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The reaction online is, perhaps, not as magical as Tim Hortons had hoped.
But when the coffee chain announced its new Harry Potter menu and merchandise on Monday — a celebration of the “beloved” movie franchise’s 25th anniversary, according to the company’s press release — the backlash from the 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies was swift.
“As a brand that is synonymous with Canada, Tim Hortons and their partnerships should reflect Canada — a country that is inclusive and proud of its diversity,” advocacy group Egale Canada said in an online statement Tuesday.
The partnership contributes to “a brand associated with a person whose public advocacy has contributed to anti-trans narratives and the rollback of trans rights around the world,” it said.
Children’s author J.K. Rowling, who wrote the seven-book Harry Potter series, has in recent years espoused what many believe to be anti-trans views, even though she herself has denied it, claiming she is instead a proud feminist.
“Trans women aren’t women, and if that hurts your feelings, be grateful you live in a society where you are just as free to espouse gender ideology as I am to speak the truth,” Rowling wrote on X Sunday.
Last year, she launched the J.K. Rowling Women’s Fund, which uses her personal wealth to fund legal support for people or organizations who have “been discriminated against because of their expressed beliefs on biological sex being unchangeable.”
On social media, some people called for a Tim Hortons boycott, many expressed dismay, and others gave the company a new nickname: “TERF-Hortons,” a reference to an ideology that rejects the existence of transgender identities.
“I’m an employee of Tim Hortons. I’m also transgender. You are actively hurting many of your employees including myself,” one person wrote on Threads.
Said another: “Choosing donuts over the safety of trans people is certainly a choice. What a terrible f—ing thing to do.”
Another person wrote they were “heartbroken,” adding: “This really hurt more than most. How can one person’s hateful voice carry this far?”
Vancouver’s park board has apologized to the 2SLGBTQ+ community over its decision to host the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience in Stanley Park. That caught the attention of author J.K. Rowling.
Author and human rights advocate Rowan Jetté Knox, also on Threads, called the promotion “about as un-Canadian as it gets,” saying Rowling is “known as much lately for her transphobia.”
Tim Hortons, in a statement to CBC News, said its collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products is a “celebration of an iconic story, a way for Tims to sprinkle some magic into guests’ daily routines.”
A representative for Rowling’s PR team said they would not be commenting.
The Tim Hortons Harry Potter celebration launches Aug. 12, and includes special menu items, merchandise, Harry Potter packaging, a chance to win a trip to London, and a Harry Potter Trivia Night at participating locations.
“Harry Potter has been a beloved part of so many of our guests’ lives for decades and we couldn’t be more excited for Canadians to discover the wizarding world at Tims restaurants,” Hope Bagozzi, chief marketing officer for Tim Hortons, said in Monday’s news release.
Tim Hortons has more than 4,000 locations across Canada.
The promotion is inspired by “Back to Hogwarts,” an annual event marking when the students in the Harry Potter books and movies would board the train to return to their fictional wizarding school, Hogwarts.
This year’s Back to Hogwarts also marks the 25th anniversary since the release of the first film adaptation, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
On social media, Tim Hortons announced the promotion with a “magical” newspaper with moving images, similar to those seen in the movies. The headline reads, “Magic has arrived!”
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is continuing to defend her Twitter comments about transgender people as LGBTQ organizations and the stars of the films based on her books speak out against them.
