JK Rowling has challenged Scotland’s new hate crime law in a series of social media posts - inviting police to arrest her if they believe she has committed an offence.

The Harry Potter author, who lives in Edinburgh, described several transgender women as men, including convicted prisoners, trans activists and other public figures.

She said “freedom of speech and belief” was at an end if accurate description of biological sex was outlawed.

Earlier, Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf said the new law would deal with a “rising tide of hatred”.

The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 creates a new crime of “stirring up hatred” relating to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex.

Ms Rowling, who has long been a critic of some trans activism, posted on X on the day the new legislation came into force.

    • sudneo@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      I mean, I didn’t know this stuff even happened, I literally skimmed search results and what I found is a few articles calling something she said holocaust denial. Hence “some” people. I did not express any judgment on the merit of her claims, I am personally not interested.

      No need to be aggressive.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Expressing judgment on the merits of the claims of a Holocaust denier is something you should be doing and something you should be interested in.

        Apathy is not much better than direct support.

        • sudneo@lemm.ee
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          7 months ago

          Sorry, you don’t get to say what I should or should not be interested in. I am not interested in what a celebrity says in a tweet, otherwise I would spend most of my time doing pointless arguments there.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            I’m afraid I do I get to say what anyone short or should not be interested in, which is why I said it and was not stopped from doing so or had my comment deleted.

            Maybe you don’t agree that you should be interested in someone fomenting genocide and denying a previous genocide, but I still get to say you should.

            Not agreeing, however, would suggest that you’re not especially interested in doing anything about an ongoing genocide. So I hope that’s okay with you.

            • sudneo@lemm.ee
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              7 months ago

              I’m afraid I do I get to say what anyone short or should not be interested in, which is why I said it and was not stopped from doing so or had my comment deleted.

              Ok, this is purely a rhetorical linguistic argument, not particularly interesting either, ironically. Sure, you can say whatever you want, but you have no moral or any other authority to actually dictate what other people should be interested in. You can say whatever you want about what the penalty should be in a trial, but you don’t get to sentence anybody, to make an analogy. Thankfully, I add.

              Not agreeing, however, would suggest that you’re not especially interested in doing anything about an ongoing genocide. So I hope that’s okay with you.

              It is OK with me. There are many problems in the world, and it’s necessary to establish a hierarchy among them given our will power and mental energy is finite. Also, I disagree with your premises and therefore my characterization of the problem makes it hierarchically less important than other problems, such as the war in Ukraine or the environmental disaster.

              Guilt tripping people is also not a great strategy to involve them in a cause, but if you want we can start digging to draft a very long list of atrocities that are happening in the world right now and that you (nor I) don’t care about.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                I don’t know that I would call telling someone that caring about genocide is something everyone should do is guilt tripping, but okay…

                I’m certainly not sure why anyone would think doing something about genocide should be a low priority. Should doing something about Israel’s genocide also be a low priority? If not, why do Palestinian lives matter more than trans lives?

                • sudneo@lemm.ee
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                  7 months ago

                  So I hope that’s okay with you.

                  This is what I call guilt tripping.

                  Should doing something about Israel’s genocide also be a low priority? If not, why do Palestinian lives matter more than trans lives?

                  Because Palestinians have been killed in the tens of thousands in a few months, by a single entity (Israel) which is showing precise intent to wipe them from their land. Are you seriously comparing this with things like banning gender affirming care or drag shows (I am using one of your sources) in the States (which I disagree with, but I am not a US citizen)?