A number of celebrities have spoken out in defense of author JK Rowling after speculation that she could be arrested following the introduction of new hate crime laws in Scotland. are doing.
Before authoring any Harry potter British-born Rowling, whose novels made her famous and made her one of the richest people in Britain, moved to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh in the 1990s.
She has gained notoriety in recent years for voicing controversial opinions about transgender people, with some LGBTQ+ activists calling them “transphobic,” a term Rowling has always used. I have objected to this.
But regardless of her perception on the issue, the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) minister said some of her comments, including deliberately labeling someone with the wrong gender, were part of Scotland's new He said it could expose her to hate crimes and public exposure. Imperative law.
Siobhan Brown, Minister for Victims and Community Safety, said: daily telegraph For example, calling a transgender woman “he” without using the pronoun appropriate to her gender identity could be considered a crime.
However, Police Scotland later said in a statement that the author's social media posts about transgender people were not being treated as a crime. A spokesperson said: “We have received a complaint regarding a social media post. The comment will not be assessed as criminal and no further action will be taken.”
Rowling has criticized the new law in numerous posts on X (formerly Twitter). While some people online criticize Rowling's views, other celebrities support her authorship.
A representative for Rowling declined to comment when contacted. newsweek email on Wednesday.
jordan peterson
One of Rowling's defenders is Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist and cultural commentator who has gained attention for her controversial views on gender, identity and political correctness.
Peterson shared one of Rowling's recent posts criticizing transgender activist Beth Douglas. The author shared a screenshot of a previous post of Ms Douglas holding an ax and a knife, with the caption: “I heard trans women hate knives and axes too. Love from Glasgow.”
Mr Douglas was suspended from the Scottish Greens in February 2023 over the post, but was later reinstated.
“Scotland's Hate Crimes Act comes into force today,” Rowling wrote on Monday, alongside a screenshot. “Of course, there are no additional protections for women, but Beth Douglas, a prominent trans activist who is a darling of prominent Scottish politicians, falls into the protected category. Hmm!”
Mr Peterson reposted Ms Rowling's tweet, adding: “What the hell happened in Scotland? Keep it up @jk_rowling. Let the idiots have both barrels.”
As of this writing, Peterson's post had received more than 605,900 views.
Like Rowling, Peterson has come under fire for her comments about transgender people.
A Canadian psychologist was suspended from X in 2022 after smearing transgender actor Elliot Page's name. Page came out as a trans man on social media in 2020, revealing his new name and pronouns “he/him” and “they/them.”
Peterson also caused a stir when he misgendered YouTuber Jazz Jennings.
caitlyn jenner
Reality star and former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner posted on X on Tuesday, calling the possibility of Rowling being arrested “ridiculous.”
“JK Rowling is in danger of being arrested for 'gender inappropriateness'… Unreasonable!” Jenner wrote in a post that has been viewed 100,000 times. “This is going too far. You are free to 'respect' a person's pronouns or not. This type of speech cannot be coerced or coerced with the threat of jail time.”
Jenner came out as a transgender woman in 2015, but was controversial after announcing her intention to ban transgender people from participating in sports and banning gender identity from being taught in schools. has been brewing.
megyn kelly
Megyn Kelly has offered to be Rowling's spokesperson if she thinks she is being silenced by new laws introduced in Scotland.
The former FOX host shared the same post with Peterson and Rowling and added her own two cents.
“Hey @jk_rowling and any Scotsman, whatever real facts you need to say about gender cults, shoot me a note and I’ll share it with you on my show for millions of people. I’ll tell you that,” she wrote.
“Scotland can't confine us to this side of the pond.[For now]we still have free speech in America. So I can say this: A man can't be a woman. He's not a woman. That surgical scar is not a woman's.''
As of this writing, this post has been viewed 862,300 times.
Kelly also talked about the news on the show. megyn kelly showThere, she said: “Too many blue states are moving dangerously close to Scotland” and warned the US was heading down the same path.
Rishi Sunak
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backed Rowling's criticism of the new law.
“People should not be criminalized for stating simple biological facts,” Sunak said in a statement. telegraph paper. “We believe in free speech in this country and the Conservative Party will always protect it.”
Backlash against rolling
While some may defend Rowling's views, others have long disagreed with the author.
One of the people who supports the new bill in Scotland and has frequently sparred with Rowling on X is transgender TV newsreader India Willoughby, who recently threatened the author with legal action over her comments. did. She wondered why the gender part of the law was attracting so much attention and debate.
“Why is this law being featured as 'controversial' by the UK media? Is Scotland against hate? Wow. Importantly, the new law is And it also applies to religion, but it is only the fact that it can stop transphobic abuse that is attracting criticism,” she wrote to X.
Rowling first became controversial for her views on transgender people in 2018 when she “accidentally” liked a tweet that referred to transgender people as “men in dresses.” .
In 2019, Rowling faced further backlash for supporting Maya Forstater, a British researcher who was fired for making anti-trans comments.
“Wear what you like. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with consenting adults. Live your best life in peace and security. But… , throw a woman out of her job for insisting that sex is real?'' Rowling said on social media at the time.
After the author shared more posts attacking transgender people. Harry potter Actors who played Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione in the films – Daniel Radcliffe, Bonnie Wright, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson – condemned Rowling, and the writer was ruled out of the 2022 presidential election. harry potter reunion special.
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