--- title: "Yarn shop apologizes for Harry Potter kits, donates proceeds" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/yarn-shop-apologizes-for-harry-potter-kits-donates-proceeds" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/yarn-shop-apologizes-for-harry-potter-kits-donates-proceeds" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/yarn-shop-apologizes-for-harry-potter-kits-donates-proceeds.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/yarn-shop-apologizes-for-harry-potter-kits-donates-proceeds" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-11-13T07:45:42.966Z" source_reported: "2026-11-13T07:01:37.000Z" updated: "2026-11-13T07:45:42.966Z" trust_score: 48 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-11-13T08:45:21.403270+00:00" --- # Yarn shop apologizes for Harry Potter kits, donates proceeds *St. Louis Park store removed merchandise after backlash over author's gender identity remarks* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 48 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to the shop's apology post, and the shop is named. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. The reporting clearly separates fact from comment and names specific entities involved. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. The headline uses loaded language like 'Wokism' and implies a broader societal issue. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Needle & Skein, a yarn shop in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, apologized for selling Harry Potter-themed kits. - The shop removed all Harry Potter merchandise from its shelves. - Proceeds from the kits sold will be donated to Point of Pride, an organization supporting transgender people. - The controversy is connected to author J.K. Rowling's public comments on gender identity. Needle & Skein, a yarn shop in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, has apologized for selling Harry Potter-themed kits. The shop removed all merchandise related to the book series from its shelves. It also pledged to donate all proceeds from the kits that were sold to Point of Pride, an organization that supports transgender people. The controversy stems from remarks made by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling regarding gender identity. Critics have accused Rowling of transphobic statements since 2020, while she has maintained her views are based on biological sex. The shop's apology was posted on Facebook and received significant online engagement, drawing over 1,400 comments and nearly 160 shares by Tuesday morning, according to Patch. ## Disagreement on donation amount The Beltway Report stated the shop donated triple the profits to a transgender support organization. The other reports from Patch, nytimespost.com, Fox News, and Power Line indicated the shop would donate all proceeds from the kits sold. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention how many people raised concerns about the kits or how long they were on sale. The centre-rated report from Patch also stated this information was not included in the shop's apology. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 33% (2) - Right: 67% (4) 0 of 6 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-11-13T08:45:21.403270+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 5 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-11-13T09:00:22.189Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The centre-rated report from Patch led with the apology and removal of Harry Potter merchandise. It detailed the shop's statement, including the author's admission of a mistake and the pledge to donate proceeds to Point of Pride. Patch also noted the controversy's link to J.K. Rowling's remarks on gender identity and the significant online reaction to the apology post. The report quoted the shop's closing statement: "With love and humility, the team at needle & skein." ### Right - The right-rated reports from The Beltway Report, nytimespost.com, Fox News, and Power Line focused on the apology, the removal of merchandise, and the donation to a transgender support group. The Beltway Report and Fox News specifically named Point of Pride as the recipient. Power Line framed the event as an example of "wokism" penetrating society. Nytimespost.com included a screenshot of the shop from Google Maps and mentioned the apology was posted on Facebook. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 2 - mixed: 2 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Beltway Report](https://thebeltwayreport.com/2026/11/minnesota-yarn-shop-apologizes-for-selling-harry-potter-kits-donates-profits-to-trans-support-group) — Minnesota Yarn Shop Apologizes for Selling Harry Potter Kits, Donates Profits to Trans Support Group - [nytimespost.com](https://nytimespost.com/minnesota-yarn-shop-apologizes-for-selling-harry-potter-kits-donates-proceeds-to-trans-care-group) — Minnesota yarn shop apologizes for selling 'Harry Potter' kits, donates proceeds to trans care group - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/media/minnesota-yarn-shop-apologizes-selling-harry-potter-kits-donates-proceeds-trans-care-group) — Minnesota yarn shop apologizes for selling 'Harry Potter' kits, donates proceeds to trans care group - [Power Line](https://powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/11/the-return-of-wokism.php) — The Return of Wokism - [Patch](https://patch.com/minnesota/stlouispark/st-louis-park-yarn-shop-apologizes-selling-harry-potter-kits) — St. Louis Park Yarn Shop Apologizes For Selling Harry Potter Kits - [Bring Me The News](https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-living/twin-cities-yarn-store-pulls-harry-potter-items-from-shelves-apologizes-to-trans-community) — Twin Cities yarn store pulls Harry Potter items from shelves, apologizes to trans community ## Questions **Why did the yarn shop apologize?** The yarn shop, Needle & Skein, apologized for selling Harry Potter-themed kits. The apology was prompted by backlash related to author J.K. Rowling's public statements on gender identity, which critics have described as transphobic. **What action did the shop take?** Needle & Skein removed all Harry Potter merchandise from its shelves. The shop also publicly apologized on Facebook and pledged to donate all proceeds from the kits sold to Point of Pride, an organization supporting transgender individuals. **What is the connection to J.K. Rowling?** The controversy is linked to J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. Since 2020, Rowling has made public remarks on gender identity that have been widely criticized by trans rights advocates as transphobic. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/yarn-shop-apologizes-for-harry-potter-kits-donates-proceeds. 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