TheHarry Potteruniverse seemingly introduces its first transgender character in the new video gameHogwarts Legacy.
The game (available on select platforms this Friday) features a character who runs the Three Broomsticks named Sirona Ryan, who gamers believe to be transgender based on a line of dialogue, though it’s never explicitly clarified.
According to CNN,Sirona says at one point, “Hadn’t seen him in years when he came in a few months ago. But he recognized me instantly, which is more than I can say for some of my own classmates. Took them a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard.”
The inclusion of a transgender character comes after J.K. Rowling, the author and creator of thePotterfranchise, came under fire in June 2020 when sheappeared to support anti-transgender sentimentsin a series of tweets. Though she denied that her views on feminism are transphobic, shedoubled down on her controversial standpointsin a lengthy essay shared on her website days later.
Responding to backlashback in June 2020, Rowling, now 57, wrote that she refuses to “bow down to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm in seeking to erode ‘woman’ as a political and biological class and offering cover to predators like few before it.”
Rowling was not involved in the creation of theHogwarts Legacyvideo game, according to itsofficial website. “But,” the site added, “as creator of the Wizarding World and one of the world’s greatest storytellers, her extraordinary body of writing is the foundation of all projects in the Wizarding World. This is not a new story from J.K. Rowling, however we have collaborated closely with her team on all aspects of the game to ensure it remains in line with the magical experiences fans expect.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
J.K. Rowling.Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Pottermovie actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint haveeach spoken out against Rowling’s much-criticized remarksregarding the transgender community. Radcliffe, 33,stated definitivelyin a previousessayforThe Trevor Projectthat “transgender women are women.”
“According to The Trevor Project, 78 percent of transgender and nonbinary youth reported being the subject of discrimination due to their gender identity,” he added. “It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.”
Hogwarts Legacyis available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC this Friday, then for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 4, and for Nintendo Switch on July 25.
source: people.com
