JK Rowling Defiant on Trans-Critical Posts as Scotland’s Hate Law Looms

British writer JK Rowling poses on the red carpet after arriving to attend the World Premiere of the film "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" in London on March 29, 2022. (Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

The author of the Harry Potter series has refused to remove social media posts in which she called a transgender activist a man in defiance of Scotland’s upcoming hate crime legislation.

Writing on social media platform X, JK Rowling responded to messages that she should delete comments prior to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act being enacted on April 1.

Ms. Rowling had been responding to posts that said because she called transgender activist and TV presenter India Willoughby a man she should delete the comments prior to the law coming into effect.

“If you genuinely imagine I’d delete posts calling a man a man, so as not to be prosecuted under this ludicrous law, stand by for the mother of all April Fools’ jokes,” she said.

The English author has been a vocal supporter of biological women’s rights amid the ongoing debate regarding the transgender movement, but has faced intense criticism for her beliefs, including from Harry Potter film cast members.

Ms. Rowling is critical of the new hate crime legislation and has said that the “police are going to be very busy” when it becomes law.

Last year, she said she would “happily” spend two years in prison instead of being “forced” to refer to biological males as “women.”

‘Stirring Up of Hatred Offences’

The new law creates new “stirring up of hatred offences” for protected characteristics, including “age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and transgender identity.”

The Scottish National Party’s bill, introduced by First Minister Humza Yousaf when he was justice secretary, was approved by the Scottish Parliament in 2021 and has received Royal Ascent. It has been dormant until now.

The bill has been criticised as authoritarian because it further restricts what can and cannot be said in a public forum.

The Scottish Government says the new act is designed to make hate crime law “fit for the 21st century“ and defines hate crime as the phrase used to ”describe behaviour which is both criminal and based on prejudice.”

In England, there is no such thing legislatively as a “hate crime,” rather, there are several pieces of relevant legislation under which people can be prosecuted for offences towards protected characteristics, such as the Communications Act 2003 or the Public Order Act 1986.

Police Training

The Herald reported on Tuesday that it had obtained Police Scotland’s training materials for the new hate crime laws.

The publication claimed that police had been advised they “should target actors and comedians,” however Police Scotland said the story is inaccurate.

Tesla and X boss Elon Musk shared the story, saying it is “an example of why it is so important to preserve freedom of speech.”

The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify the training materials which claim that “threatening and abusive” material under the new laws can be communicated “through public performance of a play.”

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland told The Epoch Times by email that the “story in The Herald today is inaccurate, we are not telling officers to target comics, and we are taking this up with them today.”

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government also said that the story is inaccurate.

The law specifies the different ways in which a person may communicate such material to another person by “giving, sending, showing or playing the material to another person e.g. through online streaming, by email, playing a video, through public performance of a play.”

The Scottish Government and Police Scotland did not comment on JK Rowling’s views.

PA Media and Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.