JK Rowling has once again attracted criticism, this time for mocking a typo in a police tweet about LGBTQ+ outreach efforts following a homophobic hate crime.
The Harry Potter creator is no stranger to backlash online, particularly concerning her views on trans people. Most recently, she criticised a proposed amendment to Scotland's Gender Recognition Reform Bill and got into an argument with a YouTuber over controversial comments on International Women's Day.
On this occasion, Rowling caught sight of a typo in a tweet posted by South Wales Police's (SWP) official account in response to complaints over the force's community outreach work.
The police's efforts came in the wake of the murder of Dr. Gary Jenkins. Three people were convicted of killing the father-of-two in a Cardiff park last July.
The 54-year-old had separated from his wife and was openly bisexual when he moved back to Cardiff six years ago, Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court earlier heard. "Sadly, his sexual predilections were to be his undoing," prosecutor Dafydd Enoch QC also said, Wales Online reports.
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Last week, SWP worked with Gwent Police in Cardiff's city centre to promote LGBTQ+ safety, decorating patrol cars with the Pride flag and setting up a 'Police with Pride' stall.
After tweeting photos of the cars and stall, some users took issue with a supposed 'waste of resources' and 'virtue signalling'.
The SWP account replied: "Supporting our communities is not virtual signalling [sic], and we make no apologies for doing so."
With a screenshot of the typo, Rowling then tweeted: "Virtual signalling. Like virtue signalling, but for people who aren’t really arsed. #VirtualSignalling."
This tweet has seen more than 1,000 replies, with many criticising the author.
One user wrote: "I don’t want to assume that this tweet is as badly motivated as it seems, so could you clarify that you’re not actually mocking the police for promoting the safety of the LGBT community in an area where a man was recently homophobically murdered."
YouTuber Jessie Earl also wrote: "Just this week, JK Rowling has vilified a Wales Police LGBTQ Network doing community outreach after a man was killed in a homophobic hate crime as 'virtue signalling' and also spread misinformation from a now deleted Twitter account about transgender detransition. It's Monday."
"This is what trans people talk about when we discuss the harm Rowling continually platforms, supporters, and gives her sense of validity too. She may do charity work for kids, cool, but she is also an active force for hate," they added.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]
Topics: Celebrity, JK Rowling, LGBTQ
Cameron Frew