Will JK Rowling face arrest under hate law? Police clarify
JK Rowling, the renowned Harry Potter author and advocate for gender-critical views, will not face prosecution under Scotland's new hate crime legislation. This confirmation came from Police Scotland following a series of online posts by the author where "she dared the police to arrest her" for misgendering individuals. The comments were made in light of the controversial Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 coming into effect.
First, understand what this act is all about
According to the Hate Crime and Public Order Act, it is now illegal to make disparaging remarks related to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity, or being intersex. Upon implementation on Monday, the bill sparked controversy. There were worries that it could lead to the prosecution of Rowling for voicing her worries about the effects of transgender rights on women. Notably, Police Scotland received around 3,000 complaints under the implemented act within just two days.
Rowling: 'Freedom of speech at an end in Scotland if...'
Rowling has publicly criticized the act, describing it as "wide open to abuse." On X/Twitter, she expressed concerns that "freedom of speech and belief is at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal." Despite receiving complaints about her social media posts on Tuesday (local time), Police Scotland stated that "the comments are not assessed to be criminal and no further action will be taken."
'I trust that all women will be treated equally...'
In response to the police's decision, Rowling expressed hope that every woman in Scotland who wishes to speak up for the reality and importance of biological sex will be treated in the same manner. She further stated, "I trust that all women—irrespective of profile or financial means—will be treated equally under the law."
Debate ignited over new hate crime law
The Scottish National Party leader and First Minister, Humza Yousaf, defended the law, saying it "absolutely protects people in their freedom of expression" while also protecting "people from a rising tide of hatred that we've seen far too often in our society." British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that "nobody should be criminalized for saying commonsense things about biological sex."
Is Rowling transphobic? A breakdown of how it all began
In 2020, Rowling faced backlash for controversial tweets regarding the transgender community. She wrote: "The idea that women like me—who've been empathetic to trans people for decades—feeling kinship because they're vulnerable in the same way as women—i.e., to male violence—'hate' trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences—is a nonsense." Rowling stated that her interest in "trans issues" began while researching a character. Despite criticism, she remains firm in her stance.