A Liberal candidate vying for a crucial federal election seat has issued an apology following inflammatory comments about transgender children, describing them as “surgically mutilated and sterilised” in now-deleted tweets.
Katherine Deves, aiming to represent Warringah, an independent-held constituency in northern Sydney, sparked controversy with her remarks in posts from last November.
In one post, she reacted to a photo portraying an American transgender teenager who had undergone breast removal surgery, stating, “This photo just hit my feed. It is beyond heartbreaking.”
Katherine Deves (pictured), who is contesting the independent-held seat of Warringah in northern Sydney, made the controversial comments in a November tweet.
In a subsequent tweet, she remarked, “They will not stand for seeing vulnerable children surgically mutilated and sterilised in furtherance of an unattainable idea.”
‘The lawsuits will be legion, as will the government inquiries. Complete failure of safeguarding. Mark my words.’
The original image had been shared on social media by a parent of the teenager who underwent the breast removal.
The caption read: ‘So we are on day 10 post op, keyhole. Just got home from my son getting his drains out. Wow, he went from misery of post op to YAY! NO TITTIES!!! Anyway, he 100% gave permission to share this pic’.
Ms Deves is a lawyer who co-founded the group Save Women’s Sport which aims to stop trans women who went through male puberty from competing against women.
Scot Morrison has made this an election issue by backing Ms Deves and Liberal Senator Claire Chandler who has drafted a law to stop sports clubs being sued for excluding trans women.
Ms Deves apologised for the wording of the tweets, telling Daily Mail Australia: ‘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.
‘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.’
This is the tweet in which Ms Deves made her controversial comments about transgender teenagers
Ms Deves is running for the Liberals in Tony Abbott’s former seat which is held by independent Zali Stegall on a healthy seven per cent margin.
Ms Stegall has said she will support a Coalition government as long as Scott Morrison is not Prime Minister.
On Tuesday Mr Morrison backed Ms Deves despite her controversial views on transgender people.
‘Katherine Deves over there in Warringah, she’s standing up for something really important, and that is to ensure that 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 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 common sense and what’s right. And I think Katherine’s right on the money there.’
Anthony Albanese said the PM was trying to create division to generate support.
‘This Prime Minister needs to do his day job,’ he said during a visit to a Longford GP clinic in the seat of Lyons.
‘His day job is about things that he’s responsible for – not look for wedges and dividing Australia.
‘This Prime Minister is always looking for the division. My role as someone who’s campaigning for a national leadership role is to unite the country, not look for divisions.’
Equality Australia chief executive Anna Brown slammed the PM’s comments, saying: ‘Politicians must learn that there is nothing to be gained by refusing to stand up for LGBTIQ+ people or using debate about our lives to score cheap political points.’
Prime Minister Scott Morrison pats Shannie the golden retriever during a visit to Assistance Dogs Australia in western Sydney on Tuesday