MP praised for coming out as trans
A Conservative MP has come out as transgender and revealed he was raped and blackmailed.
Jamie Wallis, 37, was praised for his bravery by Prime Minister Boris Johnson after revealing he is “not OK” and being open about having gender dysphoria.
The message was posted online shortly before 3am, after a gathering for Tory MPS at which Mr Johnson reportedly made a joke about trans issues.
Politico reported he said: “Good evening, ladies and gentleman, or as (Labour leader Sir) Keir Starmer would put it, people who are assigned female or male at birth.”
The row over trans rights has been a key battle in the socalled culture wars between Labour and the Conservatives.
Mrjohnsonrespondedtomr Wallis’s statement by saying: “Sharing this very intimate story would have taken an immense amount of courage.”
He said the story would “undoubtedly support others” and “the Conservative Party I lead will always give you, and everyone else, the love and support you need to be yourself”.
Both Mr Johnson and Sir Keir highlighted Mr Wallis’s statement at Prime Minister’s Questions, with the Bridgend MP watching from the back benches.
In his statement, Mr Wallis said: “There was a close call in April 2020 when someone blackmailed me, outed me to my father and sent photographs to other family members.
“He wanted £50,000 to keep quiet. The police were so supportive, so understanding and on this occasion the system worked.”
The MP said the offender was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison after
admitting his guilt. Giving details of the rape, the MP said: “I ‘hooked up’ with someone who I met online and when I chose to say ‘no’ on the basis that he wouldn’t wear a condom he chose to rape me.”
The MP was arrested over a car crash in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan,lastnovember.he said he fled the scene “because I was terrified. I have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and I honestly have no
idea what I was doing except I was overcome by an overwhelming sense of fear.” South Wales Police said the matter is still under investigation.