JK Rowling has challenged Scotland’s new hate crime law in a series of social media posts - inviting police to arrest her if they believe she has committed an offence.

The Harry Potter author, who lives in Edinburgh, described several transgender women as men, including convicted prisoners, trans activists and other public figures.

She said “freedom of speech and belief” was at an end if accurate description of biological sex was outlawed.

Earlier, Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf said the new law would deal with a “rising tide of hatred”.

The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 creates a new crime of “stirring up hatred” relating to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex.

Ms Rowling, who has long been a critic of some trans activism, posted on X on the day the new legislation came into force.

  • Kelly Aster 🏳️‍⚧️@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    107
    arrow-down
    15
    ·
    8 months ago

    Rowling quote from the article:

    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.

    It’s difficult to accept that someone I used to respect could say such hateful things about people like me. I’m not gonna lie, it hurts to read. What the fuck, Joanne? Is that all I am to you… just a man “performing” my idea of femaleness? Well, fuck you, then. Should I wish for you to feel the same pain you’ve inflicted on others? To be honest, judging by your “performance” in the media the past several years, I don’t think you’re resilient enough to survive it.

    • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      25
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      8 months ago

      It sucks when your heros let you down. There was a guy I really admired and I worked with. When his wife was in the hospital he cheated on her. Couldn’t see him the same way again.

      Sorry she sucks so very hard and is not only a disappointment actively hostile.

    • fuego
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      8 months ago

      Oh no. How dare she disagree with you!

    • cosmicrookie@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      18
      ·
      8 months ago

      I am not sure she entirelly referes to you. It refers to people abusing transexuality to achieve other dreams or more dreams than just being themselves. At least this is how I understand her argumentations.

      • Syndic@feddit.de
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        15
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        8 months ago

        Fuck that shit. She doesn’t make any such distinction in her hate tirades. It’s very easy to find many tweets and similar quotes of her speaking about transsexual people as a whole. So yeah, she very much has spoken about OP as well. And she’s a freaking author, she doesn’t get any excuses for not knowing how to write more specifically. She knows very well what she says and who it will affect when she generalises all transsexual people. And it for damn sure isn’t some imaginary group or predators willing to go through all the hassle of being trans to prey on women but the trans community as a whole.

      • SqueakyBeaver@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        10
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        8 months ago

        Yeah it is understandable that you would understand it that way. Unfortunately, that’s not really what her whole stance is. She goes beyond that and tells the people that protections for all trans people (trans women in particular) should be rolled back. Take, for instance, her stance on trans women in prisons. She says all trans women should be put in mens’ prisons. However, many trans women who are put in mens’ prisons are often sexually abused (source will come if I remember)

        All in all, she is a raging transphobe and is buddies with even homophobic figures. I personally find this list of her transphobia quite damning.

      • thomcat@midwest.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        3
        ·
        8 months ago

        ahh yes trans people, a historically privileged class that millions of people are pretending to be to get :checks notes: hormone treatment

      • Socsa@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 months ago

        Absolutely nobody is doing that. Grow the fuck up, it’s so obviously a completely invented problem they use to demonize people trying to be themselves.

        And if any person ends up being a sexual criminal, then they will be dealt with according to the law.

    • Rediphile
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      41
      ·
      8 months ago

      So wait, did you wish her the pain or no?

      • Kedly@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        22
        ·
        edit-2
        8 months ago

        Sounds to me they were admitting to being human and thought about it, but dont really want to give in to a harmful base impulse like that…

        Edit: Removed some redundancy

        • Rediphile
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          24
          ·
          8 months ago

          I’m just trying to clarify their final position.

          • Kedly@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            18
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            8 months ago

            Why? We have no reason to believe the person you are grilling has any capability of harming JK Rowling, so you’re grilling someone who’s hurt that someone they grew up reading turned out to be shitty for no real purpose

            Edit: Added “You’re”

            • towerful@programming.dev
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              8 months ago

              I would like a fine patagonia fleece. I dont like the way oakleys fit my face, but if they are free and i can sell/re-gift them then i will not turn them down.

              Unless this is reference to something that i dont understand.

                • towerful@programming.dev
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  8 months ago

                  I can honestly say i have no idea.
                  Outdoors type people? South Americans? Oak trees?
                  Thats as far as i can get by thinking about it. You are gonna have to spell it out, because a patagonia fleece and some oakleys are not a stereotype i am aware of.

                  • Rediphile
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    ·
                    8 months ago

                    They won’t spell out anything it seems, as it would require them admitting their true position which they are ashamed of…or something? I’m as confused as you are, but also would quite like a free Patagonia sweater.

            • Rediphile
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              arrow-down
              10
              ·
              8 months ago

              That wouldn’t get anyone banned though.

              As evidenced by me saying: ‘I wish harm to JK Rowling’.

              Also I legitimately don’t understand your last question.