Grace Tame, Magda Szubanski fire up over Liberal candidate Katherine Deves

Grace Tame and Magda Szubanski have kicked off at one of Scott Morrison’s pet candidates over comments she made on gender issues.

Grace Tame and Magda Szubanski have kicked off at Scott Morrison’s “captain’s pick” for the seat of Warringah, Katherine Deves over comments she made on gender issues.

Deves has already been forced to apologise after news.com.au revealed she had described trans kids as “surgically mutilated and sterilised”.

Today it was reported by The Guardian that Deves described Wear it Purple Day – a day billed as celebrating diversity – as a “grooming tactic” promoting “extreme body modification” on a now-deleted website.

Tweeting in reaction to the revelations, former Australian of the Year Grace Tame said the statements from Deves were “deeply insulting”.

“Not only is this deeply insulting to the LGBT community, it trivialises very real experiences of one of the most evil forms of calculated psychological violence,” she said.

Magda Szubanski meanwhile said the statements were “downright cruel”.

“The comments from Deves are ignorant as well as distinctly lacking in compassion and common sense. In fact, let’s just say it…they’re downright cruel,” she said.

Grace Tame talks about her experiences at Writers Week during the Adelaide Festival. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Magda Szubanski. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Deves forced to apologise

Ms Deves issued a public apology for the language after news.com.au revealed she had wiped her social media accounts, including posts that said she was ”triggered” by the LGBT rainbow flag.

She also posted graphic topless images of a trans teenager who had undergone ‘top surgery’ to remove their breasts.

“My advocacy for the rights and safety of women and girls is well known, and I stand by my desire to ensure we protect the safety of women and girls and our entire community,’’ Ms Deves told news.com.au.

“However, the language I used was not acceptable, and for that I apologise.

“My commitment is to continue listening to the views of people in Warringah, and the broader community – I will do this in a respectful way.”

Ms Deves’ Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have all been deleted.

The Prime Minister has previously praised Ms Deves as “right on the money” in the last 48 hours, confirming she is simply standing up for “common sense”.

Her deleted tweets included one which read: “They will not stand for seeing vulnerable children surgically mutilated and sterilised,” and contained a photograph of a teenager who had undergone top surgery.

“The lawsuits will be legion, as will be the government inquiries. Complete failure of safeguarding. Mark my words.”

The Liberal candidate has also moved to delete her social media accounts.

In another post in May 2021, Ms Deves said she was “triggered” by the rainbow pride flag.

“I get triggered by it,” she said. “Whenever I see it on social media I think ‘What now? What are they demanding now?’ And I grew up with gay relatives and siblings and hung out in Surry Hills and X in Sydney in the 1990s.

“Lots of LGB family and friends, their movement has been destroyed.”

The Prime Minister has heaped praise on Ms Deves in recent days as she battles to secure the seat of Warringah from Independent Zali Steggall.

“Katherine Deves over there in Warringah, you know, she‘s standing up for something really important, and that is to ensure that, you know, when it comes to girls playing sport and women playing sport, that they’re playing against people of the same sex,” he said.

“And that’s, I know, it’s a sensitive issue.

“Katherine is, you know, an outstanding individual. And she’s standing up for things that she believes in, and I share her views on those topics. This is just about, you know, common sense and what’s right. And I think Katherine’s right on the money there.”

But her views have been slammed by entertainer Pauline Pantsdown, an Australian satirist and former candidate for the Senate.

“Trans-obsessed LNP candidate Deves has completely ignored the careful & fair inclusive work that Australian sports teams & organisations have done for years,” he said.

“Again: their campaign is not about sport – they‘re trying to pry open a door to bigotry & darkness.”

Four years ago, the Prime Minister sparked debate when he said that Australian schools don’t need “gender whisperers”.

Prime Minister has praised Ms Deves as ‘right on the money’ in the last 48 hours.

The PM has heaped praise on Ms Deves as she battles to secure the seat of Warringah.

“We do not need ‘gender whisperers’ in our schools. Let kids be kids,” Mr Morrison tweeted and posted to Facebook on Wednesday morning, in response to a Daily Telegraph article noting a “surge” in the number of children identifying as trans.

He was then confronted on The Project by a trans child, Evie, about his views.

Evie said she knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of attitudes like Mr Morrison’s, and that it had cost her childhood.

“I went to a Christian school where I had to pretend to be a boy and spend weeks in conversion therapy,” she said.

In another post in May, 2021, Ms Deves said she was “triggered” by the rainbow pride flag.

“We get one childhood and mine was stolen from me by attitudes like this.”

Asked to respond to Evie’s emotionally charged statement, Mr Morrison said: “I love all Australians, whatever the background they come from.”

Ms Deves said gender identity should not be taught in schools.

“When it comes to gender identity there really is no place for it in schools,” she said.

“Our leadership really needs to stand up and start listening to the parents who do not want this, the schools who do not want this, because the children are getting on-board with it, because they are seeing it on social media, general media, there is social contagion among the children.

“We know the risk is, if they start declaring that they are trans or non-binary, they might be pushed on to that medicalised pathway and irreversible surgeries that there are many clinicians and doctors trying to warn everyone about, because we are going to be left with a cohort of children, who have been experimented on, who are going to be left as lifelong medical patients.”

Senator Chandler & trans-obsessed LNP candidate Deves have completely ignored the careful & fair inclusive work that Australian sports teams & organisations have done for years. Again : their campaign is not about sport - they're trying to pry open a door to bigotry & darkness. https://t.co/cQCjhZfKXk

— Pauline Pantsdown (@PPantsdown) April 11, 2022

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