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WNBA star Breanna Stewart's new sneaker collab has LGBTQ+ fans feeling CONFUSED
Working with a transphobe is not a good look!
With J.K. Rowling currently embroiled in a massive lawsuit after bullying a female Olympic boxer on social media by suggesting she's trans, you'd think LGBTQ+ athletes would want to stay far away. Instead, queer WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart decided to release a Harry Potter-themed sneaker, leaving us scratching our heads.
Stewart, a New York Liberty player who helped Team USA take home the gold at the Paris Olympics, just released a teaser ad for the September release of a new version of her iconic Stewie 1 Puma sneaker, and this time the shoes will be covered in Harry Potter imagery.
Being associated with Harry Potter author and known anti-trans bigot J.K. Rowling, especially when you're a member of the LGBTQ+ community, is not a good look.
While this collab has likely been in the works long before Rowling started making headlines for being investigated in connection with a harassment lawsuit after spreading a rumor that the cisgender female boxer Imane Khelif was born a man, everyone has known about Rowling's anti-trans beliefs for years now.
The new Stewie 3 Harry Potter sneakers will feature a charcoal gray base and blue-green accents with wizard-themed elements like wands, skulls, and snakes wrapping around. The shoes will drop on September 6 and will be sold on Puma's website and select retailers for $130, Hype Beast reports.
Fans of the 29-year-old basketball star flooded the comment sections of all of the social media posts made to announce the upcoming sneaker release, many criticizing the queer player for working with a known TERF.
One person commented on Instagram, "Stewie is one of my idols — I think I'm within my rights as a trans person to question why one of my idols would partner with a media empire that funds anti-trans violence, no?"
Another person wrote, "It's one thing to still have affection for HP, it is another to directly financially support a transphobe, which is what this will do. Really unfortunate."
Fans on X largely felt the same way about Stewart doing a collab that will line Rowling's pockets. "In 2024??? With JK being sued for harassment?? This is NOT IT," someone commented on Puma's announcement post.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
