Suella Bravermans speech last night in Washington

[RedToothBrush]

Oh Boy, has she blown this up.

Paul Brand from ITV and Iain Dale are not happy bunnies (both are gay).

Paul Brand ITV AT PaulBrandITV
Suella Braverman’s speech in Washington this evening contains a blistering attack on pro-LGBT Tories.

She says the pride (progress) flag has been flown on govt buildings as if marking “occupied territory”, accusing Tory colleagues of supporting a “horrible political campaign” which supports the “mutilation of children” and leaves her “physically repulsed”.

This is arguably some of the most inflammatory language used by an MP about any LGBT issue since the 1980s. People will scream at me from both sides of the argument, but most people agree that there is an important and sensitive discussion to be had about children and trans identity. The question is whether this language helps.

But by using this rhetoric, I suspect Suella Braverman hopes to draw attention to her views and claim this ground as her own in the coming leadership contest. Others in her party share the same view but don’t express it quite this strongly, so she marks herself out.

Iain Dale AT IainDale
What a disgusting speech. And she seriously thinks she has a chance of leading the Conservative Party. Not while I have a breath left in my body. Moderate Conservatives need to stand up and be counted. This will not stand.

The replies to Iain Dale are worth reading btw. They are largely telling him, he's wrong.

So what did Suella say? See transcript below.

I personally think because of who she is, it's probably unhelpful and only pushes the 'US conservative religious right' buttons. And she perhaps put it too strongly in language.

But, and I can't believe I'm saying this, isn't saying anything that I think is wrong either. Mainly cos she's right and isn't out of step with Cass.

The problem is, I think she will ultimately defect to Reform when she doesn't win the Tory Party leadership and I think the danger with her speech is that it will have the oppose effect to the one intended by forcing a polarisation merely because she's Evil Suella. But I suspect the idea this subject has gone away and can be quietly buried is firmly for the birds now. She's decided to make this a hill to die on by the looks of it.

As I say, that election result changed a lot. Farage will look to capitalise and Americanise this argument too. Expect more of similar.

Other parties now have a choice whether to play into the hands of the polarisation by pushing back (which politically I think is a bear trap which will back fire in time) or to acknowledge the issues that TWAW has created and the findings of the Cass Review.

Interesting times.

'Monsters seeking to mutilate children'

It's a bit of an odd speech in that it's both coy and theatrical at the same time.

Spell it out clearly without the emotive language. Dark hints and hyperbole is not necessary.

People have supported the mutilation of children.

Yep. She's going to alienate and make people switch off rather than listen and engage with the language she's used.

It's frustrating.

She's right about mutilating children and their collective failure to halt it. Although they did stem the tide somewhat, to be fair. Cass would never have happened under Labour.

She appears to be a loose cannon, and I read she had to be told/persuaded not to launch her leadership bid at the count on election night!

They need a cool head. She's not it.

Andrew Doyle in response to Paul Brand

I don’t doubt that PaulBrandITV’s intentions are good, but his post suggests that he has reacted reflexively rather than taking the time to familiarise himself with the issues.

The “Progress Pride” flag is rejected by many LGB people precisely because it symbolises a movement that seeks to eradicate our history and promote a new form of gay conversion therapy.

Gender identity ideology is the most serious threat to gay rights within living memory, mostly because so many (gay people included) have simply not understood its implications.

I'm not happy about bringing the flag into it. I hate the flag. I hate the its demonstration of dangerous ideas force teamed with gay rights.

But it's a flag. Focus on what matters- the safety of children and women.

Ahhhh that’s why twitter is full of weeping willies this morning.

Agree.

It's interesting she's focused on this after James Mays comments the other week. In much softer terms, I might add.

Focusing on the flag though, is liable to encourage an anti gay backlash.

It's divisive and it's inflammatory.

Even though I actually agree with her on principle.

That's why it's frustrating. It's almost force teaming in reverse sadly.

I’m not sure how linking this to anti racist unconscious bias training is helpful either - this is just a series of dog whistles.

She's after the American Christian Right ££ to fund her leadership campaign. Basically Truss 2.0. I think she's largely an irrelevance now, just showing her true colours. With any luck she'll "defect" to the USA and stay there.

I found this from Suella in the Telegraph www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/07/06/deserve-this-result-14-years-in-office-and-did-not-deliver/
They knew, they all bloody knew children are being harmed and have done nothing to stop it.

Like many of her colleagues I think she's more concerned with her future career in the right wing media complex than achieving anything in politics.

It's not "tone policing" to consider carefully the right language in which to achieve one's aims - it's what serious political movements do! This isn't it. It alienates anyone "in the middle" and those are always the people you need to bring onside.

Braverman is right. Some people don’t like hearing the right message from the “wrong” person.

Good for Suella. Stand up, speak out and tell the truth. I’m sick of gutless politicians pandering to male sex fetishists. I feel proud when I hear Britain called Terf Island!

We do need people who speak moderately etc. But being kind and reasonable has got women deep into the shit over the past few years.

Good for Andrew Doyle too.

Yes Suella is very brave. There is no point being all timid and trying to bring people with you etc. It doesn't work on an issue like this where the opposing view is bonkers and/or hateful. That said I don't think it works to be like this as a leader so hopefully she did something else.

Andrew Doyle is doing brilliant work on exposing the homophobic nature of gender ideology and calling out those who haven't done their homework but should have done. If you're a gay man commenting on this you at least need to learn a little about why Suella is saying this. She's not wrong. You might not like her, you might think she's homophobic too, but she's not wrong.

Because AD's a man, I think many other men will be more willing to listen to him than witches / vipers (i.e. women). I am very grateful for his clear voice on this, he will have a clear conscience when there is a reckoning in the future once the children that were converted from being fully healthy gay young people to 'trans' grow up and realise.

Unfortunately, even if Suella Braverman has stated what she feels, people don't read everything, they deal in soundbites. So what she has done, is lump LGBTQii+++ in with LGB. The division of these two groups is not yet firmly set in society. Criticise one part and you are damning all.

Suella Braverman is showing the lack of restraint and clear thinking that means she belongs with Reform and not with hopefully what the Conservatives will get back to. I'm afraid she scares the bejesus out of me, somewhat like Farage does. Reform is not the party of women, it is the party of women back in the kitchen

Yes high
lots of people will just read the flag comments as homophobia. The only people who think she's done well are the ones already brought in,who know what she's talking about.

I think its quite ill judged after their election performance, but money talks I guess.

Poor little lambs.

I'm glad she's done this. Honestly, there's no way Suella B can get back to being a 'moderate' Tory, that ship has well and truly sailed well before these comments.

What she is doing is raising the issue - so it's talked about and it gives a platform to quality journalists like Doyle to say 'well, hang on now,....' and provide the evidence about what is happening.

So, basically, sunlight. Only people who are unwilling to think at all will be able to ignore the mountain of evidence that gender ideology is homophobic.

So what she has done, is lump LGBTQii+++ in with LGB. The division of these two groups is not yet firmly set in society. Criticise one part and you are damning all.

SHE hasn’t lumped them together. They have been very firmly tied together by everyone from Stonewall to Pride to trans organisations to civil service networks.

The forced teaming has been very clever. Thank goodness for LGBA and people like Doyle and Kavanaugh who are starting to vocally challenge that forced teaming and point out the homophobia of gender ideology.

The forced teaming was purely, as far as I can tell, to ensure Stonewall continued to have an income stream.

As a result, gay children have been 'transitioned' to become straight. It's like something out of a terrible dystopian novel.

I found that quite the gratifying read tbh.

Brave?

She is a disgusting person.

HPFA · Today 08:58

Like many of her colleagues I think she's more concerned with her future career in the right wing media complex than achieving anything in politics.

I think you're probably right, she's a busted flush in the party, as far as I see it. She's hoping to do a Johnson with commentary and public speaking.

She's just ingratiating herself with the American right wing - no doubt thinking ahead to lucrative speaking engagements when she's no longer an MP.