A performer involved in a forthcoming series of Harry Potter audiobooks has been forced to make a statement in support of the ‘trans community,’ taking part in what is starting to look like an occult ritual.
Scottish actress Michelle Gomez, best known for roles in Green Wing and the fading BBC flagship show Doctor Who, has been cast to voice Professor Minerva McGonagall in an upcoming audiobook adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels.
Up until now, it all looks like a standard story of intellectual property (IPs, in the jargon) being monetised. Yet this takes place in a world where gender ideology has transformed a beloved children’s author into a force for evil—at least according to campaigners who believe in the magical power of wishful thinking to transform human biology.
In turn, this makes the lucrative employment available to entertainers wishing (or cast) to work on the Potter franchise into a toxic ‘third rail,’ where years of career-building can be dashed by cruel cancellation. This has already been seen around the forthcoming HBO cable TV adaptation of Potter, where prospective cast members are harassed online until it turns out that they hold the ‘correct’ views. This process now includes the audiobook range, and one of its potential stars.
Gomez, 58, has attempted at least to head off fan/trans criticism with the following statement:
To my LGBTQ+ fans, and especially the trans community. I want to speak directly to the concerns that have been raised about my involvement in this project. I hear you, and I understand why this is painful for many. I want to be clear that I stand with trans people, and I support trans rights–fully and without hesitation. When I accepted this role, I did so as someone who has always loved the stories and what they meant to so many–especially those who found comfort and identity in that world. I now understand more clearly how deeply complicated and hurtful this association can feel, and I take that seriously.
Sincerely meant, or going through the motions? The real issue is bigger both than Gomez and separating heartfelt sentiments from compelled speech. The problem is that, where Rowling is concerned, trans activists are demanding a ‘loyalty oath’ from performers whose employment may depend on it.
Fortunately, the recent legal victory of Gina Carano over the woke Disney Corporation suggests that ideological capture of the entertainment industries is not completely a one-way street.
