A lawmaker in the UK has come out as trans, making him the first trans MP in the country.
Jamie Wallis, 37, is an MP for Bridgend in Wales. Wallis is a member of the right-leaning Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He has indicated he intends to continue to use he/him pronouns for now.
Wallis, 37, posted a lengthy message on Twitter. The MP revealed that besides having gender dysphoria, he’d also been raped following a dating app hookup in September. Wallis said that subsequent PTSD from this incident played a part in them crashing a car last November in the Welsh village of Llanblethian.
Wallis’ crash was into a lamppost carrying communications equipment. It managed to temporarily wipe out a village’s internet connection. Wallis fled the scene but was later arrested.
Related: Gaga’s “switched baristas” dismissal of Caitlyn Jenner is our new go-to phrase
Wallis posted a statement to Twitter shortly before 3am local time today. Earlier in the evening, Wallis attended a private dinner thrown by Prime Minister Boris Johnson for MPs.
It’s time. https://t.co/cbt0tKQZuN pic.twitter.com/IUaCjm9PtE
— Jamie Wallis MP (@JamieWallisMP) March 30, 2022
Wallis’ statement said:
“Yesterday the parliamentary party had a photo in the chamber and then we went for dinner together. It was nice, especially for those of us in the ‘2019 intake’ of MPs who haven’t done anything like that before.
“It was lovely to speak to colleagues away from Parliament, and I appreciated the occasion for a number of reasons.”
Wallis went on to thank his party for the behind-the-scenes support it gives to MPs.
“As far as I’ve seen they try their best to support and help MPs who are having a tough time. Well they’ve certainly earned their keep with me.”
Wallis then said, “I’m trans. Or to be more accurate, I want to be. I’ve been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and I’ve felt this way since I was a very young child. I had no intention of ever sharing this with you. I always imagined I would leave politics well before I ever said this out loud.
“There was a close call in April 2020 when someone Blackmailed me, outed me to my father and sent photographs to other family members. He wanted £50,000 to keep quiet. The police were so supportive, so understanding and on this occasion the system worked. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 2yrs and 9mnths in prison.
“For a while it seemed as though I would be able to get on with things and move on. Being an MP and hiding something like this was always going to be tough, but I arrogantly assumed I was up for it.
“Well, I’m not.
“A few months back, in September, I ‘hooked up’ with someone who I met online and when I chose to say ‘no’ on the basis that he wouldn’t wear a condom he chose to rape me. I have not been myself since this incident and I don’t think I will ever recover. It is not something you ever forget, and it is not something you ever move on from.
“Since then things have really taken a tumble. I am not ok.
“When I crashed my car on the 28th November I fled the scene. I did so because I was terrified. I have PTSD and I honestly have no idea what I was doing except I was overcome by an overwhelming sense of fear. I am sorry that it appears I ‘ran away’ but this isn’t how it happened in the moment.
“Tonight, I was reminded of the incredible support those you work with can provide. Also, I was reminded how important it is to be yourself. I have never lived my truth and I’m not sure how. Perhaps it starts with telling everyone.”
Related: Am I trans? Figuring out your gender
Ironically, Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly welcomed guests at last night’s dinner with a transphobic dig at a rival politician.
“Good evening, ladies and gentleman, or as Keir Starmer would put it, people who are assigned female or male at birth.”
Keir Starmer is the leader of the Labour Party, the main opposition party in the UK. Starmer has been a vocal supporter of trans rights.
However, this morning, Johnson tweeted a message of support for Wallis.
Sharing this very intimate story would have taken an immense amount of courage. Thank you @JamieWallisMP for your bravery, which will undoubtedly support others.
The Conservative Party I lead will always give you, and everyone else, the love and support you need to be yourself. https://t.co/Y7VjQOMgkO
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 30, 2022
At around noon local time, Wallis posted a further statement, to clarify his pronouns and thank people for their support.
“I wanted to thank everyone for the huge outpouring of support I have received following my previous statement.
“This is all very new to me. It’s taken a long time for me to come to terms with my gender dysphoria. It is a deeply personal matter and I had hoped to continue to keep this private until after I had finished my term as the Member of Parliament for Bridgend.
“I am overwhelmed by the kindness and support I have received in the last few hours. I am proud to be completely open and honest about the struggles I have had, and continue to have, with my identity. However, I remain the same person I was yesterday. For the time being, I will continue to present as I always have and will use he/him/his pronouns.”
tallskin4
When He says he was raped using a dating app, I assume that means a gay dating app?
If he’s a gay man he’s not been open. From my point as a labour supporter, this guy is a fat right wing closeted tory.
Some political background here: At the last UK national election in 2019 he took a safe Labour seat after he successfully miked the still raw wounds of Brexit and rode into Parliament on the coat tails of liar boris johnson.
Considering the low popularity of Boris Johnson’s government right now I will make a prediction and I’d say it is unlikely this fat tory will hold onto his seat at the next election and the seat will return to Labour.
I hesitate to be cynical (cough cough) but I wonder if this announcement of being trans is a means of him appealing to the more liberal and pro-trans Labour Voters so he can remain an MP.
barryaksarben
HE is dishonest so of course supports right wing hate nonsense. BY BY
MarcyMayer
Tallskin4:
Oh my!
“…this guy is a fat right wing closeted tory.”
“…it is unlikely this fat tory…”
And I thought that the LGBTQ+ community was tolerant and embraced everyone.
Guess not.
Now, they’re stooping to ad hominem attacks.
Tsk, tsk.
BaltoSteve
Ah, MM, it’s amusing that you would call someone out for that. But I guess that would definitely qualify as Pot Calling Kettle. Bless your tiny little heart.
Eternal.Cowboy
@tallskin4 –
How many screen names do you have?
@Marcy Taylor Green –
tallskin4 is on your side, you have clearly chosen well.
Leo
Very true. As a gay person and a trans advocate I think this is not an honest man.
Mister P
H
Mister P
Hopefully everyone will start to see that transgenderism is not a liberal or conservative issue and compassion and empathy will rule.
tallskin4
Mister P don’t you mean transvestitism?
joverit
It’ll be fun to see all the anti-trans legislation this ‘biological male’ will support to try to get on FOX News
Den
I don’t think Brits care much about FOX news.
Fahd
I would think that during all the soul searching Wallis is going through that he would have decided to switch parties away from one in which the leader, Boris Johnson, makes gratuitous “trans jokes” to a party that stands up for the marginalized (e.g. labor).
London_resistance
A conservative British politician with a fake PhD & a history of owning a sugar daddy business & then lying about it crashes into a telephone pole which knocks out a community’s internet service for days, flees, blames the rape for the fact he crashed his car into the pole the & then came out as trans but said he wouldn’t be changing his name or pronouns and the most common reaction is… to praise him.
Okay. You gormless idiots! You’re so gullible! This man ran an sugar daddy business renting out poverty struck girls and boys to rich buyers. And when he got caught he denied it. He’ s just a pimp
I do believe he/him is, at the very least, a cross-dresser AGP who was blackmailed and likely raped, as he claims. Terrible stuff. Truly. Shouldn’t happen to anyone. But gender dysphoria isn’t a get out of jail card which you gullible gobshltes have made it. Or at least it shouldn’t be.
Capawok
I have a bad head ache now.