Conservative Jamie Wallis Becomes First Openly Trans UK MP
The Facts
MPs across the political spectrum have stated their support for Jamie Wallis, who on Wed. became the first openly transgender MP in the UK.
In a statement released on social media, Wallis also revealed they'd been blackmailed in the past by someone demanding £50K to keep the information secret.
The Spin
Left narrative
Representation is important, and Wallis' bravery will provide hope to other members of the trans community. However, little is likely to change; Conservative statements of support are meaningless, given the party's history of snide and derogatory remarks surrounding trans issues, and this risks only being further detrimental to Wallis' mental health.
Right narrative
Wrapping up comments about fleeing the scene of a car crash inside coming out as transgender is clearly an attempt to insulate from criticism. Wallis is exploiting the wider discourse around transgender issues in the UK today while the Labour Party struggles to coherently define what a woman is.
