As a former volunteer and later employee of Fandom Forward (what was then called The Harry Potter Alliance) and a transgender man, Jackson Bird’s feelings about Harry Potter have certainly evolved, especially given the extremely divisive statements JK Rowling has made about the transgender community. He shares how what was once an important part of his identity has faded away and why, as well as how he feels about his memoir four years later and what he’s working on now.

Here are some of the references from this episode for those who want to dig a little deeper:

Jackson Bird

Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place (A Transgender Memoir) (Simon & Schuster)

Jackson Bird - YouTube

Cool Stuff Ride Home podcast

First Draft Theater newsletter

The Infinite Wrench — The New York Neo-Futurists

Henry’s writing about the Harry Potter Alliance:
"Cultural acupuncture": Fan activism and the Harry Potter Alliance

Wizard Rock

Fandom Forward > (formerly The Harry Potter Alliance)

Jackson Bird: ‘Harry Potter’ Helped Me Come Out as Trans, But J.K. Rowling Disappointed Me (NY Times Opinion)

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling podcast

Judy Blume clarifies J.K. Rowling remarks: ‘I wholly support the trans community’ (The Hill)

Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival

Florida Anti-Trans Legislation

Rick Riordan on Trans Youth and LGBTQ Characters

Harry Potter TV Series

Fan Petition Against “platforming” Rowling

‘Grapevine’: An original podcast from NBC News Studios - a story about fringe religious movements trying to remake the American education system based on their biblical values

Velshi Banned Book Club on Apple Podcasts

Pottermore 

Moving Trans History Forward Conference

Amazon Erases Orwell Books From Kindle Devices - The New York Times

Episode 101: BBSs and Early Internet Communities with Author Kevin Driscoll

Episode  69: The Power of Fan Activism with Janae Phillips and Shawn Taylor

By Any Media Necessary: The New Youth Activism (NYU Press)

Scholastic criticized for optional diverse book section - ABC News

Scholastic Backtracks on Isolating Works on Race and Gender at Book Fair - The New York Times

Share your thoughts via Twitter with Henry, Colin, and the How Do You Like It So Far? team! You can also email us at howdoyoulikeitsofarpodcast@gmail.com.

Music & Additional Audio:
HBO Harry Potter Series announcement video

The Witch Trials of JK Rowling podcast

Shania Twain - Man! I Feel Like A Woman

“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.
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In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet  https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmet
Spaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumental
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceship
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q
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Share your thoughts via Twitter with Henry, Colin and the How Do You Like It So Far? account! You can also email us at howdoyoulikeitsofarpodcast@gmail.com.

Music:
“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.
In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet  https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmet
Spaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeats
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumental
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceship
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––