JK Rowling is at it again. This time, she mocked a police department that was standing up for LGBTQ people near the site where a fatal anti-LGBTQ hate crime took place.
The LGBT+ Network of the South Wales Police set up a rainbow-colored information kiosk in the city center of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Nearby last year, three people beat bisexual psychiatrist Dr. Gary Jenkins so badly in a gruesome hate crime that it led to a brain injury. He died 16 days later.
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After his death, LGBTQ community leaders asked the police force to “be more visible allies,” according to Luke Young of Campaigns for Citizens Advice Cymru.
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On March 18, the police force tweeted a photo of its display of LGBTQ Pride and promptly began receiving hateful replies accusing the officers of poorly utilizing resources and “virtue signaling.”
We are in #CardiffCityCentre today promoting the work of our network with officers from @GPCaerphilly 👮🏻♂️@gwentpolice @CCJeremyVaughan @swpolice @SWPCardiff @MarysCardiff @pulsecardiff @GoldenCrossCDF @eaglecardiff @kingscardiff @SuptJasonRees pic.twitter.com/0aamqigQBI
— SWP LGBT+ Network (@swplgbt) March 18, 2022
The police responded on Twitter and defended their LGBTQ outreach, but their tweet contained a small typo.
“Supporting our communities is not virtual [sic] signalling and we make no apologies for doing so.”
Rowling was then quick to hop on the criticism bandwagon, tweeting a screenshot of their mistake and writing, “Virtual signalling. Like virtue signalling, but for people who aren’t really arsed.”
And people were not happy.
Journalist Benjamin Butterworth replied, “Repulsive, ignorant comment. Here we see JK Rowling here attacking South Wales Police LGBT+ Network for community outreach work next to Bute Park – where Dr Gary Jenkins was murdered in a shocking homophobic attack. Does the safety of LGBT people not matter to you at all?”
Repulsive, ignorant comment.
Here we see JK Rowling here attacking South Wales Police LGBT+ Network for community outreach work next to Bute Park – where Dr Gary Jenkins was murdered in a shocking homophobic attack.
Does the safety of LGBT people not matter to you at all?
— Benjamin Butterworth (@benjaminbutter) March 21, 2022
“Why do you hate us all so much? Come on,” wrote London-based artist Daniel Lismore. “Tell us why and where the hate comes from? You can do it. We want to understand why? Who taught you your misinformation, hate and flamed your anger? You came out as a hater? You may as well tell the story? Your good at that.”
Just this… why do you hate us all so much? Come on. Tell us why and where the hate comes from? You can do it. We want to understand why? Who taught you your misinformation, hate and flamed your anger? You came out as a hater? You may as well tell the story? Your good at that. https://t.co/uACfNEBEyt
— Daniel Lismore (@daniellismore) March 22, 2022
Many users also replied with headlines about Jenkins’s murder and accused Rowling of not caring and making light of the situation.
“As a writer, do you do any research or is it just whatever falls out of your head first?” one user wrote.
As a writer, do you do any research or is it just whatever falls out of your head first?https://t.co/NKVGKjtabx
— Alastair Gordon (@AlGordon1980) March 21, 2022
Rowling’s continued transphobic antics have led many Harry Potter fans to distance themselves from her.
The author has issued diatribes about transgender people, come out in support of conversion therapy for trans people, and claimed that almost everyone agrees with her, even as famous people that she has worked with condemned her words. She also published a book about a man who wears dresses in order to kill women.
