Yahoo News WNBA star Breanna Stewart's new sneaker collab has LGBTQ+ fans feeling CONFUSED
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.
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Stewart couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
