J.K. Rowling Backed by British Prime Minister in Hate Crime Law Dust-Up

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has signaled his support for J.K. Rowling’s views opposing a new hate crime law in Scotland, saying people should not face criminal punishments “for stating simple facts on biology.”

The Harry Potter author published a controversial X thread on Monday, the day that Scotland’s Hate Crime and Public Order Act came into force, expressing opposition to the legislation. She also dared Scottish authorities to arrest her after saying that a list of people who identify as transgender women are “men, every last one of them.”

The law established a new crime of “stirring up hatred” about protected characteristics including age, religion, and transgender identity. It does not protect women as a group, though the Scottish government is expected to do so with a separate law relating to misogyny.

Read more at The Daily Beast.