In a recent development, India Willoughby, the UK's first transgender national news anchor, has reported renowned author JK Rowling to the police for "misgendering" her on social media. The incident occurred when Rowling referred to Willoughby as a "man" in a series of posts.

Willoughby, who is 58 years old, stated that she had "contacted Northumbria Constabulary" regarding Rowling's posts. According to Willoughby, Rowling's comments amounted to a "cut-and-dry offense" and were in violation of both the Equalities Act and the Gender Recognition Act. Willoughby asserted that as a transgender woman, being misgendered by Rowling constituted a breach of her protected characteristic.

Rowling, also 58 years old, defended her stance, asserting that free speech is protected under British law. She further alleged that Willoughby's persistent targeting of her amounted to defamation and harassment. Rowling has been vocal about her opinions on transgender issues, refusing to concede that gender is not a biological trait determined at birth.

This incident comes in the wake of reports suggesting that the UK's Labour Party would consider deliberately misgendering someone as a hate crime punishable by imprisonment. However, legal experts have argued that misgendering, while rude, does not meet the threshold of a criminal act.

The clash between Rowling and Willoughby has been ongoing for over a year, with both parties engaging in a war of words. Last year, Willoughby tweeted, "I'm more of a woman than JK Rowling will ever be," to which Rowling responded by questioning the validity of Willoughby's claim.

Rowling has previously faced backlash from the transgender community when she voiced support for a tax specialist who was fired for holding anti-trans views. In a subsequent essay, she criticized what she referred to as "current trans activism" and its purported attempts to redefine the legal definition of sex.

The Northumbria police have yet to comment on the matter. It remains to be seen how this incident will be handled within the legal framework surrounding transgender rights and freedom of speech in the UK.