J.K. Rowling exposes flaws in Scotland's Hate Crime Act with satirical X thread

Renowned author J.K. Rowling has taken to X to criticize Scotland's newly enacted Hate Crime Act, which went into effect on April 1. In a blistering thread posted on April Fool's Day, Rowling showcased a list of biologically male criminal sex offenders, many of whom targeted young women and girls, to illustrate the potential consequences of such "hate crime" laws on female victims.

Scotland's Hate Crime Act comes into effect today. 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! 1/11 pic.twitter.com/gCKGwdjr5m

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024

Without misgendering any of the individuals mentioned, Rowling sarcastically presented cases of biological males who identified as women and committed heinous crimes against females. She highlighted the stories of "well-known trans activist Beth Douglas," "convicted double rapist Isla Bryson," and "fragile flower Katie Dolatowski," among others, to demonstrate how the new law could protect these offenders while failing to provide additional protections for women.

Fragile flower Katie Dolatowski, 6'5", was rightly sent to a women's prison in Scotland after conviction. This ensured she was protected from violent, predatory men (unlike the 10-year-old girl Katie sexually assaulted in a women's public bathroom.) 3/11 pic.twitter.com/13J5XfRo3a

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024

Rowling also addressed the trauma that victims might experience when forced to allow biological males into spaces designed to protect them from further abuse. She cited the example of Mridul Wadhwa, head of a Scottish rape crisis center, who stated that "sexual violence happens to bigoted people as well."

The author further mocked political and cultural leaders who claim to protect women's rights but cannot define what a woman is. She mentioned Munroe Bergdorf, appointed as UN Women's first-ever UK champion, and Katie Neeves, a UN Women UK delegate, as examples of individuals who have made controversial statements about women and gender.

In an unsurprising twist, Rowling revealed that her thread was an "April Fools" joke, clarifying that the individuals mentioned were all biologically male. She argued that Scottish lawmakers, in passing the Hate Crime Act, seemed to prioritize the feelings of "men performing their idea of femaleness" over the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls.

Defiantly, Rowling stated that she was currently out of the country but would gladly face arrest upon her return to Scotland if her words qualified as an offense under the new act.

🎉🌼🌸April Fools! 🌸🌼🎉

Only kidding. Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren't women at all, but men, every last one of them.

In passing the Scottish Hate Crime Act, Scottish lawmakers seem to have placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their…

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2024

"Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren’t women at all, but men, every last one of them,” Rowling stated. “In passing the Scottish Hate Crime Act, Scottish lawmakers seem to have placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femaleness, however misogynistically or opportunistically, than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls.”

“I’m currently out of the country, but if what I’ve written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment,” she concluded.