Harry Potter and allegations of transphobia: Why Quidditch is now Quadball

Quidditch, a sport that originated from the fictional world of Harry Potter and found its way to the real world, has decided to change its name to quadball.

According to the BBC, the sport’s move is designed to “distance” itself from Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

What is quidditch, why teams are deciding to ditch the word now, what is the entire controversy, let’s find out.

What is quidditch?

The fictional sport is a creation of JK Rowling for her bestseller Harry Potter series of books.

Played on flying broomsticks, quidditch can be deemed similar to hockey or football. The fictional sport involves two teams on flying broomsticks trying to score in one of the opponents’ three hoops high above the ground.

The real-life version, however, does not involve any flying, but to stay in the spirit of the game, players run with brooms between their legs.

The “muggle quidditch” has been around since 2005 and is currently being played by about 600 teams in 40 countries, according to the BBC.

The first match was played at Middlebury College in Vermont in 2005, where the game was created by Alex Benepe and Xander Manshel.

Why the name change?

The Harry Potter author has long been accused of being transphobic, an allegation she has denied.

Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are among those who have distanced themselves from her comments, and Rowling did not participate in the filming of a reunion special aired earlier this year.

As per the BBC, the International Quidditch Association (IQA) and Major League Quidditch (MLQ) said the writer coming "under scrutiny for her anti-trans positions" and a desire to grow the sport commercially were factors in the decision.

In December last year, US Quidditch and Major League Quidditch had said that they were considering a name change since they did not receive many sponsorship and broadcast opportunities.

Warner Bros, which produces the Harry Potter film series, owns the copyright for the sport’s present name.

Similar to the sport in the books, quidditch in the real world has remained a full-contact mixed-gender sport that encourages those who identify with the trans and non-binary community to take part.

Jack McGovern, a spokesman for US Quidditch and Major League Quidditch, told the New York Times that the sport’s association with Rowling had created a problem in recruiting new players.

The Guardian reported that the Major League Quidditch and US Quidditch will now be known as Major League Quadball and US Quadball respectively.

The International Quidditch Association is expected to change its name in the near future.

With inputs from agencies

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