Author J.K. Rowling has been unusually silent on social media in the 24 hours since it was reported that she and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, were named in a criminal complaint filed with French authorities by an Algerian Olympic boxer.
Variety On Tuesday, the paper reported that the lawsuit alleges “vicious cyber-harassment” during the Paris Summer Olympics against newly minted Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif, a woman who has been accused of cheating to qualify for the Olympics because she is male and transgender.
Nabil Boudi, a Paris-based lawyer based in Khelif, said: Variety The complaint, filed on August 9 with the Paris prosecutor’s online hatred counter-centre, named both Musk and Rowling.
The Paris prosecutor’s national centre for combating online hatred said in a statement: Variety The company accepted Khelif’s complaint and announced that it had launched an investigation, which also included anti-transgender remarks made by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“On August 13, the (National Center for Combating Online Hatred) contacted the OCLCH (Central Office for Combating Crimes Against Humanity and Hate Crimes) to investigate cases of gender-based cyber harassment, gender-based public shaming, public incitement to discrimination, and place of origin public shaming.”
The lawsuit names “X,” but that doesn’t stand for the Musk-owned social media platform that was known as Twitter. Under French law, “X” means the case has been filed against an unknown person to “ensure that prosecutors have sufficient powers to investigate everyone,” including people who may have written anonymous hate messages, Boudy said.
“The lawsuit names J.K. Rowling, Elon Musk and others,” he told Variety, explaining why Trump was joining the investigation. “Because Trump tweeted, he’s going to be investigated as a prosecutor, whether he’s named in the lawsuit or not.”
Kheriff won the gold medal in the women’s 66 kg boxing event on August 10, but for weeks she has been the target of online hate over her gender eligibility. She was born female and does not identify as transgender or intersex. The International Olympic Committee has supported her, declaring that “scientifically speaking, this is not a contest between men and women.”
Rowling was undeterred, telling her 14.2 million followers that Kherif was a man who “enjoyed the suffering of the woman he had just hit over the head.” Her post included a photo of a match between Kherif and Italian boxer Angela Carini.
Is there a better image to sum up our new men’s rights movement? A grinning man revelling in the agony of a man who has hit a woman over the head, crushing her lifelong ambitions, all while knowing that he is protected by a sports institution that discriminates against women. #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Q5SbKiksXQ
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 1, 2024
Musk shared a post by anti-trans activist and former college swimmer Riley Gaines saying “men don’t belong in women’s sports”, and the owner of X, Tesla and SpaceX endorsed her message with a single word: “Absolutely true.”
absolutely https://t.co/twccUEOW9e
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 1, 2024
Trump message On his platform, Truth Social, he posted a picture of his match with Kareena along with a promise in capital letters: “KILL MEN FROM WOMEN’S SPORTS!”
“What we ask is that the prosecutor investigate not only these people, but anyone else they deem necessary,” Boudy said. “If this case goes to court, they will be brought to justice.” He added that while the case was filed in France, “persons abroad could be targeted,” noting that “prosecutors in charge of combating online hate speech could request mutual legal assistance with other countries.”
Other potential targets include Trump’s running mate, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) Right-wing media personality Charlie Kirk, Boxer and wrestler Logan Paul, They all attacked Kheriff on social media. Paul posted to X after his win over Kalini: “This is evil in its purest form unfolding right before our eyes. A man has been allowed to punch a woman fighting for her late father on a global stage and shatter a lifelong dream. This delusion must end.”
Fox News carried Paul’s remarks.
‘The delusion must end’: Pro-wrestler and influencer Logan Paul A female Olympic fighter has spoken out after being forced to compete against a biological male and withdrawing just seconds into the bout. pic.twitter.com/7XTkmNP4Lm
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 1, 2024
Paul later deleted the post and acknowledged that he “may have been guilty of spreading misinformation.”
Kherif’s coach, Pedro Diaz, told Variety that the bullying she experienced during the Paris Games “had a huge impact on herself and everyone around her,” and advised her to stop looking at social media lest it interfere with her performance in the ring, where she ultimately won gold.
According to Variety, Khelif’s complaint of online harassment is one of several that have opened an investigation into the Paris Olympics. Prosecutors are also looking into allegations against Thomas Joly, artistic director of the opening and closing ceremonies. The Washington Blade reports:Ted, Parts of the ceremony drew criticism and online backlash. Jolie said she was “the target of threatening messages and insults,” and DJ Barbara Bacchi said she received online harassment, death threats and insults after the ceremony.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
