In a disturbing display of insensitivity, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reiterated a widely condemned transphobic statement he made earlier this year, despite facing significant backlash for his initial remarks. Sunak, the leader of the Conservative Party, took to Facebook on Monday, December 4th, to target trans individuals once again with an unprompted and contextless statement, declaring, “A man is a man and a woman is a woman – that’s just common sense.”
This distressing remark had its origins in Sunak’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference in October, where he claimed that the public was being “bullied” into supporting trans people. In the same speech, he denied the existence of trans individuals while paradoxically asserting that the Tories had allowed “love” to “cascade down the generations.” Human rights groups and activists viewed this speech as yet another example of the UK government’s disregard for the LGBTQ+ community.
Belgium’s deputy prime minister, Petra De Sutter, who is trans herself, condemned Sunak’s speech as “hurtful and disappointing,” emphasizing that such words fuel transphobia and endanger the lives of many individuals worldwide. She firmly stated, “Trans women are women. And in no way a threat to others. Don’t join the real bullies.”
Doubling Down on Controversy
In response to the growing backlash against his speech and declining popularity in polls, Sunak doubled down on his transphobic comments during a European Political Community meeting. When asked if he regretted his earlier remarks, he asserted, “No, I think a man is a man and a woman is a woman. I think people watching this program will think that that’s common sense and that’s just a fact of biology. Of course, this is always going to be a passionate, tolerant country. That’s how we always are, but we can’t ignore fundamental facts of biology and saying those things shouldn’t be controversial.”
A History of Transphobic Comments
Sunak’s recent transphobic speech is not an isolated incident. His disregard for trans individuals dates back to earlier times. In June, he was caught on camera mocking trans people, specifically ridiculing Lib Dem leader Ed Davey for supporting trans rights. Furthermore, both he and the shortest-serving prime minister, Liz Truss, denied the identity of trans women as women during the August 2022 leadership hustings.
Unfortunately, Sunak’s disdain for trans people has aligned with the spread of anti-trans rhetoric across the country. In a troubling admission, the Home Office revealed that politicians, including Sunak, are partly responsible for the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes, underscoring the real-world consequences of such transphobic rhetoric.