Hermione for President

Nov 04, 2008

Posted by: abandonedboyjon

Uncategorized

size=”3″>Today, as I cast my vote in what is certainly the most important election I’ve ever voted in, I thought about the realities that could be waiting for me next year depending on who is elected president. I am by no means a one-issue voter, but gay rights are usually at the forefront of my mind when choosing my candidates. Gay marriage has of course been discussed much during this long presidential campaign. Honestly, at this point, that issue seems so passé to me. Maybe it’s because I’m a Massachusetts native and I saw our marriage laws change years ago. Maybe it’s because I can’t believe we’re still debating whether or not all people should have the same rights and civil liberties (I mean, this is America). But I think perhaps the biggest reason is that there are so many gay rights issue still left on the backburner, many of which concern the transgender community. Are these topics too hot for debate?

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size=”3″>That’s a question that would have gotten Hermione Granger’s wand in a knot. Though she was consistently met with a lack of support, Hermione pursued her S.P.E.W. work, questioning a totally archaic system of slavery which had been allowed to remain in Wizarding society seemingly because wizards were comfortable the way things were. Even Harry, whose moral compass is spot-on, can’t rack up any enthusiasm for her efforts. Hermione is met with many negative reactions, even from friends, who note that the elves like serving wizards and setting them free would be unkind. Clearly, the effect of freeing the house elves on the elves themselves should be taken into account. The house elves relationship to their masters and to their work is something that could possibly take generations to filter out. But do the naysayers to Hermione’s plan really fully understand the permanency of their actions? If we don’t free them today, and we don’t free them tomorrow, they’ll never be free. They’ll never understand freedom, much less want it, so why not take action today?

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size=”3″>The LGBT community has progressed so much since the days before Stonewall, a time when the community felt a constant fear, when frequent and gruesome raids on gay bars were just part of the life. Many transgender people still live in fear. In countless ways and in so many parts of the country, not to mention the world, transgender people are still not protected against discrimination; we can still lose our jobs, be evicted from our homes (the community has a huge homelessness problem) because of our gender identity. The targeting of the gay community for hate crimes has seen a steady increase in the past several years. Transgender hate crimes have seen an exponential increase. Many transgender hate crimes go unreported because most hate crime laws don’t include transgenders. Some still don’t include sexual orientation.

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size=”3″>Politicians are shying away from these issues because they think society isn’t ready. But this is about people’s safety and their pursuit of happiness, and it doesn’t belong on the backburner. So, today: vote, and stay politically active. Let’s make sure every single person has the rights we enjoy. None of us is safe or free until we all are.





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.