Police Scotland stated JK Rowling’s remarks wherein she criticised new hate crime laws and misgendered a number of trans girls weren’t “felony”. (Getty)
JK Rowling didn’t break the legislation by sharing social media posts that criticised Scotland’s new hate crime legislation and misgendered a number of trans girls, police have stated.
In a prolonged collection of posts on X/Twitter, the Harry Potter writer misgendered a number of trans girls – together with trans activists, public figures and convicted sexual offenders – as she described them as “males”.
She claimed Scotland’s new laws, which got here into impact on Monday (1 April), “positioned larger worth on the sentiments of males performing their concept of femaleness” than on girls’s rights.
Rowling, who lives in Scotland, added that she seemed “ahead to being arrested” if her posts have been deemed to interrupt the brand new legislation.
On Tuesday (2 April), Police Scotland confirmed the power had acquired complaints about JK Rowling’s social media posts, the Guardian reported. Nonetheless, it added: “The feedback should not assessed to be felony and no additional motion might be taken.”
Scotland new hate crime laws, which was handed in 2021, expanded on current legal guidelines. It additionally included an offence for “stirring up hatred” in opposition to sure protected traits, together with trans identities.
Rowling doubled down on her criticisms of the legislation and celebrated the announcement by police that her posts weren’t deemed to be felony.
“I hope each lady in Scotland who needs to talk up for the fact and significance of organic intercourse might be reassured by this announcement, and I belief that each one girls – regardless of profile or monetary means – might be handled equally beneath the legislation,” she wrote.
Katie Neeves, who was appointed a UN Girls UK delegate and runs Cool2BTrans, was among the many trans girls talked about by Rowling within the Harry Potter writer’s posts on-line.
She advised BBC Information she was “very disenchanted” that Police Scotland wouldn’t be taking motion over the feedback by Rowling, who she described as a “bully”.
“JK Rowling is a bully and this act was designed to cease bullying, and in the event that they’re not going to implement it then that’s very disappointing,” Neeves stated.
She continued: “She listed me and another trans individuals together with some intercourse offenders and put it out to 14 million of her followers.”
She added: “It resulted in me receiving hundreds of messages of hate.”
Neeves highlighted how Rowling’s anti-trans remarks had been lined worldwide and there was a number of “misinformation” about her because of this.
“It’s horrible and it’s actually dangerous,” she stated.
India Willoughby, who was additionally talked about in JK Rowling’s criticism of Scotland’s hate crime legislation and was beforehand misgendered by the writer on-line, additionally rebuked Police Scotland’s resolution to not examine Rowling’s remarks.
“I’d like to understand how placing harmless trans individuals – who’re intentionally misgendered regardless of having a protected attribute – on an inventory containing intercourse offenders doesn’t meet the [Police Scotland] standards of: ‘stirring up hatred referring to protected traits’,” Willoughby wrote.