Some want to cover them up. But to others, the series just means too much.
Before J.K. Rowling revealed herself as an anti-trans activist, her Harry Potter novels were gobbled up and beloved by millions.
Many of those fans even went so far as to get tattoos inspired by the series. Now, they’re left wondering what to do about their ink.
Vlad Caldwell, 22, grew up with his mom reading the series to him and his little brother.
“It was like a whole other world to be in when I was little, especially because I was young and the movies were coming out,” he told BuzzFeed News.
Caldwell, who is a transgender man, got his very first tattoo at 18 — a Death Eater symbol on his forearm.
“I got Death Eater symbol because I was an edgy, emotional teen,” he said. In the series, the Death Eaters are the bad guys, obsessed with blood purity, so Caldwell was already rethinking the tattoo. But given Rowling’s more recent comments, he now wants it covered up.
Rowling has a history of making anti-trans statements on Twitter, and on Wednesday she published an essay on her website doubling down on those comments. In it, she writes of her belief in the importance of “biological sex” and denies the identity of transgender individuals, like Caldwell.
