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UK broadcaster accuses author JK Rowling of ‘misgendering’ her
Willoughby, Britain's transgender newsreader, alleged that Rowling committed a ‘hate crime’ by addressing the former as ‘him’.
The British police on Thursday announced they had received a complaint following a transgender broadcaster's report against J.K. Rowling for comments made by the ‘Harry Potter’ author on social media. India Willoughby, Britain's transgender newsreader, has alleged that Rowling committed a ‘hate crime’ by addressing the former as ‘him’.
"I contacted Northumbria constabulary yesterday ... I have reported J.K. Rowling to the police for what she said," Willoughby said in an interview with independent news publisher Byline Times which it posted on X late on Wednesday.
"Calling a trans person a man, deliberately knowing that that person is a woman - and I am a woman regardless of what J.K. Rowling says ... my birth certificate says female, my passport, all my documents, I am legally recognised as a woman, and for J.K. Rowling to deliberately, and that is the key word, misgender me knowing who I am, is grossly offensive," she added.
Meanwhile speaking about Willoughby's allegation against Rowling, Northumbria Police said in a statement: "On Monday, March 4, we received a complaint about a post on social media. We are currently awaiting to speak to the complainant further."
Rowling has dismissed the accusation, stating that holding gender-critical views is not a criminal offence. "Some time ago, lawyers advised me that not only did I have a clearly winnable case against India Willoughby for defamation, but that Willoughby's obsessive targeting of me over the past few years may meet the legal threshold for harassment," Rowling wrote on X.
In October last year, Rowling stated that she would be willing to go to jail if it meant she could continue misgendering people.
“I’ll happily do two years if the alternative is compelled speech and forced denial of the reality and importance of sex… Bring on the court case, I say. It’ll be more fun than I’ve ever had on a red carpet,” Rowling said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
