Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling referred to courts endorsing the use of an assailants’ preferred pronouns as “state-sanctioned abuse.”
Rowling, who has been an outspoken critic of transgender ideology, made her remarks in response to an article published by The Australian which discussed a South Australian court endorsing preferred gender pronouns for assailants.
The use of preferred pronouns during court proceedings is a “matter of respect” and will “[ensure] public confidence in the proper administration of justice,” according to the outlet.
“Asking a woman to refer to her male rapist or violent assaulter as ‘she’ in court is a form of state-sanctioned abuse,” Rowling wrote in an X post. “Female victims of male violence are further traumatized by being forced to speak a lie.”
Asking a woman to refer to her male rapist or violent assaulter as 'she' in court is a form of state-sanctioned abuse. Female victims of male violence are further traumatised by being forced to speak a lie. pic.twitter.com/W0pvsyZctx
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 3, 2023
One fellow critic responded to Rowling and referred to the decision by the South Australian court as “sinister.”
“I can’t even imagine being compelled to do this,” the respondent wrote.
“Personally, I wouldn’t be compelled,” Rowling responded. “I’d take contempt of court.”
The Harry Potter author referred to the court’s request as “bulls—,” and said it was “time for mass non-compliance.”
Personally, I wouldn't be compelled, I'd take contempt of court. It's time for mass non-compliance with this bullshit.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 3, 2023
Another X user asked if the endorsement was real or “just hypothetically has the potential of happening given the law?”
“It has happened,” Rowling responded and provided an example from the U.K. “A judge told a woman who was beaten up by a trans-identified male that she showed ‘bad grace’ by refusing to call her attacker ‘she’ in court.”
The author linked to a 2018 article from The Times on the story she referenced.
In another X post, the Harry Potter author shared another post with a series of screenshots of X users critical of her previous statements on transgender ideology.
In an April post, one user appeared to threaten Rowling saying, “better have a food taster the rest of her life.”
“F—ing c— thinks she can just keep escalating these hateful f—-ing attacks,” the user wrote. “Just wait and see what happens.”
“B—- better hope her house feels safe,” the user continued. “A lot of things can happen that look like accidents.”
In another post, the same user called Rowling a “worthless f—ing c—” and claimed she referred to all trans people as rapists.
“When is this f—ing c— going to die already?” the user wrote. “Somebody needs to poison this c— already. Ban me. Don’t give a f—.”
A very small sampling of what happens when you say on Twitter that compelling a woman to call her rapist or violent male attacker ‘she’ in court is state-sanctioned abuse. pic.twitter.com/HhuPz4igz2
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 5, 2023
“A very small sampling of what happens when you say on Twitter that compelling a woman to call her rapist or violent male attacker ‘she’ in court is state-sanctioned abuse,” Rowling said of her critics.
Chief Justice of South Australia Chris Kourakis said Rowling “misunderstood the protocol” of the court’s endorsement of preferred pronouns in a Monday statement.
“It does no more than allow lawyers and others to inform the court of the correct pronunciation of their name and their preferred gender pronoun so that proceedings are conducted respectfully,” Kourakis wrote. “However, the presiding judicial officer retains control over all forms of address used in court.”
He continued:
For many decades, the courts of this State have taken every care to protect victims of crime and other vulnerable witnesses from the distress and trauma which might arise from their participation in a hearing. A victim of crime would never be asked to address an accused person in a way which caused the victim distress.
“I would prefer that social media commentators took the time to properly inform themselves before pressing the send button, but my only concern is to assure the South Australian public that Ms Rowling’s anxiety is completely unfounded,” Kourakis concluded and provided a link to the new protocol.
