This week, JK Rowling challenged the police to arrest her after a new hate crime law was implemented in Scotland to protect trans people. However, her plan did not work out as she had hoped.
The author, who is known for being against the transgender community, Harry Potter author is upset about the law and expressed her anger extensively on Monday, going so far as to suggest that trans people are violent criminals, including axe murderers.
She concluded her message with numerous hateful insults against trans individuals, accusing Scottish lawmakers of prioritizing the feelings of men pretending to be female over the rights of actual women and girls.
She argued that the new law could be misused by activists who want to silence those who speak out against the rights of trans individuals.
Rowling then tried to offer herself as a martyr for the cause.
“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,” she wrote.
However, her attempt failed, as police reportedly assessed her comments and determined that they did not constitute a crime. “No further action will be taken,” Police Scotland said in a statement after receiving some complaints about the author’s posts.
Rowling’s offensive message included a list of trans criminals and public figures, claiming that each had violated or taken away opportunities from girls and women. She then cloaked her comments in sarcasm under the guise of an April Fools post, but then proceeded to misgender the individuals she was discussing.
“🎉🌼🌸April Fools! 🌸🌼🎉,” Rowling said. “Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren’t women at all, but men, every last one of them.”
Rowling tagged all of the posts #ArrestMe.
The recently passed Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 expands the country’s existing hate speech protections by introducing a new offense of “stirring up hatred” related to different characteristics. This includes age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity, or being intersex. If someone makes statements against these groups that a reasonable person would view as threatening or abusive, they could face up to seven years in prison.
The law also safeguards freedom of speech, including for “ideas that offend, shock, or disturb,” which is why Rowling will not face legal action for her offensive message.
Rowling's attacks on the trans community have become increasingly cruel over time and have essentially turned into pure bullying.
In 2019, Rowling unveiled her anti-trans views by expressing support for an anti-transgender activist on Twitter.Since then, she hasn’t stopped targeting transgender individuals. She regularly spreads fear-inducing false information about how trans women might commit assaults if they were allowed in women’s restrooms, has written extensive essays belittling trans women, repeats fabricated conspiracy theories about kids being pressured into transitioning, and promotes vendors who sell offensive items about transgender people on social media.
This year, she decided to mock transgender individuals and gender-inclusive language while celebrating Mother's Day in the U.K. (which occurred on March 10).
“Happy Birthing Parent Day to all whose large eggs were fertilized resulting in small humans whose biological sex was assigned by doctors making mostly lucky guesses,” the Harry Potter author wrote on X.
She then posted another disrespectful message in response to the criticism the first one received.
“Upset and confused that my use of inclusive language has angered its most dedicated supporters, so let’s just say: Happy Mother’s Day to all females who’ve raised children.”
