JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author who is often in headlines for her strong opinion on gender identity issues has literally broken the new ‘hate crime’ law of Scotland on the very first day. The controversial law which came to effect on the 1st of April, introduced a new crime of “stirring up hatred” relating to protected characteristics including self-identified transgenders.
Despite the world-famous author ‘breaking’ the controversial law and challenging the authorities to arrest her, the Scottish Police have said that they will not take any action against the author.
Notably, right after the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into force in Scotland, JK Rowling took to her X account and dropped an 11-post long thread wherein she described several ‘trans’ individuals, public figures and convicted criminals who although biologically male but claim to be women, as “men”.
As per the controversial new law, and as per the current popular norm of trans identity politics in the West, calling a biological male as a biological male is a ‘hate crime’, just because the said biological male dresses up as a woman.
“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!,” Rowling’s first post in the thread reads.
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
Rowling further mentioned a Scottish biological male Amy George who ‘identifies’ as a woman. Rowling said that this Scottish “woman” and butcher abducted an 11-year-old girl while dressed as a female, took the girl to his home and sexually abused her for over 27 hours.
She also shared the case of double rapist Isla Bryson. The repeat sex offender who had raped 2 women and was about to be sentenced, had reportedly claimed to be a ‘woman’. According to existing laws in Scotland, the crime would be recorded as a woman’s crime against another woman, not a biological male raping women.
Other than sex offenders, Rowling’s list included public figures and ‘role models’ like Guilia Valentino. “But most women aren’t axe-toters or sex offenders, so let’s talk role models! Guilia Valentino (in red) wanted to play on the women’s team ‘because of sisterhood, validation and political visibility’. Naturally, she was given some boring cis girl’s place. Yay for inclusion!” she wrote.
In the UK and USA, biological males have been threatening competitive women’s sports, by claiming to be females and conveniently competing against women.
But most women aren’t axe-toters or sex offenders, so let’s talk role models! Guilia Valentino (in red) wanted to play on the women's team 'because of sisterhood, validation and political visibility'. Naturally, she was given some boring cis girl’s place. Yay for inclusion! 6/11 pic.twitter.com/zl5i41RqBG
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024
Interestingly, Rowling’s thread also featured India Willoughby a ‘trans’ TV presenter. She asserted that Willoughby gets airtime despite instances of him calling “a black broadcaster a ‘nasty bitch’ who ‘wouldn’t be anywhere without woke’, dub lesbians men, insult the looks of a female Olympic swimmer, ‘joke’ about kidnapping feminists.”
As OpIndia reported last month, JK Rowling had called Willoughby, a “male narcissist”. Following this, Willoughby accused Rowling of ‘misgendering’ and ‘hate crime’
Rolwing also posted about Mridul Wadhwa, the current head of a Scottish rape crisis centre. Wadhwa, a biological male, reportedly had no gender recognition certificate. The job he currently occupies was advertised for ‘women only’. Wadhwa just claimed he is a woman and got the job, she shared.
JK Rowling challenges Scotland Police to arrest her
In another X post on 1st of April, JK Rowling, a vocal defender of women’s only spaces severely criticised the new hate crime law passed by the Scottish government. The renowned author asserted that “the new legislation is wide open to abuse by activists who wish to silence those of us speaking out about the dangers of eliminating women’s and girls’ single-sex spaces, the nonsense made of crime data if violent and sexual assaults committed by men are recorded as female crimes, the grotesque unfairness of allowing males to compete in female sports, the injustice of women’s jobs, honours and opportunities being taken by trans-identified men, and the reality and immutability of biological sex.”
Furthermore, Rowling emphasised that Scottish women have been pressured by their government and police officers to reject and deny the visibly obvious biological facts. In addition, the Scottish women, Rowling added, have been made to ’embrace’ a neo-religious concept of gender that is “unprovable and untestable”.
She pointed out that the re-definition of ‘woman’ to include every man who claims to be a woman has already had major ramifications for women’s and girls’ rights and safety in Scotland including female prisoners and rape survivors.
Mincing no words, Rowling stated that unless people are allowed to call a man a man, it would be impossible to accurately describe the reality of violence including sexual violence and address the ongoing assault of women’s safety and rights.
🎉🌼🌸April Fools! 🌸🌼🎉
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024
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…
Concluding her thread aimed at testing the new Scottish hate crime law, Rowling wrote, “I’m currently out of the country, but if what I’ve written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment.”
“JK Rowling’s comments not criminal”: Scotland Police says no action will be taken against her under hate crime law
As JK Rowling challenged the Scottish authorities, many ‘trans activists’ also pushed for Rowling’s arrest. However, the Scottish Police soon made it clear that the Harry Potter author would not be arrested even though they had received multiple complaints regarding her X posts in question. “The comments are not assessed to be criminal and no further action will be taken,” a Scotland Police spokesperson said.
In reaction to the Scottish Police’s decision, Rowling said, “I hope every woman in Scotland who wishes to speak up for the reality and importance of biological sex will be reassured by this announcement, and I trust that all women – irrespective of profile or financial means – will be treated equally under the law.”
I hope every woman in Scotland who wishes to speak up for the reality and importance of biological sex will be reassured by this announcement, and I trust that all women – irrespective of profile or financial means – will be treated equally under the law.https://t.co/CsgehF2a5d
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 2, 2024
British PM Rishi Sunak backs Rowling
Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak soon came out in support of JK Rowling and said that his party will always protect free speech. PM Sunak asserted that people cannot be criminalised for stating simple biological facts.
“People should not be criminalized for stating simple facts on biology,” he said. “We believe in free speech in this country, and Conservatives will always protect it,” PM Sunak said.
Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act
On the 1st of April 2024, the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into effect to “provide greater protection for victims and communities.” This law criminalises behaviour intended to “stir up hatred” against select age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and variations of sex characteristics.”
“It introduces new offences for threatening or abusive behaviour which is intended to stir up hatred based on prejudice towards characteristics including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity, and variations in sex characteristics. These extra provisions will add to the long-standing stirring up racial hatred offences, which have been in place UK-wide since 1986,” a statement issued by the government of Scotland reads.
Rowling taking trolls to the cleaners
While JK Rowling has received immense support for her taking a firm stand for women, she has also received hate and backlash from ‘trans activists’ and ‘wokes’ on social media. However, Rowling often strikes back at trolls with her characteristic witty responses.
In one such comment, an X user sarcastically ‘sympathised’ with JK Rowling calling her a “deeply traumatized” woman and hoping that she heals soon. Responding to this, Rowling said, “Thank you for your kindness. My doctors are hopeful I can indeed heal my deep trauma. After trying many different therapies in vain, I’ve found that taking the piss out of people who come at me with faux concern is the most beneficial. That, and crystals.”
Thank you for your kindness ❤️🙏 My doctors are hopeful I can indeed heal my deep trauma. After trying many different therapies in vain, I've found that taking the piss out of people who come at me with faux concern is the most beneficial. That, and crystals. pic.twitter.com/At39vcHODC
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 3, 2024
JK Rowling’s advocacy for women’s-only spaces, their safety and rights
In March 2024, JK Rowling had complained about trans persons being allowed in women’s changing/locker rooms. “When men – all men, however they identify – are banned from women’s spaces, those who disregard the ban can be challenged, inside the space and out.”
Rowling emphasised in one of her X posts that allowing males into female-only spaces merely because they claim to be women makes the law banning men in women’s spaces ineffective since the “obstacle” that increased women’s safety has been removed.
Notably, JK Rowling has always been unabashed in her criticism of gender identity politics, which is quickly becoming the popular and dominant political narrative in the Western world. In certain nations, biological male sex offenders are sent to women’s prisons based solely on self-identification, which requires a man to simply ‘claim’ to be a woman and he then gets ‘identified’ as a woman. Such male sex offenders who ‘identify’ or simply lie that they are women are then sent to women’s prisons. In many cases, these male offenders have been accused of sexually abusing women prisoners.
Back in 2022, Rowling drew the ire of ‘gender-identity’ fanatics for wishing “merry terfmas”. Notably, TERF is an acronym that stands for a “trans-exclusionary radical feminist”, a term she has been labeled with by Trans activists online.
In 2021, Rowling received online hatred and abuse for questioning Scotland Police’s stand that they would be recording rapes committed by offenders with male genitalia as being “committed by a woman” if the rapist just says he is a woman.
In July 2021, JK Rowling received death threats from LGBTQ activists for flagging the dangers women face in public toilets by men identifying themselves as women. Rowling shared a screenshot of a tweet posted by one of the nasty internet trolls, who apparently wished her “a very nice pipebomb in the mailbox”.
In 2020, Rowling published an X post with the hashtag “StandWithMaya” expressing solidarity with researcher Maya Forstater. The British woman had stated online that there are only two biological sexes, for which she was fired by the U.K. poverty think tank that employed her for questioning government plans to allow people to self-identify as another gender.
Rowling on why she speaks on gender issues
Rowling while listing out her reasons for speaking on gender issues, wrote in 2020 that she runs a charitable trust which “supports projects for female prisoners and for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.” She added that being an ex-teacher and founder of children’s charity, she is concerned about the effect the trans rights movement is having on education and safeguarding. Moreover, being a “much-banned author” she is interested in defending freedom of speech. In addition, sex transitioning and de-transitioning among young women is a matter of concern for her.
It is notable here that Rowling, who is among the richest women and most successful authors of our generation, was a victim of domestic abuse herself. She faced abuse from her first husband and had to come back to the UK from Portugal. She lived in extreme poverty raising her eldest daughter while she wrote Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, the book that eventually made her world famous.
