What we're about
Welcome Harry Potter Fans!
We are HP-NYC, "The Group That Shall Not Be Named". We are the largest HP fan club in the world with over 4000 members. Our members span every type of person possible but we are united in the community that we have formed around these stories.
We understand that many people are wondering what it means to be a Harry Potter fan today, specifically because of the words and actions of the author of the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling. In the 15+ years that we have been active, our members have formed countless bonds, relationships, friendships, families and more, and we refuse to give that up. So please accept the following as our Meetup “About Us”:
We at The Group That Shall Not Be Named fully condemn the words and actions of J.K. Rowling that seek to harm our trans, gender nonconforming, intersex, Jewish, and BIPOC brethren. Yet, we acknowledge not only the cultural importance, but also the personal importance of the Wizarding World that she has created. For many of us, especially the members of color and LGBTQIA+ members of this group, the story of Harry and his fight against Voldemort resonated with us as a story of good triumphing against evil, of the oppressed fighting the oppressor, of social justice winning against encroaching fascism. We came together as a fandom to identify with and celebrate those values as well as the characters and stories that came to represent them. Little did we know that the author harbored ill intent against many of those who found refuge in her words.
But we grew up. And we came to understand that the meaning we found in the Wizarding World came not from Rowling’s words but from our interpretations, our lived experiences, and the community we found together. As such, we continue to gather as The Group That Shall Not Be Named, not in spite of J.K. Rowling’s transphobia and hate, but to show the world that folks who are a part of and who support the trans and intersex communities and communities of color have always been here and refuse to be silenced. Every day that this story and this author continues to have cultural impact is a day that we seek to put ourselves in this narrative as those who have found each other through this community and celebrate each other’s unique contribution to this world.
We meet up, we enjoy each other’s friendship and camaraderie, and we show other HP fans that there is still a home for them. We also hope to educate others about this and provide a viewpoint for those who might not know about JKR’s hurtful messages.
That being said, what DO we do at HP-NYC? Well,
We meet regularly on the 1st Thursday of every month and have special events almost every month. If you are looking for a way to meet new friends and forge new relationships in this huge city of ours, then you've come to the right place.
Our Events:
We have a wide range of events and activities that are as diverse as the interests of our members. We strive to provide an experience that allows you to indulge in your talents and creativity while having a tremendously fun time.
Some of our events include:
- Trivia Nights
- Board Game Nights
- Movie Screenings
- HP Themed Crafting
- Fan Fiction Readings
- Cosplay Photoshoots
- Convention Presentations and Appearances
- In-Costume Ice Skating
We look forward to meeting you and hope you will join and help us make some magic!
Upcoming events (4)
It's April and the Weasley Twins have caused yet another problem with their birthday antics! They created a new variation of the Confundus Charm and set it loose in the Hogwart's Library!
All the book titles and jackets are indecipherable! Librarian Irma Pince however has discovered a loophole. Anyone who has previous read a book can describe the book to someone else. But there is a catch! The spell only allows them to describe the book BADLY.
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Bring a book that you would like to share with one of our fellow members to our April Book Swap Meetup. There are several requirements you need to follow:
- Everyone who wants to receive a book must bring a book. (But you can still attend the Meetup and hang out with your fellow Witches and Wizards even if you don't bring a book).
- Your book must be covered so that its completely impossible to know the title
- A brief bad explanation/description of the plot of the book should be written on the front coverings.
- Books can be new or used and please just bring only one book =D
We will go around the room and each librarian's assistant will swap books with another as they try to guess the actual titles based on the bad descriptions!
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Our monthly Meetups are almost always free to attend. We do collect donations during each monthly Meetup (or sometimes hold a raffle). This helps fund our operating costs as well as supplies like prizes, crafting materials and more. Raffle tickets are
1 Ticket for $2
3 Tickets for $5
20 Tickets for $20
We are able to accept cash, charge and Venmo.
Please do not let this discourage you from attending if you cannot contribute, it is only a request, not a requirement. Thank you for your support!
- J.Rosenthal
- Abby
- Ivy
- 20 attendees
Cre8ive NYC - Multipurpose Office/Studio/Rehearsal Spaces
This Mother's Day pull out your wands and creative wizard hats, for we will magically design, Harry Potter style, pop-up Mother’s Day cards!
TGTSNBN Member Miss Gina will show you how to create one of a kind, unique, treasures of written sentiment with provided pre-cut cards, envelopes, and your favorite Harry Potter characters.
Feel free to bring decorative paper, little trinkets, dried flowers, and anything you would like to put on/in a Mother’s Day card.
We will be providing supplies including:
Cards
Decorative paper sheets
Illustrations of your favorite Harry Potter characters
Illustrated& written sentiments
Envelopes
Colored pencils, markers.
Glue
Decorations
Ribbons
Glitter
- J.Rosenthal
- Gina B.
- margaret
- 4 attendees
“WARNING: SUM OF DIS CHAPTA IS XTREMLY SCRAY. VIOWER EXCRETION ADVISD”
For our June Monthly Meetup join us for a collaborative reading of My Immortal, the notoriously awful (or amazing!) fan fiction that shook the Internet back in 2006!
We are still working out some details, including possible drinking games, props, etc. But one key element will be our Sorting Hat. Volunteers will take a name of a character from the hat, and that is the character they will read for a number of the most iconic scenes selected from the fanfic!
FUNDRAISING INFO
Our monthly Meetups are almost always free to attend. We do collect donations during each monthly Meetup (or hold a raffle). This helps fund our operating costs as well as supplies like prizes, crafting materials and more.
Raffle tickets are
1 Ticket for $2
3 Tickets for $5
20 Tickets for $20
We are able to accept cash, charge and Venmo.
Please do not let this discourage you from attending if you cannot contribute, it is only a request, not a requirement. Thank you for your support!
- J.Rosenthal
- Marlene M
- Malorie W.
- 13 attendees
Bring your latest fiber arts project to the park and spend some relaxing time with your fellow crafty witches, wizards, and wixen.
Working on any Pride related projects? Bring them along and we'll have a show and tell!
This is a social gathering so no need to worry about skill level or what kind of craft you are working on. (Knitting! Crochet! Sewing! Cross-stitch! Embroidery! Needlepoint!)
Feel free to bring a boxed dinner / snack or perhaps pick something up at one of the many venues in or around Bryant Park.
As we get closer to the event we will provide more details as to what section of the park we will be in and how to find us.
- J.Rosenthal
- Elisa
- Em R.
- 9 attendees
Past events (771)
- J.Rosenthal
- Abby
- Carolina
- 13 attendees
