Tim Hortons Harry Potter collab sparks boycott calls from LGBTQ+ community
Tim Hortons (Getty Images, stock image)
Tim Hortons is facing widespread criticism after announcing a new Harry Potter collaboration on Monday (27 July), with LGBTQ+ advocates and customers arguing that the promotion indirectly supports author JK Rowling, whose years of public statements about transgender people have made her a controversial figure in popular culture.
The campaign, launching on 12 August, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first Harry Potter film with themed drinks, merchandise, collectable packaging, trivia nights, and the chance to win a trip to London.
Tim Hortons described the partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products as a celebration of an iconic story that would “sprinkle some magic” into customers’ daily routines. But for many, the announcement begged criticism.
Canadian LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation Egale Canada condemned the partnership in an online statement on 28 July, arguing that a brand so closely associated with Canada should reflect the country’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. In a statement, the organisation claimed the collaboration promotes “a brand associated with a person whose public advocacy has contributed to anti-trans narratives and the rollback of trans rights around the world”.
Online, criticism spread rapidly, with some customers calling for a boycott.
The backlash also came from people with personal ties to the company. One self-identified transgender Tim Hortons employee wrote on Threads that the partnership was “actively hurting” trans staff, while another customer said they were “heartbroken” to see the promotion.
Author and human rights advocate Rowan Jetté Knox called the campaign “about as un-Canadian as it gets” on her Threads account, arguing that Rowling has become as well known for her thoughts about trans people as for the books that gave her a platform in the first place.
While Rowling rejects the accusation that she is “anti-trans” and says she is defending women’s rights, she has repeatedly expressed beliefs that transgender women are not women and has used her personal wealth to support legal efforts centred on “biological sex” protections.
