MP comes out as transgender

[poshme]

A male Tory MP has released a statement on Twitter that they are transgender, and also that a couple of years ago they were raped.
It's a brave statement.

Why are people rushing to refer to him as they? Or I misgendered him.

I know you didn't accuse me of transphobia, @Innocenta, and I didn't intend to imply that you had.

His PhD does seem to be genuine. It can be accessed via Cardiff University's library catalogue. It's hard (impossible) to see how that could be the case if it hadn't been through a successful examination process.

Private eye

[quote Innocenta]@Bambooshoot So you think he felt 0 trepidation about the derision he would receive from Tories about having been raped by a man? [/quote]
I’m not sure I understand you. Rape is horrific - why would it be met with derision? I understand this person is gay and an encounter that was initially friendly turned horribly wrong when he said no. Are you saying this is somehow more shameful than “straight” rape since the victim was a man? Or you think the Tories do?

Should we forgive everything he has done (leaving a crime scene, pimping out young girls on his website) just because of this? Because I think a lot of women (me included) would also deserve the same get out of jail free card.

@Innocenta (I'm trying to find a way to say "with respect" without sounding facetious because I actually mean it!) With respect, I think throwing around accusations like "Tories are homophobic en masse" based on a vague sense of that being how things have always been and continue to be is as bad a way to go about things as accusing people of transphobia with no basis.

The one solid statistic I've looked at suggests that Labour - having a poorer record of serving LGBT ministers currently 25% fewer 'out' ministers than Tories - are more likely to be the ones with a problem! (I'm not suggesting that there is actually an issue with this in the Labour party necessarily but on those statistics it's more arguable than for the Tories, funnily enough!)

For much lesser offences, obviously!

I’d stake my house he’ll lose his seat. For every trans supportive vote he gains, he’ll lose two from traditional Tory supporters. It’s not going to play well with blue rinses.

He will lose his seat, but more as a result of his frankly awful behaviour which is far more important than any declared gender identity. His majority is very slim in an area that has been Labour in the past. No doubt people will blame this on transphobia though

Can someone explain how he can be trans if he’s not changing his pronouns or appearance in any way. I don’t understand?

Meeting randoms on the internet for sex is really really unsafe. Fleeing the scene of a car crash is pretty dodgy behaviour. Managing a dodgy sex website is gross.
MPs are supposed to be fit and proper people. Represent their constituents. That is their job. He is obviously totally unfit for public office for various reasons.
This is now all about him to deflect from his behaviour.
He has no intention of changing pronouns or his appearance. Is he just jumping on the trans bandwagon to use trans privilege to deflect from the fact he is totally unsuitable to be in office.

@PronounssheRa

I’d stake my house he’ll lose his seat. For every trans supportive vote he gains, he’ll lose two from traditional Tory supporters. It’s not going to play well with blue rinses.

He will lose his seat, but more as a result of his frankly awful behaviour which is far more important than any declared gender identity. His majority is very slim in an area that has been Labour in the past. No doubt people will blame this on transphobia though

I agree. Passed through Bridgend last week.The whole area needs massive investment. Hard to reconcile what I was seeing with a Tory constituency. Brexit was surely a factor in the Tories winning there. A marginal seat with a liability as MP. Back to Labour next time.

Nope, and it wasn't for him either, he got 6pts on his license and a Fine.

Again, not talking about prosecutions. He is justifying being an MP who broke the law, cause 'I am trans, but not quite and am not changing anything at all'

Again, I can't imagine any female MP being called stunnning and brave for committing a crime, which meant they avoided being breathalysed and justifying it with 'well yes, i did do that. But I am not sure about my gender and I have raped. Oh and had a stalker/been harrassed/blackmailed. I have ptsd'

Maybe it has happened and female MPs have been priased in the same circumstances. May its just that I can't recall it.

I think female MPs would being told they have too much going on and should step down. Definitely not stunning and brave

@HermioneKipper

Can someone explain how he can be trans if he’s not changing his pronouns or appearance in any way. I don’t understand?

My guess would be that he's not trans, just want to be able to deflect any criticism of his business dealings and dodgy PhD by calling everybody a transphobe.

@littlbrowndog

Private eye

If "US scientist" PZ Myers dismisses you as "crank academics" - well!

They sound entirely inappropriate to hold public office. Awful that they’ve been subjected to rape, but that doesn’t absolve them from being little more than a pimp, and neither does being trans.

I'm wondering if in this particular case, it's a form of dissociation based on the stress of the entire situation.

@PronounssheRa

Yes Jamie was a co owner of a sugar daddy dating site which offered students financial relationships with rich men. Jamie denied this initially.

Jess phillips wanted Jamie to resign as a result.

It seems like Jamie needs some time to recover from a traumatic period.

Yes and fled the scene of a car crash….

@IvyTwines

American twitter is waking up now: 'next up will be Prince Transdrew'

I believe Andrew did change his pronouns, he now no longer goes by the pronoun of HRH.

@ReallyIsThatIt I think that's a perfectly fair point considering how I expressed my reply; I was really commenting to the effect that I didn't have one reason (re: Tory homophobia), but a host of them. In my own mind I experience it as fairly messy and impressionistic, but of course I can go over it in more depth and detail if necessary. Seems like a bit of a derail, though? Happy to discuss via DM.

I don't disagree with you that it's vague and as such akin to the generalised 'that's transphobic' accusations in the way I originally expressed it.

Could it be deflection, as in "I'm at some point going to be trans, but not now"?
This means he gets the golden ticket without making a single change?

@DrSbaitso

I'm wondering if in this particular case, it's a form of dissociation based on the stress of the entire situation.

The gender dysphoria?

I can't see how. The blackmailer, at the bringing of this had photos of him, presumably in women's clothes. He said the blackmailer was going to out him to his parents

He must have been dressing up for quite a while before the rest of it.

Judging by his track record I have serious doubts over much of what he says.

Interesting that the one thing the opposition party is struggling with is the one thing he defines himself as, thus preventing any criticism of previous actions.

There are notable trans activists, who are Labour supporters, I wonder what they've got to say on this?

Yes, maybe, @Turningpurple. Cross dressing used to be considered different to being trans but the distinction seems to be eroding by the minute. I was just thinking that maybe he did identify male just fine - no reason you can't do that while enjoying wearing feminine clothes and/or being attracted to men. And that maybe the stress of the situation, which might be any mix of the rape, the threat, the reports of the dubious business and website history and so on, was causing him to look for ways to dissociate into being a different person. Possibly one who, in his mind maybe, wouldn't be judged so harshly.