JK Rowling, Joe Rogan and Elon Musk are fuming over Scotland’s hate crime law. Here’s why.
www.politico.eu
A legal shake-up aimed at protecting minorities angers high-profile opponents on freedom of speech grounds.

It was no April Fool’s joke.

Harry Potter author-turned culture warrior J.K. Rowling kicked off the month with an 11-tweet social media thread in which she argued 10 transgender women were men — and dared Scottish police to arrest her.

Rowling’s intervention came as a controversial new Scottish government law, aimed at protecting minority groups from hate crimes, took effect. And it landed amid a fierce debate over both the legal status of transgender people in Scotland and over what actually constitutes a hate crime.

Already the law has generated far more international buzz than is normal for legislation passed by a small nation’s devolved parliament.

    • Cyberspark@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      123·
      9 months ago

      To be honest it’s not. It’s extreme and the content of the bill itself breaks the very law it describes.

      Basically if you say any comment about a singled out group and anyone over heard you and takes offence you can br prosecuted.

      So you’re in your own home, on the phone, talking about how all black guys have massive dicks. A neighbour overhears, gets offended and reports you. Even if you don’t get arrested, prosecuted or go to jail that incident goes on your permanent record.

    • EnderMB@lemmy.worldEnglish
      102·
      9 months ago

      Except for the fact that Scottish police already came out to say that she wouldn’t be charged for recent comments.

        • Fedizen@lemmy.worldEnglish
          73·
          9 months ago

          that’s never stopped them. Jordan Peterson got famous by misinterpreting a canadian law to mean people would get jailed for misgendering trans people.

      • katy ✨@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        1·
        9 months ago

        because she didn’t actually say anything that should could be charged for. jk rowling just was desperate to be a martyr.

    • DreamlandLividity@lemmy.worldEnglish
      103·
      9 months ago

      Israely bombs sometimes hit Hamas, not just civilians. Does not make them good. Just like (supposedly) doing a good thing in this one case does not make it a good law.

      And it was confirmed Rowling won’t even be prosecuted. Because of course these kind of laws don’t apply to the rich and famous hatemongers. They apply to the poor schmuck making a bad taste joke.