Prime minister Rishi Sunak mocked trans women in a leaked speech to Conservative MPs earlier this month.
PinkNews uploaded a Sunday video of the prime minister supposedly speaking to the influential 1922 committee’s backbench Tory MPs.
Sunak attacks Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, who championed trans people in May.
Davey told LBC host Nick Ferrari that trans people are legal, thus “quite clearly” women can have penises.
The Lib Dem leader said, “There’s a small number of people who, actually, they have a tough time. They’re bullied and discriminated against; genuine, significant mental health concerns, and I believe we need to discuss this…with a bit more maturity and compassion.”
On June 5, Sunak addressed the 1922 members, omitting the compassion call.
“You have noticed that Ed Davey has been very busy,” he says in the film. Like me, you’ve seen him trying to prove women have penises.
“I was reflecting, and you all know I’m a big fan of everyone studying maths to 18.
“But we need to focus on biology to 18 too!”
PinkNews managing editor Nic Keaney tweeted the clip:
Once revealed, Sunak’s remarks incited uproar.
The individual who handed PinkNews the tape said: “The veneer of freedom of speech publicly is one thing but to make jokes in private, it’s another thing altogether.
“You wouldn’t make trans jokes.”
They noted that “quite a few” younger crowd members appeared “visibly uncomfortable” amid the laughs.
Sunak opposes trans people often. “100% of women do not have penises,” he told ConservativeHome in April.
Sir Keir Starmer’s comment that “for 99.9% of women, it is completely biological, and of course, they haven’t got a penis” may have prompted this.
The prime minister will also amend the Equality Act’s definition of sex to exclude transgender people from single-sex areas.
He blocked Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Act earlier this year with a Section 35 injunction. This made legal recognition simpler for trans people without a medical diagnosis.
Sunak should apologize, said Stonewall CEO Nancy Kelley. The prime minister’s mockery of trans individuals in parliament is appalling.
“This contradicts his promise to govern with compassion and is unsuitable for any modern workplace. Apologize, PM.”
