Politics
Kate Plummer
Mar 30, 2022
Independent
Boris Johnson has been criticised for making a joke about transgender people the night before Tory MP Jamie Wallis revealed they were trans.
The prime minister wrote a message of support to Wallis on Twitter after they said they had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, causing people to compare that support with the joke Johnson reportedly made at a dinner for Tory MPs at London’s Park Plaza hotel.
"Good evening ladies and gentleman, or as Keir Starmer would put it, people who are assigned female or male at birth,” he had quipped, according to Politico, referring to the Labour leader's refusal to answer whether a woman can have a penis in an interview with LBC earlier this week.
Then to Wallis, he wrote: "Sharing this very intimate story would have taken an immense amount of courage.Thank you @JamieWallisMP for your bravery, which will undoubtedly support others.
"The Conservative Party I lead will always give you, and everyone else, the love and support you need to be yourself."
Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
The sequence of events did not go unnoticed by people:
This is a joke he made in front of Wallis last fucking night https://twitter.com/borisjohnson/status/1509092404061687810\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/eiFCILPESh— James Felton (@James Felton) 1648632029
The dignity of this brave statement from Conservative MP Jamie Wallis stands in stark contrast to the Prime Minister's cheap gag at the same event last night.pic.twitter.com/9b2bEQrpRD— Adam Bienkov (@Adam Bienkov) 1648626886
A bit awkward that Boris Johnson kicked off his speech to Tory MPs\u2019 dinner last night with this joke:\n\n\u201cGood evening ladies and gentleman, or as Keir Starmer would put it, people who are assigned female or male at birth.\u201d\n\n(h/t @alexwickham)— Pippa Crerar (@Pippa Crerar) 1648629092
On the night a Tory MP comes out as trans, Boris Johnson starts his speech with a joke:\n\n\u201cGood evening ladies and gentleman, or as Keir Starmer would put it, people who are assigned female or male at birth.\u201d— Matt Chorley (@Matt Chorley) 1648626402
Tory Jamie Wallis has come out as the UK's first trans MP. \n\nJust last night, Boris Johnson was making jokes at trans people's expense. https://twitter.com/JamieWallisMP/status/1508984487102844931\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/MhdGWFa8YR— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE) 1648628295
What a remarkably brave thing to have written. I'm so sorry that he had to do so while the prime minister was making lame jokes about the issue at his speech last night.https://news.sky.com/story/mp-jamie-wallis-says-he-is-trans-as-he-reveals-rape-ordeal-and-50-000-blackmail-plot-against-him-12578053\u00a0\u2026— Ian Dunt (@Ian Dunt) 1648631587
In parliament last week, Johnson said the “basic facts of biology” are “overwhelmingly important” after being asked about trans rights at PMQs.
He added that when people are keen to “make a transition in their lives” they must be “treated with the maximum possible generosity and respect”.
"We have systems in this country that allow that and have done for a long time, and we should be very proud of it,” he said.
indy100 has contacted Downing Street to comment on this story.
Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
Top 100
The Conversation (0)
x