JK Rowling’s latest intervention on trans rights is unnecessarily provocative

Editorial: When those with influence cite untypical examples of trans people involved in heinous crimes, the more likely it is that a trans person minding their own business will be abused or assaulted

‘Misgendering’ is a polite word for a very ugly and hurtful assault on the dignity of another human being, and it should be curbed (PA)

It is not that often that an author invites the police to come and arrest them, and certainly not one as famous as JK Rowling. Yet Ms Rowling has felt so moved by the new Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act that she is inviting a form of media martyrdom.

In common with many others, albeit not with her profile and social media reach, Ms Rowling feels strongly that, in the words of her latest viral posting on X (formerly Twitter): “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!”

Ms Rowling then goes on to identify various high-profile cases of trans people who’ve committed crimes, mingling them with others who are simply prominent. Ms Rowling states that those she identifies are “men, every last one of them”, and that: “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.”