Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council calls for local Greens to think again about cutting scrutiny committee that deals with trans* issues locally.
GREEN PARTY leader Natalie Bennett has apologised for comments made by the Green Parliamentary candidate for Cambridge, Dr Rupert Read, about trans* people.
In a twitter exchange, Dr Read said he found the word cisgender “troubling” going on to describe trans* women as “a sort of opt-in version of what it is to be a woman”.
Cisgender is a word that trans* people use to refer to people who aren’t transgender.
Dr Read later apologised “unreservedly” after coming under fire for his remarks, saying: “I’m sorry, especially for any upset caused to transgender people, who remain sorely oppressed in our society today.”
The Green Party leadership issued a joint statement saying they were “disappointed” with Dr Read’s comments and expressed their sympathies with anyone who was hurt or offended by the remarks.
The statement said: “The Green Party is wholly committed to fighting for equality and fair representation for all transgender and LGBTIQ communities and we wish to reiterate and reaffirm our party’s commitment to that cause.
“We now want to do all we can to move forward positively and continue the important job of standing up for LGBTIQ rights.”
Commenting on the story, Cllr Warren Morgan, the Labour Leader on Brighton and Hove City Council, who worked on the city’s Trans* Scrutiny report, said: “I’m appalled by these offensive comments, which you would expect from a UKIP candidate, not a Green one.”
“I’m glad the Green leader has apologised, but I’d like the Greens to think again about cutting the scrutiny team which is meant to carry on the trans* work in Brighton and Hove. If elected in May we will make sure that work continues.”
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