The Booksmith, a beloved indie bookstore tucked into San Francisco’s Haight Street, has made a big move: they’ve officially stopped selling Harry Potter. The decision came on the heels of J.K. Rowling’s May 2025 announcement about her new “JK Rowling Women’s Fund,” which, according to her team, will bankroll legal efforts aimed at rolling back gender-inclusive policies in workplaces and public life.
For The Booksmith’s owners, a group of queer booksellers, that was the final straw.
We grew up loving these books, they shared in a heartfelt blog post. But we can’t keep supporting Rowling while she uses the money from those stories to actively challenge trans rights.
While they admitted they don’t yet know all the details of the fund, they were crystal clear about one thing: they don’t want to be a part of it.
What Now for Harry Potter Fans?
If you’re a fan who’s torn, still clinging to the magic of Hogwarts but uncomfortable with J.K. Rowling’s politics, The Booksmith gets it. They’re not telling people to toss their books in the fire. They suggest buying secondhand if you want to reread the series without financially supporting the author.
And if you’re in the mood for something new (and just as spellbinding), they’ve put together a curated list of fantasy books by diverse, queer, and trans authors. A few standouts? Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend, Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series, and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. They’ve got all the wonder and world-building, but without the ethical baggage.
Not Just a One-Off Decision
It turns out The Booksmith isn’t alone in this. Several indie bookstores across the U.S., and even in Australia, have quietly or publicly stopped promoting J.K. Rowling’s work. While some still offer her books through special order, many are opting not to stock them front and center anymore.
It’s part of a larger shift. Bookstores aren’t just about selling paper and ink anymore; they’re becoming intentional spaces. Places where readers and staff alike feel seen, safe, and supported. More and more, shop owners are choosing to reflect their communities’ values on their shelves.
Community, Not Controversy
Camden Avery, one of The Booksmith’s co-owners, summed it up best:
We get to support the people who actually shop with us, do things that make sense to us and to them—and they appreciate it.
This isn’t just some performative boycott or business gimmick. It’s about drawing a line in the sand. For The Booksmith, removing Harry Potter is a symbolic act of allyship with the transgender community, a decision to stand up for inclusivity, even if it means letting go of a cultural touchstone.
But Can You Separate the Art from the Artist?
That question’s been floating around for years now, and honestly, there are no easy answers. Millions of people still adore Harry Potter. But for others, J.K. Rowling’s increasingly visible political positions have tainted the magic.
At The Booksmith, the answer is simple: they can’t look past it. Not anymore. While the stories might still hold nostalgia and meaning, the money behind them is now funding causes that hurt marginalized people, and that’s a line they won’t cross.
Their message to readers? Let’s imagine new stories together, ones where everyone gets to be the hero. Because magic, in their eyes, should always be inclusive.
