San Francisco bookstores drop J.K. Rowling titles in stand for trans rights

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

June 26, 2025 / 11:14 PM PDT


One bookstore in San Francisco is taking a stand against a worldwide-renowned author. Books by J.K. Rowling, who penned the "Harry Potter" series, have come off the shelves at BookSmith on Haight. Now, another bookstore is following its lead. Marcus Ewert with Fabulosa Books on Castro Street is also an accomplished author. "This was my very first one in 2008," Ewert said. "It was the first kids' book to have any transgender content, let alone a transgender kid main character."

Ewert says while the book, 10,000 Dresses, has been embraced by the queer community, it has been banned and challenged by others. So the decision to take J.K. Rowling's series of Harry Potter books off the shelf wasn't taken lightly. Ewert says he did what felt right to him. "Just setting an example of there are things to resist," he said. "Choices to make and actions to take. We all need more courage right now."

The idea originally came from Booksmith on Haight Street. The owners of Booksmith would not talk on camera but sent over a statement saying they sell a number of titles by authors they don't agree with, but this case was different because Rowling has pledged to fund legislation and campaigns that would harm the trans community.

Camden Avery, the co-owner of Booksmith wrote, "We're one private business making a decision to align our business practice with our own values and our customers' values, the freedom to do which, if I'm honest, is the one of the most rewarding parts of operating as a truly independent bookstore." Fabulosa Books says it couldn't agree more.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/san-francisco-bookstores-drop-jk-rowling-titles-trans-rights/

[marble falls]

1. Standing up on principle is as about American in Ideals as can be. Good on them.

[Prairie Gates]

2. It's their right, but it's a goofy decision

And that's all I have to say about that.

[PatSeg]

5. Yes it is rather goofy

Last edited Fri Jun 27, 2025, 05:45 PM - Edit history (1)

It feels too much like book banning, but I suppose it gets them some free publicity.

[Aristus]

8. It could be an attempt to get a reaction from the anti-trans repukes.

The ones who want to ban books from the library. I wonder how they will react to this.

[PatSeg]

10. I suppose that is possible

[Mz Pip]

3. A bookstore banning books

Who said irony is dead?

[Harker]

9. I see a difference between a private bookshop choosing which books they want to sell...

and a taxpayer funded public library removing titles that the librarian, or any citizen, says should be removed.

[Torchlight]

4. The courage of conviction, done at the expense of profit

is an admirable thing to watch, sealions be damned. Not really different than Dr. Seuss Enterprises choosing to stop publishing and licensing six books of their own.

[generalbetrayus]

6. Normally, I abhor book censorship,

but because J. K. Rowling is such an anti-trans creep, I'm willing to look the other way on bookstores refusing to sell her books. Public and school libraries refusing to buy and shelve her books, not so much.

Perhaps a better option would be for bookstores to place her books on a table featuring books written by anti-LGBTQ+ creeps.

[wendyb-NC]

7. Yay, excellent move

Thank you.

[EllieBC]

11. Kinda late.

She’s already made her millions and millions.

Maybe they could also ban a lot of religious texts as well seeing as though many of them are not pro-LGBTQ.