Organization festivals are among the first opportunities for student leaders to not just introduce their organizations to freshmen, but also the values they wish to represent. And one of the first steps in executing them is choosing a theme. 

So when you conduct a university-wide event that includes students from all walks of life — especially during Pride Month — you have to identify one that everyone can resonate with and become empowered by. 

Harry Potter, as it turns out, is not among them. 

Undeniably, the world of Harry Potter is nothing short of magical — one that started in 1997 yet continues to live up to its movie’s remake this upcoming Christmas. 

It is perhaps this pop culture impact that has allowed it to bleed into every occasion, even inspiring the organizers to bring it to this year’s “SPELLBOUND: Freshmen Orientation and Student Activities Festival.”

But when we’re talking about Harry Potter, we, even unintentionally, give rise to the genius behind it — its creator, J.K. Rowling.

Yet, Rowling’s name in recent years has run short of her magic as she has been heavily criticized for her transphobic and racist remarks. 

Such as when she liked an anti-trans tweet  “accidentally,” or when she called Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe — actors who materialized Hermione and Harry — “ignorant” right after she was pent up from all the backlash she received from their differing views. 

To rub salt to the wound, Rowling even donated to a campaign group legally challenging transgender women as women and even launched her Women’s Fund, funded largely from her sales from the Harry Potter franchise — which aims to offer legal support rights only to so-called “sex-based women.” 

These actions have led the Harry Potter author to be no longer known merely as the franchise’s writer with controversial opinions, but as an active participant in efforts that challenge the legitimacy of transgender identities and rights.

And whether Potterheads like it or not, the franchise now carries the weight of its creator’s public positions beyond the “support the art, not the artist” excuse. 

In fact, a portion of her fans have even started to boycott the franchise, expressing how greatly disappointed they are with the author. 

For when Rowling’s views made not just negative noise but a severe, tangible impact on the trans community, the identity of the franchise had already been jeopardized along with her 

Purchasing, consuming, and supporting the series is now tantamount to allowing someone to deny trans people their rights to freely identify themselves. 

So when Harry Potter was chosen as this year’s theme, it raised the question: How elaborate and genuine did the HAU – University Student Council (HAU-USC) conduct its research on the franchise for it to even scratch the tip of Rowling’s transphobia?

Perhaps it could be argued that there is nothing inherently wrong with drawing inspiration from a beloved fictional universe and that the HAU-USC had no intention of dragging Rowling’s controversy into the festivity. 

But intentions alone do not exempt decisions from scrutiny and accountability — especially from a council that brands students at the heart of its decisions — for an event in the daybreak of Pride Month, celebrating the very people the author of the theme continues to discriminate against.

The Harry Potter creator’s anti-trans remarks are neither recent nor unknown. For years, the discourse has extended far beyond just the fans — it has evolved into a larger issue on gender and identity that organizers could’ve been aware of had basic research been done and sheer purpose been reevaluated. 

For an event that introduces the university’s values to fresh faces and also coincides with the month-long celebration of identity, the theme could’ve benefited from a second — even a third — thought. 

As the battle for a more accepting, open, and liberated society for all individuals regardless of gender persists during this Pride Month, this moment should serve as a reminder that representation is not achieved through statements, hashtags, or month-long celebrations alone. 

It is reflected in how we make choices — such as the selection of a theme — that push for genuine, radical representation and not just as performative, senseless advocacies. 

After all, student governments are not merely event organizers for freshman orientations or University Days. They are primarily the most visible representatives of the student body. 

Their decisions inevitably communicate values, priorities, and assumptions about the communities they serve. And it is our sole duty to check on them — not because we seek to condemn every mistake, but because accountability is the foundation of representation. 

A student government that is never questioned is a student government that ceases to truly represent its constituents, especially with individuals who have long fought to be recognized and respected. 

May this moment serve as a lesson for student leaders and organizers to rethink and reevaluate decisions from the smallest up to the largest ones. 

After all, we all want to push for causes that strive for the common good — and we should solemnly swear so. 

Ethan Hunt Dizon is the Literary Editor of The Angelite for the Publication Year 2026-2027, and writes opinions under the column “Hunt where it hurts”

The views and opinion of the editor does not necessarily reflect those of the publication.