“Hogwarts Legacy”, A video game based on the creative universe of Harry Potter features the first trans person in the series. While the video game will be available to the public from February 10, those with early access to play noticed this: Sirona Ryan, owner of a tavern in the town of Hogsmeade, has a special dialogue sequence where she lets it be known that she is a trans woman.
In this role-playing game or RPG (English Role Playing Game), the player creates his own character and becomes a new student at the Hogwarts school with the ability to control powerful ancient magic. on that side, He will have to discover the reasons behind its revival and confront those who want to use it. Defeat mages around the world as you attend classes to learn how to use new spells and prepare potions.
The character in question tells the actor that he is trans in dialogue with his character. I hadn’t seen him in years when he came a few months ago, but he instantly recognized me. More than I can say for some of my own classmates. It took them a second to realize that she was actually a witch and not a wizard,” says Sirona, referring to a goblin the player had to search for.
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The appearance of this witch has sparked controversy on social networks such as JK Rowling.The creator of the Harry Potter series has been criticized in the past for his statements against the trans community. However, the video game development team reassured that in an interview with ‘IGN’, a dedicated video game medium, “it is very important to create a game that represents the rich and diverse world of Harry Potter, as well as the groups of people who are playing it. ” , including the LGBTQIA+ community. We have a wide variety of characters that players will encounter throughout the game.”
Sirona Ryan is not the first trans person to be represented in a cultural product., because there are dozens of movies, books and television series that feature characters who are part of this community in their stories. According to Cristina Rodríguez Romero, journalist, communicator and activist for the rights of the transgender population in Colombia, the debate no longer revolves around whether trans characters should be included but rather adequate representations.
“Some of what is said on the networks has significant relevance because it talks about guarantees of rights and certain claims, but we are now in the process of considering how much of what is being shown in the media is an attempt to present something that is not really. Inclusive and diversity-respecting discriminatory discourse compared to when they are simply trying to capture an audience,” Rodríguez says.
The same concern is shared by a music artist and trans activist who enjoys being called A Missing Note. It guarantees It’s important to always consider the intent a trans person should present in a story to avoid a simple quota that must be met..
For both Rodríguez and Nota Perdida, many ‘cliches’ still pop up when describing trances. One of the most important is the assumption that their experiences are all the same, which distracts them from drawing attention from other experiences.
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“Trans characters do not have a responsibility to represent the entire community, they cannot speak for the diversity of experiences,” says the artist. Thus, he continues, “for a representation to be truly responsive to the needs of a population, it must rely on their participation, but not as an object of study.”
Actress and trans social activist Brianna Sarchi believes Sirona Ryan’s case helps break some of the prejudices This may be on community members. “I see a woman freely commenting on her experience. Anything can happen in the Hogwarts world and it’s perfectly normal for him to be there, but it happens in real life too. If they’re normal, why can’t we learn to accept them?” Sarchi says.
Like Nota Perdida, she believes in the importance of involving trans people in the creative process. “I have no doubt that the creators of this character are a transgender programmer they can trust to ‘not screw up’,” the actress affirms.
Similarly, Tara Elena Arias, a member of the Escuela Trans and Batucada Trans social movements, as well as the NGO Corporación Opción Legal, guarantees: the same trans people who were supposed to play the character role those belonging to the community. “The only way to experience trans is to be trans. No one has to take our voice as their own because we can,” says Arias.
It’s clear that in the world of Harry Potter, millions of people are waiting to take control of their own stories. However, for members of the trans community, the video game can be another example of controversy around their struggles. As a portrait of a trans experience, Sirona Ryan will continue to be the focus of discussion on social networks, especially as she belongs to a universe created by a writer with anti-trans positions.
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I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.
