The Proud Legacy of JK Rowling

What a difference her activism has made in this crazy, woman-hating gender war

A number of feminists having lunch with JK Rowling, April 2022. Try to resist having a “mad, angry cry” **

Scotland's new Hate Crime Act came into effect this week, and the children’s author and passionate feminist, JK Rowling, hates it – alongside countless other women, in Scotland and beyond. Rowling is only too aware that vexatious transgender activists will use it to target anyone who dares to challenge extreme gender ideology.

“Scotland's Hate Crime Act comes into effect today,” reads the first of an 11 post thread by Rowling on X on April Fool’s Day – ironically the day the law came into effect. “Women gain no additional protections, of course, but well-known trans activist Beth Douglas, darling of prominent Scottish politicians, falls within a protected category. Phew!”

A notorious figure in the Scottish trans activist movement, Douglas, who was suspended from the Green Party last year, has been accused of using violent and derogatory language on social media, supporting controversial protests against women, inflaming debate by calling feminists 'fascists' and posing with weapons for Twitter pictures that threaten "cis" [non trans] people.

“You don’t speak for decent women,” posted one transactivist in response to Rowling’s thread. “Then I can only conclude that the overwhelming majority of women I encounter, online and off, are thoroughly indecent,” she responded.

The Act creates a new offence of “threatening or abusive behaviour which is intended to stir up hatred” on the grounds of age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or variations in sex characteristics (intersex people). There’s no mention of misogyny: women are overlooked and gain no extra protection. And some of us – like me and JK Rowling, who campaign to end rape and domestic abuse and therefore do not accept men in female-only spaces – may well become its prime target if extreme trans activists get their way. And, in Scotland, they usually do.

Some random dudebro

In a supposed bid to “tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice”, the Scottish government has entered a new authoritarian era. This is some of the most draconian legislation the country has ever seen, leaving citizens vulnerable to arrest for things they say, including in the privacy of their own home. Now anyone in Scotland can make a complaint about anything they read online or overhear, as long as they can peg it to one of the characteristics listed.

Few of the remarks attracting complaints are likely to be criminal, yet since the law relies on the victim’s perception, they will be recorded as such regardless. Whoever is reported will find themselves branded as having committed a “non-crime hate incident” (NCHI), though they may never know about it. But given that it will be disclosed to any potential employer requiring a DBS check, they might be left wondering why they didn’t get that job.

But on Tuesday, police, having received complaints from transactivists, confirmed that: “The comments are not assessed to be criminal and no further action will be taken.” Just as well. As Rowling had said: “Freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal”.

Transactivists in Scotland, welcoming the new law

This new law is about policing what people think or feel – as such, it is a significant risk to freedom of expression. First Minister Hamza Yousaf wants this law to target anyone who goes too far. But who says where the line is?

The Scottish government has set up “Third Party Reporting Centres” around the country (including a sex shop and a salmon and trout farm), but you could also report anonymously or online. The fluffy red hate monster mascot for this anti-hate initiative is as risible as it is offensive and has now been officially withdrawn, though opponents of the new law continue to make hay with it.

SNP members that proudly lobbied for the ‘non-crime non-hate hate crime law to be enacted

JK Rowling is having none of it, and as a Scottish resident and women’s rights activist, has regularly spoken out against the lunacy of the Scottish government when it comes to trans issues, including Nicola Sturgeon backing a law that would allow men, including sex offenders, to self-identify as women.

Could she be arrested under this law? Definitely – along with me, Maya Forstater, Helen Joyce, Kathleen Stock, and countless other feminists who have spoken out against gender ideology, the threat it poses to women, and its adverse effects on lesbians and gay men.

As one transactivist posted on X “[Rowling] is inciting violence and endangering all trans people. She is hateful, obsessed and increasingly unhinged. What is her beef exactly? What happened in her life to make her so bitter towards a minority group?”

Police have received just two hours of online training, which apparently equips them to decide whether or not a complaint under the new law relates to a criminal act. Many police forces have been indoctrinated into the trans cult, which means that those with blind faith in gender ideology will be taking complaints (about “misgendering” for example), seriously. It is all a matter of interpretation, and many of the women I know are prepared to risk arrest under this law. The police have no additional resources attached to this legislation, yet say that they will investigate every single complaint they receive. The details of those who are reported are recorded – even if they’ve committed no crime whatsoever.

The maximum penalty if found guilty would be seven years in prison. An SNP councillor recently said that Rowling is not entitled to make a person feel uncomfortable by ‘misgendering’ them. And Siobhian Brown, minister for victims and community safety, admitted on Radio 4 that the likes of Rowling could be subjected to numerous police complaints if she made “gender critical comments” and that it would be “up to police” to decide if a crime had been committed.

“[Misgendering] could be reported and it could be investigated – whether or not the police would think it was criminal is up to Police Scotland.”

An image from the forthcoming film, directed by India Willoughby (and starring Bruce Willis as Willoughby). In this scene, a TERF has been sentenced to life in prison for refusing to refer to a penis as a ‘ladydick’

The idea that calling a man “a man” would cause harassment, alarm or distress is beyond belief. Any legislation of this nature is at risk of being misused. This is why the likes of Rowling and myself would face arrest, unlike the men who threaten us and resort to the most misogynistic terminology and behaviour – as transwomen, they’d be sheltered by this law.

I am not in favour of making misogyny a hate crime; it is unclear how this would benefit women, and in any case police simply do not have the resources to process the volume of complaints that would surely result. But whatever the views of feminists, we have been ignored. The new law does not cover hate on the basis of female sex, and only protects men that claim to be women against those of us, including Rowling, that campaign to keep women and girls free from male violence.

Rowling remains steadfast in her condemnation of this law, and is clearly not going to back down, despite one man, apparently a lawyer, posting on X that she had refused to follow his command to delete them in what he described as “a deliberate act of defiance.”

Her response? “Totally agree. I have been DELIBERATELY DEFIANT, in spite of some random bloke’s advice. A full investigation MUST be mounted. #ArrestMe Also, visit Scotland, land of the free!”

“Men like this watch women threatened with death, rape and mutilation for the crime of defending their rights and the only problem they can see is that we’re still speaking out.”

Trans activists that pushed for this law are not only gunning for Rowling, but they are also targeting all women, everywhere that refuse to capitulate. But the beloved author-turned feminist champion is blocking their way.

As George Orwell famously said, “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” For a woman who became stratospherically famous, and beloved, for creating fantasy novels, truth telling may well end up being her greatest legacy.

** “Just had a mad, angry cry about the photos of JK Rowling at the Terf gathering. It's disgusting how members of our community can be so hateful. How are we ever meant to break through barriers, and stop discrimination if we're too busy attacking each other? Stop. Hate.” Rosie Jones, who identifies as a comedian.