Gender activists against ‘book banning’ ban Harry Potter books
A San Francisco bookstore that claims to be “firmly opposed to banning books” has banned the Harry Potter series from their store because of remarks made by author JK Rowling against gender ideology.
The Booksmith is a far-Left bookstore located in San Francisco’s famed Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. It is a proud member of Books Not Bans, a nonprofit activist organization dedicated to distributing LGBT books across the country. These books are not only offensive to many faiths but are often highly sexualized—including sexual depictions of minors—and aimed at children. All Boys Aren’t Blue, for example, contains graphic descriptions of anal rape and incest involving minors.
Many parents have lobbied to restrict such books from children due to their adult nature, a move gender activists decry as “book banning.” Books Not Bans, which boasts it has delivered “crates of queer, affirmative, necessary books all over the country,” says it has distributed All Boys Aren’t Blue to 20 organizations countrywide.
But despite its activism against book banning, The Booksmith has banned the Harry Potter books from its shelves. On its website, the store has displayed a screenshot of a sign that appears to have been taped to one of the shelves, reading: “Are you looking for Harry Potter? In May of 2025, author JK Rowling publicly committed to using her private wealth from the Harry Potter series to develop the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund, an organization dedicated to removing transgender rights ‘in the workplace, in public life, and in protected female spaces.’"
Rowling has been vocal against the transgender movement’s forcible hijacking of women’s sports and spaces, such as locker rooms, bathrooms, and other areas designated for females only. She has also expressed passionate opposition to the medical mutilation of minors, packaged as “gender-affirming care.”
“With this announcement, we’ve decided to stop carrying her books. We don’t know exactly what her ‘women’s fund’ will entail, but we know that we aren’t going to be a part of it,” the sign continued. “As a group of queer booklovers, we also had our adolescences shaped by wizards and elves. Look at us. It’s obvious. If you or someone you love wants to dive into the world of Harry Potter, we suggest doing so by buying used copies of these books.”
‘Entitled, bratty, tantruming little Veruca Salts’
Rowling has been repeatedly attacked, threatened, and subjected to boycotts for her views. One LGBT activist messaged her, saying: “You are a stupid and horrible woman. My kids and I enjoyed burning your books and roasting marshmallows over your pathetic books.” The billionaire author replied: “I get the same royalties whether you read them or burn them. Enjoy your marshmallows!”
On Friday, Rowling replied to another transgender activist who railed against “TERFs in publishing.” Trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs) are a slur that gender ideologues use to refer to women like Rowling who reject gender ideology.
“Anyone still supporting TERFs in publishing can f*ck all the way off,” the user posted on BlueSky. You cannot read, review, promote, or sell their bigoted bile and still pretend you support queer authors at the same time. We f**king see you.”
Rowling responded: “And we see the entitled, bratty, tantruming little Veruca Salts who believe that only they, and those who share their luxury beliefs, should be permitted to publish books.”
