Hate Crime Bill Passed

[MSU]

McCoist isn’t a bigot, but he guarantees he’ll be committing a hate crime at Ibrox on Sunday along with 48,000 Rangers fans. So much for that minority angle. 

[Theyellowbox]

8 minutes ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

It would be interesting to see the reaction down south if Neville or Carragher declared that they were going to take part in offensive chanting at Old Trafford on Sunday.

It's a point conveniently overlook. Imagine if 2 clubs in England sang anti Jew or anti mulslim chants at each other, by the majority of fans and those clubs actively played up to that stereotype? And I get that spurs get a small minority of chants aimed at them over perceived jewishness. Then compound that by every media outlet, including the BBC, either completely ignoring it or being very selective in its coverage. Just wouldn't happen. Get then that say Ian Wright then comes out and says, 'yes, we'll me and all other Arsenal fans are obviously going to sing anti Jewish songs, what of it?' 

 

[tirso]

I have a suspicion, a small one, McCoist may have been joking somewhat.....

humour by pass .. 

[alta-pete]

3 minutes ago, tirso said:

I have a suspicion, a small one, McCoist may have been joking somewhat.....

humour by pass .. 

…welcome to Scotland. 

[tirso]

2 minutes ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

It would be nice to think that someone high up in Police Scotland might politely suggest to her that she observes a self-denying ordinance on this matter.  However as she appears to be a publicity-seeking zealot that's likely to be a forlorn hope.  It's not about freedom of speech, it's all about her.

A "self denying ordinance", that sounds like a recipe for clearing everything right up aye 

But does she have a Hate incident against her name?  Seems zealots have complained.  I wonder what mines is for F*fe hating.  will need to put in a stasi request in a few months.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

1 hour ago, Thane of Cawdor said:

I've no idea why McCoist intervened on this issue and in this manner, but I don't think he's bigoted as we normally understand that attitude. A guy I know, slightly, played for Sunderland at the same time as McCoist, and when he moved to a club in Scotland he lodged in the McCoist family home. Guy was comparatively devout RC for a young footballer.  As far as I know, he and McCoist are still in regular social contact.

This may well be the case however as a former player, broadcaster and respected pundit and very high profile public figure, he’s in the ideal position to take a bit of a grown up attitude to the well know issue around the OF*.

Instead, he goes for the “but wur a’ as bad as each other ra hums and ra **** by ra way, even ra polis say so”

A complete and utter bellend who knows exactly what he’s saying.

[Michael W]

37 minutes ago, Boo Khaki said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-68712471

Well that's a bit of a minter for JKR and her cultists, since they've spent months gibbering hyperbolic pish about being locked up, persecuted, silenced etc by a government that "hates women" if they dared to voice exactly the things JKR tweeted yesterday.

There is zero chance Rowling is being prosecuted under this. She has the means and time (and willingness) to fight it and they know it. She loses she'll still be very rich; there are basically no consequences for her.  

The first test of this in court will inevitably be some Twitter dafty with 120 followers. 

[alta-pete]

Hmm. It seems the failed family lawyer is a bully and Humza an unprincipled shitebag. Pass it on…

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/02/nicola-sturgeon-blocked-law-protect-jk-rowling-feminists/
 

Spoiler

Sturgeon ‘blocked changes’ to Scotland’s hate crime laws

Former first minister accused of pressuring Humza Yousaf over legislation that prompted JK Rowling’s ‘arrest me’ challenge

Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor2 April 2024 • 4:01pm

Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of blocking changes to Scotland’s hate crime laws that would have protected feminists’ freedom of speech on trans issues.

Feminist group For Women Scotland (FWS) say that as first minister, Ms Sturgeon forced Humza Yousaf, then her justice secretary, to withdraw amendments to the legislation during its final parliamentary stages in 2021.

Susan Smith, one of the group’s directors, said these would have provided specific freedom of speech protections for feminists who argue that sex is a physical binary characteristic that cannot be changed.

As the legislation came into force on Monday, JK Rowling posted pictures of 10 high-profile trans people and ridiculed their claims to be women. The Harry Potter author then dared Police Scotland to use the new laws to arrest her.

JK Rowling mocked a number of trans people in her social media post and challenged police to arrest herCredit: JOHN PHILLIPS/GETTY IMAGES EUROPE

Ms Smith said Mr Yousaf, who succeeded Ms Sturgeon as first minister, had broken a promise that she and a colleague would be involved in drawing up training materials for the police that would have dealt with situations like that.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour that this was because he thought that “it would upset the trans lobby if those examples were given in the guidance to the police”.

In 2021, Mr Yousaf oversaw the passage of the hate crime legislation at Holyrood,  which was supported by nearly all SNP and Labour MSPs. However, it did not come into force until Monday, as Police Scotland said it needed time for training.

The legislation creates a criminal offence of “stirring up of hatred”, expanding on a similar offence based on racist abuse that has been on the statute book for decades.

It extends the offence to abuse on the basis of age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

MSPs raised concerns about women’s exclusion

But an amendment to add sex to the list of protected characteristics was voted down, despite cross-party MSPs raising concerns about why women were excluded.

Ms Smith argued that those accused of hate crimes under the legislation face living under the cloud of a police investigation for two years, even if they are later cleared of any wrongdoing, “so the process very much becomes the punishment”.

“And this could all have been avoided because right back at the beginning, during the last stages of the Bill, there was an attempt to put in free speech amendments,” she added.

“There was an outcry on Twitter. Nicola Sturgeon directly intervened and made Humza Yousaf pull them.

A protester labelled Nicola Sturgeon a destroyer of women's rights during a demonstration at Holyrood in 2021 Credit: IAIN MASTERTON/ALAMY

“He then promised at committee, he promised me and Lucy Hunter Blackburn that we would be involved in drafting guidance and giving examples so the police would understand if somebody like JK Rowling made a thread like that on Twitter, for example.

“We could have had real world examples for the police to use in training. But what happened was he broke those promises because ministers decided that it would upset the trans lobby if those examples were given in the guidance to the police.”

In early 2021, Mr Yousaf tabled an amendment to the Bill aimed at addressing concerns that gender-critical feminists would be criminalised for arguing that trans women are men.

This was later withdrawn, and he persuaded other parties to pull their amendments on the same issue, with a round table discussion on the issue held instead.

The final Act contains a section stating that “behaviour or material is not to be taken to be threatening or abusive solely on the basis that it involves” discussion or criticism involving trans issues.

However, this is weaker than the freedom of speech protection given to “discussion or criticism relating to, or expressions of antipathy, dislike, ridicule or insult towards” religious beliefs and practices.

A senior SNP MP said the final wording of the Act ignored the recommendations of an official review of hate crime by judge Lord Bracadale that a “protection of freedom of expression provision” be included.

Women's rights groups protested outside a Glasgow sex shop designated as a reporting centre for hate crime as the new law came into force on MondayCredit: JAMES CHAPELAND

Joanna Cherry KC, the Edinburgh South West MP and an ally of Rowling, tweeted: “His recommendations were not followed by the Scottish Parliament in relation to the offence of stirring up hatred on the grounds of transgender identity, but they were in respect of religion. Relevant amendments were voted down.”

She added: “For these reasons, many of us have legitimate concerns about this aspect of the legislation, being weaponised against women, who do not believe in gender identity theory, and wish to exercise their right to explain why. As JK Rowling has done.”

On Tuesday, Rowling went on social media to hit back at claims she would be remembered by history as a “bigoted children’s book author”.

She said: “Again with the legacy guff... if your friend History thinks women don’t deserve sex-based rights, healthy kids should be medicalised, and free speech needs stamping out, I’m not interested in being his buddy. He sounds a massive dick.”

Ms Sturgeon’s spokeswoman referred a request for a comment to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government was approached for comment.

 

[Melanius Mullarkey]

25 minutes ago, tirso said:

I have a suspicion, a small one, McCoist may have been joking somewhat.....

humour by pass .. 

in what way was he joking exactly?

[tirso]

Just now, Melanius Mullarkey said:

in what way was he joking exactly?

Sorry you're right, I bet he really hates catholics.  point taken.

[Boo Khaki]

1 minute ago, Michael W said:

There is zero chance Rowling is being prosecuted under this. She has the means and time (and willingness) to fight it and they know it. She loses she'll still be very rich; there are basically no consequences for her.  

The first test of this in court will inevitably be some Twitter dafty with 120 followers. 

Undoubtedly.

I'm more amused though that despite all the hot air and seething in the run up to 1/04/2024, despite claims that the sky was going to fall in, despite the usual groups claiming this was all an attempt to "silence" women, despite predictions of people being arrested in droves, the same folk making those claims are now turning around and suggesting that the fact nothing of the sort has happened is somehow evidence of the Bill being ineffectual, and on top of that, one of the loudest voices doing the shrieking has been instrumental in demonstrating that their claims are, and always have been, nothing more than hysterical nonsense driven by their own inherent prejudices.

The fact she thinks she was playing some sort of trump card by being deliberately provocative and goading the police to come and arrest her, thereby proving her contention that the whole thing is an unworkable, fascistic folly, and all that has happened is the police have shrugged and demonstrated that they are perfectly capable of interpreting and applying the law correctly, rather leaves her looking like a bit of a moron. 

Can't even crime properly, despite claiming for months that all she had to do was fart and the tartan stasi would cuff her.

[___]

4 hours ago, Ludo*1 said:

Ally McCoist is a cracking football commentator and probably fun to have a pint or two with, but he's a right arsehole of a guy.

The Morrissey of Scottish football.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

34 minutes ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

This may well be the case however as a former player, broadcaster and respected pundit and very high profile public figure, he’s in the ideal position to take a bit of a grown up attitude to the well know issue around the OF*.

Instead, he goes for the “but wur a’ as bad as each other ra hums and ra **** by ra way, even ra polis say so”

A complete and utter bellend who knows exactly what he’s saying.

Hes dogwhistling to an uneducated lot who think he’s serious, people who read the sun and think its a bit too left. Mccoist isnt a bigot but makes too much money from them to not pander, its the same way that I dont really think Donald Trump has crazy religious views but knows who’s buying tickets to events and MAGA hats. 

[coprolite]

34 minutes ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

in what way was he joking exactly?

Surely you've met a jaikie that thinks their funny before? Like that i'd guess. 

[Billy Jean King]

1 hour ago, tirso said:

Sorry you're right, I bet he really hates catholics.  point taken.

Ah the old "banter" defence. Right you are !

[Billy Jean King]

You wonder where Rowlings descent through the looking glass will end. She appears to be totally consumed by her perceived "culture war" and from afar looking on objectively it looks to be a tail spin that is going to end in some sort of meltdown. I can never get my head round how folk like her, Fox, Linehan or even Spence get sucked into it in the first place. Surely their standing from their "day job" gives them enough publicity to thrive on without donning the tinfoil hat !!!

[Boo Khaki]

6 hours ago, Ludo*1 said:

Ally McCoist is a cracking football commentator and probably fun to have a pint or two with, but he's a right arsehole of a guy.

I totally lost any residual affection for McCoist after some of the nonsense he came away with in the aftermath of Rangers 2012 implosion. He proved he's every bit as much an objectionable, entitled arsehole as the worst of the "rangers minded".

Can't be fucked with the guy at all, and no, I wouldn't be drinking pints with him.

[moniton]

10 minutes ago, Boo Khaki said:

I totally lost any residual affection for McCoist after some of the nonsense he came away with in the aftermath of Rangers 2012 implosion. He proved he's every bit as much an objectionable, entitled arsehole as the worst of the "rangers minded".

Can't be fucked with the guy at all, and no, I wouldn't be drinking pints with him.

Would be unappetising what with being up to your knees in blood and him being a total arsehole.

[Boo Khaki]

1 hour ago, Billy Jean King said:

You wonder where Rowlings descent through the looking glass will end. She appears to be totally consumed by her perceived "culture war" and from afar looking on objectively it looks to be a tail spin that is going to end in some sort of meltdown. I can never get my head round how folk like her, Fox, Linehan or even Spence get sucked into it in the first place. Surely their standing from their "day job" gives them enough publicity to thrive on without donning the tinfoil hat !!!

She's utterly obnoxious aside from the whole trans/women's rights stooshie. 

Before this was ever a feature of her online presence, she used to dick-ride and cheerlead the absolute worst of the Unionist twitterati, end up in constant playground spats with the terminally online, then immediately threaten lawyering up and "do you know how rich I am" with anyone who had the temerity to stand up to her.

She also apparently believes that her status as a wealthy individual means that other people should be prevented from walking down the public street she lives on if she happens to disagree with their politics. Thankfully Police Scotland laughed that off.

She's spun some utterly bullshit rags-to-riches tale about her being a brassic, on-her arse single mother that had to resort to hanging around in public spaces to avoid freezing to death, which is, to put it mildly, a complete distortion of reality.

She also plagiarised several lesser known works and, predictably, threatened to lawyer into oblivion anyone making too much noise about it.

She maintains she's perpetually "silenced" and that women are being "erased" by transwomen, yet wrote her most famous works under a deliberately gender-ambiguous name, and writes her crime novels under an unambiguously male pseudonym.

She also rants and raves about the policies of the SNP, while still advocating for the Labour Party which supports many of these exact same policies.

She is, and always has been, a hypocrite, and a vile bully with a ridiculous persecution/victim complex. The trans thing is just the latest manifestation of that.

Edited April 2 by Boo Khaki

[BillyAnchor]