I read Harry Potter as a teenager, but my interest in the series faded as I got older. From time to time, I rewatched one of the films out of pure nostalgia, but honestly, I found the world-building very weak and the plot nonsensical, even for a children’s story. So when I learned that Rowling was a TERF, I just stopped caring.

So, I’m pretty clueless about how the franchise and its fandom have evolved. When I heard about “Malfoid,” a female version of Malfoy, I assumed it was meant to mock Rowling: making one of her main characters trans would certainly infuriate her. I’m not sure how I felt about the idea, but it made sense. However, someone said that it was actually a right-wing thing, a way to “own the libs.” I just don’t understand why Malfoy as a girl would be insulting to left-leaning people. Could anyone explain me?

  • superduperpirate@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    9 days ago

    I have understood it as a means of making overt the perceived sexual tension between Malfoy & Potter.

    There’s a big reason why Drarry is one of the biggest ships in the HP fandom, and my guess is that Malfoid/Potter helps make the UST tangible for people who don’t like slash.

    It has never been clear to me whether Malfoid is intended to be cis or trans, though I can’t imagine blood purists reacting well to a child of theirs being transgendered.