JK Rowling has been warned that she could face prosecution if she doesn’t delete her transphobic posts before Scotland’s new hate crime bill is put in place. Here’s her response.
JK Rowling’s Defiance
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has slammed Scotland’s new hate crime legislation that promises a police investigation for even the smallest hate crime offence. The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, spearheaded by Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf, is set to come into effect on April 1, April Fool’s Day.
Yousaf insisted that “The Bill’s passage has shown Holyrood at its very best – a collaborative, diverse and determined Parliament which we should all be proud of.”
Critics argue that the new bill will stifle freedom of speech despite Yousaf insisting they have found a “balance” between allowing free speech and tackling hate crimes.
Rowling’s Online Stir
Rowling is a stern critic of the trans community, using her large online presence to display discontent over calling a trans-woman a woman.
The legislation introduces a new criminal offence of “stirring up of hatred,” revising existing laws that target racists by including anti-trans rhetoric into the equation.
Critics extend beyond the creator of the Harry Potter series, who lives in Edinburgh and has been reported to the police for misgendering India Willoughby, a trans TV presenter.
Rowling Refuses Gender Recognition
Rowling was accused of misgendering India Willoughby, refusing to acknowledge her as a “real” woman multiple times during a TV interview. Willoughby responded, assuring Rowling that “I’m legally a woman. She knows I’m a woman and she calls me a man.”
Willoughby allegedly called the police on Rowling and was unsuccessful in her plight to get the controversial author arrested, but Rowling was issued a warning after the new bill was passed.
Rowling was told via social media to “start deleting” her previous posts about trans people as they potentially could violate the new ruling about inciting hate.
A former prosecutor said to Rowling, “You are best advised to delete the posts about India Willoughby as they most likely contravene the new law. Start deleting!”
Rowling’s Comparison With “April Fools”
Rowling responded by comparing the chosen start date of the new bill, April Fool’s Day, with the content of the legislation itself. Rowling informed the former prosecutor, “If you genuinely imagine I’d delete posts calling a man a man, so as not to be prosecuted under this ludicrous law, stand by for the mother of all April Fools’ jokes.”ts
She also insisted that she would “do some more accurate s***** post-April 1st” to test if the new legislation would prosecute her posts as warned.
Critics Include SNP and Police
Critics include SMP Joanna Cherry, a member of the SNP who passed the legislation, and the Secretary General of the Scottish Police, David Kennedy. Cherry is also a critic of the trans community, arguing that the bill does not protect women at all, “This new law leaves women unprotected from hate crime,” she asserted.
Cherry warned that “trans activists” could manipulate the bill to “try to silence, and worse still, criminalize women who do not share their beliefs.”
Kennedy also criticized the bill, insisting that the bill is a “recipe for disaster” and arguing that police haven’t had enough time to be properly trained.
With Rowling’s strong online presence and open willingness to criticize the trans community despite the new legislation, the coming months will be crucial for seeing the SNP’s commitment to fighting against trans hate.
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The post Free Speech Debate: JK Rowling Defies Scottish Hate Crime Bill Despite Warnings of Prosecution first appeared on Edge Media.
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Oscar Davies, an expert in US and UK politics and sports, is renowned for his sharp and engaging writing style, appealing to a broad spectrum of readers.