Being a fan of Harry Potter is difficult due to its author, J.K. Rowling, unleashing a blatantly transphobic political stance. That stance was solidified in June 2020 when she wrote a nearly 4,000-word blog post that was filled with transphobic dog whistles.
Since then, along with other pre-existing issues with Rowling’s work, association with Harry Potter is difficult. Not only because Rowling makes money off all forms of the intellectual property, but due to transphobia being elevated in the mainstream now more than ever, there are those leaning into Potter and defending Rowling.
Now, the real-life game of Quidditch, based on the fictional game in Harry Potter, is changing its name to quadball. U.S. Quidditch and Major League Quidditch, in a joint press announcement, said that this was based on two factors:
The governing bodies made the decision to pursue the name change for two reasons. First, J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series, has increasingly come under scrutiny for her anti-trans positions. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups like GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign as well as the three lead actors in the Harry Potter film series have criticized her stances.
In addition, the sport inspired by quidditch is looking to continue to grow like other sports that have sprung from humble origins. The game commonly known as ultimate Frisbee has officially changed its name to ultimate, in part because “Frisbee” is a registered trademark of the Wham-O toy company that invented the piece of equipment.
USQ and MLQ will own the trademark for “quadball” in the United States. The trademark for “Quidditch” is owned by the Warner Bros. film and entertainment company.
“For the last year or so, both leagues have been quietly collecting research to prepare for the move and been in extensive discussions with each other and trademark lawyers regarding how we can work together to make the name change as seamless as possible,” Major League Quidditch Commissioner Amanda Dallas said in the release. “Bringing full creative control of the name of our sport to the vibrant community of players and fans that has grown and sustained it will allow our organizations to take the next step.”
There was discussion, last year, of this kind of change happening, but this has solidified it and will allow the sport to go in a new direction without worrying about copyright issues from Warner Bros.
Back in 2021, The International Quidditch Association (IQA) released a statement saying they were not in communication with the other groups and have no plans to change the name yet. They did add that they do stand with trans and non-binary players: “One key reason behind USQ and MLQ’s desire to change the name of the sport is to distance themselves further from J.K. Rowling and her ongoing anti-trans rhetoric. The International Quidditch Association has no tolerance for transphobia or bigotry of any kind and we explicitly disavow her comments against the transgender community. We stand with you and reiterate that all who wish to play our sport are welcome, exactly as you are.”
Now, the IQA will be joining in this new game as shared on the new site.
“The IQA is very excited to be joining USQ and MLQ in changing the name of our sport and supporting this change across our members worldwide,” said Chris Lau, Chair of the IQA Board of Trustees and Co-Founder of the Hong Kong Quidditch Association. “We are confident in this step and we look forward to all the new opportunities quadball will bring. This is an important moment in our sport’s history.”
I am so glad that these fans are not only standing with the trans/non-binary communities but are also moving forward to making this game their own.
(via Yahoo, image: LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)
