JK Rowling responds after being reported to police over misgendering broadcaster

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JK Rowling may have some trouble with the police after being accused of misgendering a broadcaster. She has made a statement acknowledging that their workload may increase as a result.

India Willoughby, a 58-year-old journalist and transgender woman, recently spoke with Caolan Robertson of Byline TV and shared that she had reported J.K. Rowling to the police for referring to her as a man.

After the filmed interview was made public, Rowling, who is 58 years old, pointed out that Willoughby seemed to have overlooked the Forstater ruling. This ruling confirmed that opinions which are critical of gender can be safeguarded through legal means.

In 2021, Maya Forstater won her case at the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) where it was determined that opinions based on gender identity are recognized as an accepted belief under the Equality Act 2010.

Afterwards, Rowling shared a video of Robertson where he mentioned reaching out to her for an interview opportunity.

Rowling made a claim that the journalist had referred to Willoughby as "him" twice in the video, but the journalist denied this and the captions in the video referred to Willoughby as "them".

India Willoughby recently made an appearance on the popular TV show Celebrity Big Brother. The show features various celebrities living together in a house, with cameras watching their every move. Willoughby, a British journalist and television presenter, was the first transgender contestant to appear on the show. During her time on the show, Willoughby faced some controversy. She got into arguments with fellow housemates, and some accused her of being too sensitive. However, she also spoke out about the challenges that transgender individuals face, and shared her own experiences. Many viewers praised her for being a strong and brave advocate for the transgender community. Overall, Willoughby's time on Celebrity Big Brother was eventful and thought-provoking. It brought attention to important issues facing transgender individuals, and showcased the struggles that some face in situations where they may not be fully accepted.

During an interview with Byline TV, Willoughby claimed that JK Rowling had indisputably committed a crime through her posts.

Legally, I am identified as a woman. However, the person in question is aware of my gender and refers to me as a man.

The trait is guarded by law.

This goes against both the Equality Act and the Gender Recognition Act, which is not acceptable.

"She has shared that message with a whopping 14 million individuals on Twitter."

As per the Equality Act of 2010, it is not permissible for an individual to treat another unfairly on the basis of a guarded feature, for instance, gender transformation.

Both the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have come to an agreement on the description of hate crimes, which involves any illegal action that is believed by the victim or someone else to have been caused by animosity or bias towards an individual's transgender identity or their assumed transgender identity.

"Okay, so I went to the authorities and informed them about the problem," stated Willoughby.

Yesterday, I got in touch with the Northumbria police.

"I have made a complaint to the police against JK Rowling for her words," she stated.

I'm not certain if the authorities will classify it as a hate crime or malicious communication, but in my opinion, it's a clear and straightforward violation of the law.

When everything is said and done, it can be classified as a crime motivated by hatred.

Being transgender is considered a safeguarded trait, just like one's race or sexual orientation.

I have alerted the authorities about JK Rowling's statements.

In simpler terms, someone was referred to as a man even though they legally identify as a woman. The person speaking is upset because they feel that this was done intentionally, which is extremely disrespectful. They mention that this situation is similar to something author JK Rowling once did.

This act is classified as a hate crime and should be handled with the same severity as someone insulting a black individual with the N-word or an Asian person with the P-word.

India Willoughby participated in the television program Celebrity Big Brother.

Rowling said that she had been told in the past that she had a strong argument for a legal case against Willoughby for ruining her reputation. She also stated that there is no legislation that requires her to use feminine pronouns when addressing the television personality.

On X, she stated that she was informed by lawyers in the past that she had a strong case against India Willoughby for defamation. Furthermore, they shared that India's fixation on her over the last few years might qualify as harassment under the law.

I decided to neglect this suggestion as I didn't want to give India the attention he so desperately desires.

However, it is vital that we all take responsibility for fighting against hatred. I want to inform India that I have acknowledged his intolerant views towards homosexuality, discrimination based on race, and his inhumane position regarding immigration.

I also can't overlook the dreadful transphobia that exists in India.

It seems that India has forgotten that he already referred to a trans woman as a man in the past on this website.

It is quite unexpected that someone of such high legal expertise seems to have overlooked the fact that the Forstater verdict recognized gender-critical opinions as a philosophical belief that deserves legal protection.

There is no legal obligation for anyone to feign belief that India is of the female gender.

I know that it's against the law to lie to the police, so I need to tell them my honest opinion. I believe that India embodies the typical male who is self-obsessed and constantly angry that women do not view him highly enough.

Comment has been requested from Northumbria Police.