J.K. Rowling | Image: Instagram/@jkrowling_official
“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling challenged the authorities to put her behind bars after she labeled several transgender women as men on the day Scotland’s new hate crime law came into effect.
On X (formerly Twitter), Rowling lashed out in a series of posts, describing several transgender as women, including trans activist Beth Douglas, convicted double rapist Isla Bryson, and Samantha Norris, who was cleared of exposing her penis to two 11-year-old girls, among others, as she cited the “abuse” they did towards other naturally-women.
Scotland's Hate Crime Act comes into effect today. Women gain no additional protections, of course, but well-known trans activist Beth Douglas, darling of prominent Scottish politicians, falls within a protected category. Phew! 1/11 pic.twitter.com/gCKGwdjr5m
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024
On the last tweet on her thread, Rowling called the Scottish law an “April Fools” joke, saying these trans women are not real women, but men. She then demanded the authorities to arrest her if her arguments “qualifies as an offense under the terms of the new Scottish Hate Crime Act.”
The new hate crime act was passed by the Scottish lawmakers to deal with a “rising tide of hatred” relating to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex. However, the law reportedly excludes women from the protection, as they said this group should be included “later in a separate misogyny law.”
“Scottish lawmakers seem to have placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femaleness, however misogynistically or opportunistically, than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls,” wrote Rowling.
The award-winning author argued that the new law would be “an attack on freedom of speech” and women’s rights.
“Freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal. I’m currently out of the country, but if what I’ve written here qualifies as an offense under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment.” she added.
🎉🌼🌸April Fools! 🌸🌼🎉
Only kidding. Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren't women at all, but men, every last one of them.
In passing the Scottish Hate Crime Act, Scottish lawmakers seem to have placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their…
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024
Rowling, a known critic of some trans activism, has received mixed reactions from the public, as some echoed her sentiments that “women should also be included in the new law’s clause” while others argued that “misgendering trans people doesn’t contribute to advocating for women’s rights.”
The problem is, JK Rowling isn’t defending women’s rights.
Misgendering a trans woman doesn’t help women’s rights.
What Rowling is defending is the right to abuse trans people with impunity.
She’s defending bullying and harassment.
None of these things help women. pic.twitter.com/Z1ME1lxruB— Thomas Willett (@ThomasWillett9) April 2, 2024
I support @jk_rowling who could be arrested by the Scottish Government for ‘misgendering’ people. In solidarity with Ms. Rowling, I hope Canada arrests me as well for my Free Speech Rights.
Let the games begin. pic.twitter.com/02OtBqjpeU
— Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) April 1, 2024
I love how much confidence @jk_rowling has given women today.
— Jill Foster (@JournalistJill) April 1, 2024
In 2020, Rowling faced an online backlash following her “transphobic” tweets; at the time, “Harry Potter” actors, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, among others, spoke out against the views of the renowned author.
Scotland’s new hate crime law has a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.