JK Rowling has said she is prepared to go to prison if Labour makes it illegal not to use someone’s preferred pronouns.
The Harry Potter author said “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.”
Her comments come after The Mail on Sunday revealed Labour’s plans to toughen their stance on anti-LGBTQ+ behaviour.
Deliberately misgendering someone is already a hate crime if it is motivated by hostility to the victim’s transgender identity, the Government said last year, but Labour’s policy would mean tougher penalties for perpetrators.
If it becomes an ‘aggravated offence’ such as race hate attacks, harassment based on someone’s gender identity could result in a prison sentence of up to two years.
This would bring transphobic abuse into line with assault and harassment motivated by hatred on the grounds of race or religion, which are punishable by up to two years in prison.
After one user replied to Ms Rowling’s original tweet saying “See you on the inside”, she posted again about what kind of work she could do behind bars.
“Hoping for the library, obviously, but I think I could do ok in the kitchens. Laundry might be a problem. I have a tendency to shrink stuff/turn it pink accidentally.
“Guessing that won’t be a major issue if it’s mostly scrubs and sheets, though”, Ms Rowling added
Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who has also faced criticism for opposing gender ideology, told her: “See you there Jo!”
Ms Rowling has been critical of the Labour Party’s position on women’s rights.
Last week, she accused Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development Lisa Nandy, of being “one of the biggest reasons many women on the left no longer trust Labour”.
The row came as Ms Nandy tweeted words from her speech from the Labour Party conference, stating: “Women’s rights are human rights and human rights are non-negotiable. My absolute priority will be to embolden and empower women and girls in every part of the world.”
A furious Ms Rowling tweeted: “You said rapists should be transferred to women’s prisons if they self-identify as women. You called Woman’s Place UK a hate group.
“Given that you’re one of the biggest reasons many women on the Left no longer trust Labour to defend their rights, do you stand by these comments?” she added.
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