The wizard sport Quidditch may rename itself to fly away from J.K. Rowling’s transphobia

UCLA vs Arkansas at the Quidditch World Cup 7 on April 6th 2014 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Quidditch, a sport played by wizards in the Harry Potter books of J.K. Rowling, may soon get a new name in the real world to disassociate itself from Rowling’s transphobia.

In a joint statement, two groups — U.S. Quidditch (USQ) and Major League Quidditch (MLQ) — said that they’re conducting a survey to decide on a new name for the sport’s real-life version. The statement specifically cites Rowling’s “anti-trans positions in recent years” as a reason behind its sought-after name change.

Related: Dr. Oz defends “brave” J.K. Rowling during bizarre speech about trans people & Oprah

The statement also mentions that USQ and MLQ both follow an inclusive “gender maximum” rule. The rule forbids any team from having more than four players of the same gender on-field at the same time. This rule applies to those who identify as transgender and non-binary.

The inclusion of trans and non-binary players is part of the USQ’s Title 9 3/4 principle. The principle is named after Title IX, the 1972 federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination, as well as Platform’s 9 3/4, the hidden platform in Rowling’s books where magic users can catch a train to the Hogwarts Academy for witches and wizards.

“Title IX additionally continues to exclude

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