Liberal candidate Katherine Deves backtracks on transgender apology
Liberal candidate Katherine Deves has declared describing trans teenagers as surgically mutilated and sterilised is the “correct terminology”.
Liberal candidate Katherine Deves has declared describing transgender teenagers as surgically mutilated and sterilised is the “correct terminology” even if it is “ugly and confronting”.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News, the biological sex campaigner, who is running in the NSW seat of Warringah, appeared to double down on the descriptions she had previously apologised for as she also took a swing at NSW Treasurer Matt Kean.
“I’m apologising for how people might have perceived it, and the fact that it is confronting, and it is ugly, and I certainly don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings,” she said.
“But that is the correct terminology. I’m speaking to the quiet Australians.”
During the interview, Sky News host Chris Kenny said he had wanted to ask her for some time when she said she was sorry for the comments: “what did you apologise for?”.
“So when you said that the gender reassignment surgery for teenagers was mutilation, that was inappropriate?’’ he asked.
“Look, that is actually the correct medico legal term. Look, it’s very emotive and it’s very confronting, and it’s very ugly. So of course, people are going to be offended,’’ she replied.
“But when you look at medical negligence cases, that is the terminology that they use. It is also contained in the Crimes Act of New South Wales.”
Mr Kenny then said, “So you’re not really apologising?”
“Well, I’m apologising for how people might have perceived it, and the fact that it is confronting and it is ugly, and I certainly don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But that is the correct terminology,’’ she said.
Last month, news.com.au revealed that Ms Deves had deleted her Twitter account after she joined the race for pre election as the candidate for Warringah including graphic images of a topless transgender teenager who had their breasts surgically removed.
The deleted tweets 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.”
Scott Morrison plucked Ms Deves from obscurity as a “captain’s pick” candidate for the Sydney seat of Warringah last month where she is hoping to win the seat from high-profile independent Zali Steggall.
“In terms of what Katherine Deves has said in the past, she has withdrawn those and said they were insensitive,’’ the Prime Minister said.
“And that was my view as well. I don’t support those earlier comments.”
In recent weeks she’s been forced to hire two burly security guards to protect her after death threats, called in the AFP and sent her family to live away from Sydney while she campaigns.
At one event in Western Sydney she made the 6pm news after she was rushed away from the media refusing to answer questions as she was rushed into a lift by two security agents.
During the Sky News interview, she also took a swing at the NSW Treasurer Matt Kean – who called for her to be disendorsed – suggesting he needed to “read the room.”
“I say he’s not reading the room. That’s all I have to say to Matt Kean,” Ms Deves told Sky News Australia’s Chris Kenny.
“Yes. He’s not reading the room.
Mr Kean has repeatedly urged the Prime Minister to reconsider her as a candidate.
“There is no place in a mainstream political party for bigotry,” Mr Kean wrote on Twitter in April.
“Coming out as Trans would be hugely challenging, especially for kids, and political leaders should be condemning the persecution of people based on their gender, not participating in it.
Independent Zali Steggall holds the seat of Warringah by a margin of 7.3 per cent after she defeated former prime minister Tony Abbott at the 2019 election.
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