Does Fantasy Fiction Have a Political Responsibility?

In the days coming after our election I find myself thinking about our discussion in class about whether or not fantasy fiction has a political responsibility. Personally, I think it does. To me, art and politics are inextricably linked; when creating these fantastical worlds, characters, and scenarios it is the responsibility of the author to do so in a way that does not perpetuate bigotry or stereotypes or hate. In class we discussed J.K. Rowling as the biggest example of someone whose views have seeped into their world building, and while at the time her books were written many did not comment on these issues, Rowling's current offensive rhetoric has readers second guessing the origin of her world-building. The decisions that artists make do not exist in vacuum; we are influenced by our own worldview, experiences, biases, etc. and to me it is irresponsible to act as if authors like Rowling just "accidentally" put their own biases into their work. Now of course we get into a censorship grey area when discussing things like this; "art is supposed to be free!" and--yes, it is. However, art is also meant to be critiqued, it is meant to age, its meanings and influence can change as societal values change; so yes, people do have the freedom to create in the ways they like, but we as English majors and art appreciators and as people have the duty to challenge and question art as it ages over time.