The Patreon Podcast - Episode 79 - Books In The Bin

speaking as a trans girl, many people, especially trans, joke that when a writer is transphobic, in reality miku hatsune wrote that instead. so harry potter was written by miku ;)

May

I'm always happy to talk advice about writing trans characters if you want any input from a trans feminine person :)

Riley

Hi Dan, I'd love if you can speak more about ADHD. I was recently diagnosed with "SpLD" at 22 and was told it's probably Dyspraxia, potentially ADHD and anxiety and depression or Apergers. I wanted to know more about how you cope and issue you have and what you can now see as related to your diagnosis. Me and a couple of other people are starting to create an SpLD podcast and I'm really interested in how people deal with it. Right now it's really hard to find any helpful information on Dyspraxia specifically. The idea came about when another Doctor Who fan had seen I'd changed my Twitter bio to include "#Dyspraxia" and we realised the only conversations were negative and mainly promoted by discussion on Doctor Who and we wanted to help as many people discover about related conditions and helpnas possible. thanks, cha

Charlotte (Char10tti3)

Thanks for talking more about the "angry atheist" videos. I've been following you since at least 2013 (a long old time) and was someone who would have considered myself an athiest then too. I'm not sure I ever wanted to "get rid of religion" but know it especially plays into a lot of laws and negative ideas to me. I've also definitely realised that people find a lot of comfort in religion and have been encouraged to join groups whike I'm at university because of my anxiety and to meet people. Religion has given us a lot of developments, the Islamic world was crucial in developing mathematics and Hindu texts are the earliest examples of medical information we have. I remember enjoying your more political videos because it was the first time I'd really seen someone who was whatever side of the policical spectrum I was and also so inclusive about it. I think that my lack of access to technology caused this really, which points out how being in an echo chamber especially at a young age can really effect your perception of the world.

Charlotte (Char10tti3)

I had just watched Council of Geeks video on her before the tweet. I'm so glad I had some background to what she said before then. I grew up poor and parents didn't really promote reading, turns out I also have dyspraxia which makes ir hard anyway. Only started reading the first couple of Harry Potter books in my teens and it seemed quite childish for me then. I think it was one of the first books we got read in Reception though that would have been 1999 I think. Turns out my school took the book from me and I think sold it because it was a first edition that was lent to me... it wasn't a great school

Charlotte (Char10tti3)

Ok I am a straight, white, cis female and this is my opinion (not that it really matters). Do/be whatever you want as long as: 1. You are happy and are doing/being the thing because you want to do it and you are not being peer pressured or bullied into it. 2. Everyone involved is a consenting adult. I know many people discover who they are as teenagers but if you want to change yourself in a permanent way wait a few years. I know that is frustrating but as someone who got a tattoo as a teenager and now regret it trust me (small issue in comparison I know) . If something is important to you now it will still be just as important in a few years. Plus you can give a middle finger to people who say "it's just a phase" ect. 😉. 3. Don't try and change people to be the same as you. Have pride in what you are of course but don't (for lack of a better word) preach it. Support people who need it and give advice if and where you can. Let people make their own decisions about who they want to be. As I said this is my opinion and it doesn't really matter. If you are offended by anything in this post I am sorry and please let me know. It might just be I have never thought about it from your point of view (it also might be that I am shit with words and can't explain properly 😜). I try to be open minded. Love you all! Keep being amazing!

Georgina Ivey

ALSO THIS

Hazel Hedrick

This. As another trans woman, you (and Dan) captured a lot of my feelings perfectly. I am unbelievably fortunate enough to have recently started hormone replacement therapy, and it's given me a sense of self-actualization that is unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I'm happier, I feel more myself, and I feel more complete. I grew up not really into reading (I honestly felt like I would get bullied for it, because the few books I did read got me bullied), but I watched my sister grow up with the Harry Potter books, and both of us grew up with the movies. They were extremely formative for me, and taught me a lot about the power of love and companionship. I've been reading the series for the very first time this past year or so. I just reached the halfway point in Half-Blood Prince a few days ago. I had been previously aware of JK's TERFiness, but I was able to put all of that behind me until I saw what happened the other day. I can't bring myself to read HP for the next couple days, maybe longer. Dan said it really well: it's a painful loss. I see elements of myself in a lot of HP characters, and I love believing that Dean Thomas is in a polyamorous gay relationship with Seamus Finnegan when he begins dating Ginny Weasley, and that Luna Lovegood is a quirky trans girl with a supportive father. We exist, and it sucks for us individually, but I'm really proud to be a member of such a supportive community and have such strong allies. Yeah, there are feelings of dysphoria that hurt and there is fear for going out in public, but there's so much more positivity that we receive from each other and our allies, and that keeps me going every day. It's a feeling of community support and guidance like no other on this planet. And don't worry if you get things wrong. We all do. I still mess up my name and pronouns. I still don't know all the terminology. The whole idea of transgenderism is fluid and nebulous. Making mistakes is how we learn to better ourselves. I love you, my sister, and I love you, Daniel. And I love every other Procrastinator out there. <3

Hazel Hedrick

Great podcast, as a gay American man just wanted to tell you that you got just about everything right! Really love these podcasts in general by the way, youtube gaming videos aren't really for me anymore but the podcasts are basically what keeps me around!

sean jenkins

I think I'm quite lucky because when I buy things, I don't buy anything because of who created it- although I do try not to give any money to hateful people. But I don't ever really relate the creator to the object which means I can still read and enjoy Harry Potter. But I won't be giving JK Rowling any more time. I do think that a lot of people might be taking longer to adapt to the inevitable change that is happening in society at the moment, but if they come out and truly apologise then I know I can forgive them because people are allowed to be wrong. Of course, I am saying this from a point of privilege as I am not part of the society that people are adapting to as a straight white male (although I am blind as a bat (sorry bats)). I do agree that we are definitely in a moment of history at the moment that will be remembered forever, but we can't forget the bits before this when we (humankind) got it wrong. I do try to live as the doctor does, "never cruel or cowardly, and always be kind" and do believe once people start doing that and stop looking at what makes people different as bad things, instead of as something that makes life interesting. I've always been taught by some very impactful teachers that if everyone was the same then life would be very boring. And maybe we can start looking at all the stuff that unites us as the same. We are all Homo Sapiens. But that's my short message, that this lovely message got into my head, out there and off my chest

Why am I crying at this haha, This needs to be public, if your willing to deal with the sad backlash itll get please put this up on YouTube at least in an editied form if you think it needs it, it needs to be heard and this is the best explanation of it ive heard

J.K Rowling comments thats started it all is just so silly . As a biological woman who identifies as women and can't menstruate due to a underlying medical condition. I think its great that all people who mestruate however they identify get the right products. Also she may not realise but it this kind of comments made me less like a woman when when stop menstruating.

Despite recording this at 3am

Nerd13

Dan is clearly the wisest of all of us

Nerd13

Like a lot of other people have said on here, the Harry Potter series was very important to me when I was younger. It was literally the first book series I ever read so learning that J. K. Rowling was such a not nice person (to put it lightly) was difficult and upsetting. However, in the interest of positivity and spreading kindness rather than hate, I wanted to recommend another young adult author whose books had a major impact on my childhood: Rick Riordan. I recommend his books in particular because unlike J.K. he included several well written LGBTQ+ characters in his stories and continues to be an outspoken ally to the community. I could say a lot more but considering that anyone who might be reading this is probably already familiar with him and his work, I will leave it at that. (P.S.: Always remember that you're valid and amazing no matter what people like J.K. Rowling have to say)

Tyler Kelley

Wow, that was a blast from a few years past! Dan gotta grab his bows for his arrow!

Jazzy Senpai

#TransRights babey!!!

Mireaze

Death of the Author is a real theory for a reason and I fully believe in that. I think as soon as a work is published it is no longer yours, and anything you say or do after the work has nothing to do with it. I will say that a lot of JK's remarks not just about trans people had made me see some darker stuff through the Harry Potter series, but it got me into reading and I got all of them day one so I can't just throw it away too easily. Happy to throw her away though.

Adam Gaffney

PS - I am also happy to throw my hat into the ring if you need any advise on writing trans characters X

Christina (shrugs)

Thank you, Dan. I've been a fan of your work for years, and as someone who recently discovered she was trans, this means a lot to me. You are living proof that kindness is all it takes to be a good person and a strong ally. This podcast is exactly what I needed to hear, and I'm so happy that I heard it from you. It doesn't matter that you're not an expert on trans issues. Your passion and desire to be kind gives me all the hope I need. That being said, if you are interested in learning more about being a good ally, I have some advice: You don't always need to see "being trans" as a burden. I for one love the fact that I'm trans. It's a part of me. If I was a cis woman, I don't think I'd be able to appreciate and love myself as a woman in the same way I do right now. Gender dysphoria isn't always part of being trans. Some trans people never have it. What's more important (IMO) is the euphoria one feels when they are correctly gendered or when they see themselves as the way they identify. But these are just small pieces of advise that I thought you'd like to hear. Without them, you are still the best cis trans ally I'm aware of! You are a truly, genuinely wonderful person, and I wish you all the best! Thank you for being kind.

Christina (shrugs)

Also, at the 45 minute, you're talking about all that stuff and whatever and it's all coming out like you're sounding like you're being really mean about it but you're not intending to be mean about it. There is a "supposed to come out" for a lot of things, but from my (albeit generally uninformed layman's simple brained) view of how things seem to work, everything that comes out of DNA is the product of countless trillions of generations of evolution going back to the simplest single celled organisms. You didn't come out they way you did because that's the right way to come out. You only exist because you probably won't die maybe before contributing anything at all to your little group of people. You don't need to be some kind of superhero for evolution to make you, and have you come out in a way that is very specifically something. It's messy, and a lot of the time things don't work right. But that's okay. Humans are good because we can rely on each other to keep us going through things. From our limited understanding of how all this stuff works, nobody's supposed to be anything, really. Well, other than human.

Sandwich247

How can you say that with the overwelming evidence to the contrary?

Jacob Hardy

i really hope the Alex Rider show is good! loved it as a kid <3

Emma Jacob

putting my hat in the ring as a big ol' nonbinary person if you ever need

Emma Jacob

I love dan to rewrite Harry Potter.

Daniel Friel

Thank you so much Dan, for creating a fantastic community, for listening to us, and for being kind.

Jellex

We have a statue of George Stevenson in our town cause that is what our town is famous for, and i think that that is the sort of things statues should celebrate as he among others was a pioneer of his time. Whereas statues of people who did not benefit the world belong in a museum and not out in the open like a celebration.

Leon Allen

Enjoying Borderlands? Enjoying my first favourite game? Yay

Craig (CraigUntlNytTym) Penfold

I've had quite a few instances where I had to learn to seperate the artists from the art. As a teenager I started to read the Ender's Game book series and then I learned that the author Orson Scott Card was a huge homophobe. It took me a bit to be able to keep reading the books. I was always reminded by his views instead of the views of the book. I also love the movie 'Dance of the Vampires' wich is written, directed and stars Roman Polanski... And then there are people like Adam Baldwin. I love him as Jayne in Firefly or Casey in Chuck. But I had to stop following him on twitter because of his aggressive political stances. With JK it has become the same for me. I love and adore the Harry Potter books. And I try not to let her views taint my views on the art that I love.

Nicholas Robinson

As someone who also grew up with anxiety and found reading a great way of coping, I have similar feelings about JK Rowling. For me HP has a hugely significant place in my childhood as I first experienced the audiobooks from which i discovered Stephen Fry who was the first openly gay role model i encountered who wasn't the camp stereotype feed to me via the media at the time. Don't think I will ever read the books again but Fry's voice may be able to get me through it. On a happier note did you ever read any Anthony Horowitz as a kid as Amazon has just released an Alex Rider tv show.

Asher

41:00 I get you. It's never entered your mind and you don't see any reason why it would just now or in future. That's more or less where I am. There is no issue.

Sandwich247

Your dark humour justification was missing its defining word. Its just satire. You have amazing satiricle humour and we understand it in a way non-fans could never.

Binxx

I loved JK Rowling sharing sharing the incredible art of extremely talented young people and then she went on that fucking tyrade. Can't she just go back to celebrating great you artists, please...

Craig (CraigUntlNytTym) Penfold

The statue of Eric Morecambe is in... Morecambe...

culture of celebrity idolisation

Sandwich247

Harry Potter was my childhood, it was huge for me too. But now it all feels tainted. What a horrible woman, I don't understand. And I totally agree with that the statues should go into museums.

Jk Rowling is an author why does anybody take her views on anything so seriously?

Gus Johnson did a video about JK last year and it’s still very accurate and funny

Connor Pape