J.K. Rowling will not be arrested for comments about transgender women, police say - eviltoast

The “Harry Potter” author slammed a newly enacted hate-crime law in Scotland in a series of posts on X  in which she referred to transgender women as men.

J.K. Rowling shared a social media thread on Monday, the day a new Scottish hate-crime law took effect, that misgendered several transgender women and appeared to imply trans women have a penchant for sexual predation. On Tuesday, Scottish police announced they would not be investigating the “Harry Potter” author’s remarks as a crime, as some of Rowling’s critics had called for.

“We have received complaints in relation to the social media post,” a spokesperson for Police Scotland said in a statement. “The comments are not assessed to be criminal and no further action will be taken.”

Scotland’s new Hate Crime and Public Order Act criminalizes “stirring up hatred” against people based on their race, religion, disability, sexuality or gender identity.

  • ZeroTHM@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    We have far too much to lose by allowing the government to dictate what people can and can not say.

    • redempt@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      so you’d rather lose the trans people to violence or suicide than regulate hate speech against them?

      • ZeroTHM@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

        I don’t wish anyone harm, but I will always choose the right to speak freely over what a governing body considers “safe”.