A Beloved Series Meets a New Reckoning
In the heart of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, a landmark independent bookstore is making headlines for walking away from one of the most iconic book series of all time. The Booksmith, a longtime hub for readers, creatives, and rebels alike, has pulled the Harry Potter books from its shelves. The decision came after author J.K. Rowling launched a legal fund that critics say actively seeks to exclude transgender women from gendered spaces.
Camden Avery, the store’s lead buyer and co-owner, said the decision wasn’t made lightly. Many staff members grew up loving the series, but the store could no longer separate the magical world of Hogwarts from what Rowling is doing with its proceeds. “We’re one private business making a decision to align our business practice with our own values and our customers’ values,” Avery said, explaining that continuing to sell the books would feel like a betrayal to their community.
The tipping point came when Rowling announced the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund, created to finance legal representation for cases aimed at barring trans women from women’s spaces. For the Booksmith team, that made the divide impossible to ignore. The books may have shaped childhoods, but the money they generate now carries a different weight.
Choosing Principle Over Profit
The Booksmith is no stranger to bold moves, but pulling Harry Potter is perhaps its most public stance yet. While national chains remain largely silent on Rowling’s evolving political advocacy, smaller shops like this one are speaking with action. In a neighborhood that has long been a symbol of social change, the store’s decision landed with resounding clarity among its regulars.
Avery made it clear that this is not a “ban” but a conscious choice. “We’re not calling for others to do the same. This is just what feels right to us,” he said. The bookstore still stocks a wide variety of fantasy titles and remains open to conversation, but not at the expense of supporting what they believe is harm. It’s a move that echoes through San Francisco’s progressive core and reflects a wider cultural shift in how businesses respond to public figures’ politics.
Customer reactions have been largely supportive, with many praising the store for taking a position. “When businesses say they care about inclusion, it should mean something,” one longtime shopper said. “This isn’t about fiction. It’s about what your money supports in real life.” The Booksmith seems to understand that deeply.
An Industry Wrestling With Identity
Rowling’s stance on gender identity has sparked global debate, fracturing fan communities and creating rifts in once-unshakable loyalty. While the author has long framed her views as a matter of free speech and women’s rights, critics argue that her influence fuels transphobia under the guise of feminism. Now, with tangible financial backing behind her beliefs, businesses that profit off her work are being forced to take a side.
This is not the first time a bookstore or public institution has distanced itself from Rowling. But what makes the Booksmith’s action stand out is the personal scale of it — one shop, one street, making a call in a city known for its activism. And they’re not looking back. The store’s owners say they hope this inspires deeper reflection, not outrage.
As the literary world continues to wrestle with the legacies of powerful authors, one thing is clear: the magic of a story does not always erase the consequences of its creator. And for some, walking away from a childhood favorite is a small price to pay for living by their values.