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.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    So, again, you are claiming America is a special place and Americans need special freedoms other Western countries don’t have.

    • iLoveFishing@lemmy.today
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      7 months ago

      Either way, we have different opinions here. I believe that if someone wants to criticize an idea they should be allowed to, you believe that if that opinion is offensive that it could be considered hateful and should be illegal, do I have that right?