim Hortons’ Harry Potter promotion and a trans Tim Hortons worker even spoke out, saying that by doing this promotion, they are actively hurting trans people. Others have called it “un-Canadian” to be supporting a woman who is so clearly ruining people’s lives.
The impact caused
Egale Canada, a 2SLGBTQI organization that advocates for queer and trans people, also spoke up about the promotion. “While many Canadians have a deep connection to the Harry Potter franchise … Tim Hortons’ partnership with the Harry Potter franchise contributes to the continued visibility and commercial success of a brand associated with a person whose public advocacy has contributed to anti-trans narratives and the rollback of trans rights around the world,” they wrote on their website.
If you’re unfamiliar, J.K. Rowling’s views may have started pretty tame, but as the years went by, they’ve started to spiral, getting more outrageous and transphobic. Like in 2023, when she implied on X (formerly Twitter) that she would be willing to go to prison rather than call someone by their preferred pronouns.
@MusicbyScott I’ll happily do two years if the alternative is compelled speech and forced denial of the reality and importance of sex. Bring on the court case, I say. It’ll be more fun than I’ve ever had on a red carpet.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 17, 2023
By 2025, when the UK Supreme Court ruled trans women aren’t legally women, she was celebrating while many queer and trans people were fearing for their lives and rights. Now, in 2026, her views are impossible to ignore, and anyone actively supporting her can no longer pretend not to know what she believes.
“Actress Bel Powley has stated she disagrees with Rowling’s views, but not enough to turn down the paycheck”
Her “Women’s Fund,” which she says goes towards protecting women’s sex-based rights, attempts to remove trans-inclusive spaces, and backs lawsuits from cisgender women who object to sharing facilities with trans women. She has openly said she still receives royalties from the Harry Potter series and uses her wealth for this fund.
This means that anytime you spend money on her products, whether it’s books, merch or just a pastry from Tim’s, that money is going straight to making trans lives worse.
Dare a donut?
Several actors from the original movies, like Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, have made comments supporting the trans community and expressing disappointment in Rowling, and some queer directors are even refusing opportunities to direct episodes of the HBO show because of Rowling’s beliefs. However, actress Bel Powley has stated she disagrees with Rowling’s views, but not enough to turn down the paycheck for playing Petunia Dursley in the new TV series. Clearly, some morals are flexible if you’re offered enough money. But what about a donut?
The on-campus Tim Hortons at NAIT is in a place where we study and learn, and having the brand promote a series that funds a woman who is blatantly anti-trans forces us to think critically: is a pastry really worth the harm it can cause?
For many students, the answer still seems to be yes. And although the promotion at Tim’s is over, the consumerism of Harry Potter clearly isn’t. Merchandise for the upcoming HBO show has already started selling on Amazon.
But hopefully, as the knowledge of Rowling’s views grows, so will the outcry against anything that funds her work.
We grew up with Harry Potter. The question now is whether or not we can grow up enough to let it go.
Feature image by Clement Proust via Unsplash
