J.K. Rowling is stirring up controversy for her comments regarding trans women, once again. The Harry Potter author recently taunted U.K. officials to arrest her after a new hate crime law went into effect in Scotland on Monday, April 1.
Keep reading to find out about the law and why the writer thinks she should be behind bars.
The controversial fantasy writer has been known for voicing her political opinions online, particularly in regards to her views on transgender rights. On April 1, Joanne says she is looking “forward to being arrested” after the Scottish government passed a new law against online hate and misgendering.
In a series of messages posted on X, the 58-year-old shared her dissatisfaction for the new rules. “Freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal.”
Adding, “I’m currently out of the country, but if what I’ve written here qualifies as an offense under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment.”
Her recent comments come after the Scottish parliament warned that people “could be investigated” for misgendering someone online. The goal of The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act aims “to make provision about the aggravation of offenses by prejudice” and “offenses relating to stirring up hatred against a group of persons.”
One of the author’s main arguments against the law is that it may lead to wrongful arrests.
“It is impossible to accurately describe or tackle the reality of violence and sexual violence committed against women and girls, or address the current assault on women’s and girls’ rights, unless we are allowed to call a man a man,” she claimed.
The Scottish writer ended her post claiming, “The legislation is wide open to abuse by activists who wish to silence those of us speaking out about the dangers of eliminating women’s and girls’ single-sex spaces. #ArrestMe #AprilFools #HateCrimeActScotland.”
However, it looks like the author won’t be behind bars anytime soon. On Tuesday, April 2, Police Scotland confirmed that they had received complaints about her social media post and confirmed, “The comments are not assessed to be criminal and no further action will be taken,” a spokesperson wrote, per GBNews.
Last year, the author claimed that she would do prison time for her transgender views. In October 2023, Joanne reposted a photo to X that said, “Repeat After Us: Trans Women Are Women,” she captioned the image, “No.”
“I’ll happily do two years if the alternative is compelled speech and forced denial of the reality and importance of sex,” she added. “Bring on the court case, I say. It’ll be more fun than I’ve ever had on a red carpet.”
Joanne has been criticized for her remarks dating back to 2020, with many LBGTQ+ groups and activists condemning her comments — along with the former Harry Potter cast.
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