UK PM causes outrage over transgender comments
Rishi Sunak has sparked outrage after making very controversial comments about transgender people at his first party conference as leader.
The UK Prime Minister, who is campaigning to get people to support his Conservative party ahead of next year’s general election, declared that “we shouldn’t get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be”.
At the party’s annual conference, Mr Sunak spoke for more than an hour as he promised that the Tories would break the mould of the last 30 years of government.
Despite being in power for 13 years, the Conservative party is on the road to defeat the next election, after increasing dissatisfaction among voters.
“We will be bold, we will be radical. We will face resistance and we will meet it,” he told delegates at the conference.
Many have seen his comments about transgender people as the most bold and radical parts of his speech.
“It shouldn’t be controversial for parents to know what their children are being taught in school about relationships,” he said.
“Patients should know when hospitals are talking about men or women. We shouldn’t get bullied.”
His delegates applauded his controversial statements, to which Sunak continued, “We shouldn’t get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be. They can’t.”
“A man is a man and a woman is a woman, that’s just common sense.”
Sunak’s comments quickly went viral online, with many people expressing their concern over such a prominent figure making such divisive comments.
“Outrageous hate, which is going to encourage bullying and physical attacks by thugs, utterly vile,” transgender British newsreader India Willoughby wrote.
“If a single trans person gets attacked or murdered after today then Rishi Sunak should be arrested and charged,” added another.
“Never had so many DMs from worried UK trans people and their families,” wrote a third.
“The important thing following Rishi Sunak’s hate speech: IT IS NOT LAW. Nothing has changed. Trans are still legally recognised and protected. Yes it’s scary – but they do not have time to change rules/law.”
Image credits: Getty Images