Katherine Deves walks back apology for social media post about transgender children

Controversial Liberal candidate Katherine Deves has back-pedalled on her apology for an inflammatory post about transgender children.

Controversial Liberal candidate Katherine Deves has walked back her apology for describing transgender children as “surgically mutilated and sterilised”.

The biological sex campaigner last month issued a public apology for “language used” in multiple social media posts including one in which she said she was “triggered” by the rainbow pride flag.

Ms Deves is Scott Morrison’s “captain’s pick” for the Sydney seat of Warringah where she is hoping to oust high-profile independent Zali Steggall.

Asked about the matter on Monday, Ms Deves said: “I apologise for my language. I do not resile from my position”.

“Twitter is not the right place to be having arguments about very complex emotive issues,” she told Sky News while out campaigning in her electorate.

Katherine Deves has walked back her apology for an inflammatory social media post about transgender children. Picture: Jason Edwards

Ms Deves back-pedalled even further and said describing gender confirmation surgery as mutilation was “the correct medico legal term”.

“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.”

Ms Deves’ posts were widely publicised and condemned by equality advocates and politicians including Ms Steggall, who called for her to be disendorsed by the Liberal Party.

Liberal moderate and NSW Treasurer Matt Kean also called for Ms Deves to be disendorsed.

Ms Deves on Monday said Mr Kean was “not reading the room” and that she had the support of many “quiet Australians”.

She said she was “absolutely” confident she could beat Ms Steggall in Warringah.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean broke ranks to call for Ms Deves to be disendorsed by the Liberal Party. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

A slew of news stories published after Deves made her public apology revealed she had made other inflammatory comments on various platforms including comparing her lobby group Save Women’s Sport to French resistance groups during the Nazi occupation.

The Liberal Party shielded Ms Deves from media scrutiny during the initial wave of controversy despite the Prime Minister using the opportunity to deride “cancel culture”.

Ms Deves last month dodged questions from journalists including notably at a Liberal fundraiser in Sydney where she was whisked away into an elevator by security guards in the midst of a media scrum.

She has since spoken publicly to defend her push to prohibit transgender people from competing in female sports and argued that the provisions in the Sex Discrimination Act are not enough to protect the safety of women and girl’s.

It was Mr Morrison who stirred up the pre-election debate over gender when, on the first day of the campaign, he described Ms Deves as “outspoken and brave on these ­issues”.

Ms Deves has denied suggestions she is transphobic.

Originally published as Katherine Deves walks back apology for social media post about transgender children