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.

  • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Just because it was midlife doesn’t mean it’s a crisis.

    He started the charity as a shelter for his obscene wealth. That is all.

    • otp@sh.itjust.works
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      6 months ago

      I’m not obscenely wealthy, so I don’t have the experience…but it seems plausible that a billionaire midlife crisis could be “Where am I going to put this ridiculous amount of money that I’ve earned through less-than-ethical means?”

        • TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee
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          6 months ago

          I mean, the main motivator for the endowment was always Malinda Gates. I’m sure it functions as a tax shelter, but I doubt that was really the main motivator. He’s already given over several times what his tax burden would have been, and if we compare it to other NGOs whose sole purpose is truly preserving or raising money, they really aren’t comparable.

          I’m in agreement that no one should have hundreds of millions of dollars, let alone billions. We can discuss the validity of NGO as a concept, but as far as NGO go, the gates foundation has done more actual aid work for 3rd world countries than most governments.

          • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            We can discuss the validity of NGO as a concept, but as far as NGO go, the gates foundation has done more actual aid work for 3rd world countries than most governments.

            most governments don’t have nearly the same revenue. This is like saying corporations have done more to help homeless people than homeless shelters (to whom the corpos donate money.)

            The reality is that a lot of the way things are, are caused by people like- and including- bill gates.

            While there are many NGOs that exist to do good things- and are very good at aid- the gates foundation is not one of those.

            I think you’ve bought into the reputation washing the foundation has done for the Gates, and severely underestimate just ho sociopathic they are…. And just how profitable the foundation is for them personally.