Boris Johnson allegedly made a joke at the expense of the transgender community hours before the first-ever UK MP came out as trans.
During a dinner for Conservative MPs on 29 March, the Prime Minister is believed to have mocked Sir Keir Starmer for refusing to get involved in a ‘debate’ being pushed by social commentators over whether or not a woman can have a penis. “Good evening ladies and gentleman – or as Keir Starmer would put it, people who are assigned female or male at birth,” Johnson reportedly told fellow politicians during his opening speech, according to Politico.
The comment came just hours before Jamie Wallis, who was at the dinner in question, came out as trans, making him the first UK MP to do so.
The MP, who said he will continue using he/him pronouns, explained that he had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and “felt this way since I was a very young child.” “I had no intention of ever sharing this with you,” Wallis continued in a lengthy and personal Twitter statement. “I always imagined I would leave politics well before I ever said this out loud.” He also shared details of several traumatic ordeals he has been through, including rape and a blackmail attempt. “Sharing this very intimate story would have taken an immense amount of courage.