Tory MP Mark Jenkinson calls trans women men on Twitter

Tory MP Mark Jenkinson has launched a series of Twitter attacks against two trans women, deliberately misgendering them in a string of cruel and unprompted tweets.

The Conservative MP for Workington took to Twitter on Tuesday (23 May) to repost a Channel 4 clip of trans woman Emma Laslett talking about Baroness Kishwer Falkner allegedly describing her as a “bloke in lipstick”.

Baroness Falkner, the chairwoman of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, stated in 2021 that cis women should have the right to express “gender-critical” views without being “abused”. Earlier this year, she suggested sex to be defined as “biological sex” in UK equalities law in response to a request about changes from MP Kemi Badenoch.

“I can’t even see the lipstick,” Jenkinson wrote in a comment as he shared the clip. A trans Twitter user responded, asking: “How do you think your trans constituents might react to your remark? Or are they of no importance to you?”

Jenkins responded: “Both you and Emma are men.

“The vast majority of those suffering with true gender dysphoria – of which there are a minuscule number – recognise that, despite whatever they may need to do to make sure they’re happy,” he continued.

“People like you, pushing ridiculous ideas like ‘trans women are women’ are making life incredibly difficult for those people.”

Jenkinson’s attack was condemned by Twitter users, with many pointing out that the MP is not qualified to be making claims about the medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

This is not the first time Jenkinson has used his Twitter account to launch attacks on trans people.

In 2021, Jenkinson hit out at Essex Police for flying a Pride flag to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance, tweeting: “I hope you’ve got planning consent for that flag, it’s not legal to fly it without.”

A year later Jenkinson went on a anti-trans rant in which he described gender-affirming surgery as “slicing off the breasts of young girls” in reference to a PinkNews article on research into the huge benefits of top surgery for trans adolescents and young adults.

At the start of 2023 he branded Scotland’s gender recognition reforms “terrifying” in a letter to equalities minister Kemi Badenoch.

Conservative’s bid to turn trans rights into ‘culture war’

In February this year, Tory MP Lee Anderson said that at the next election the Conservatives will “probably” rely on a “mix of culture wars and trans debate” in a bid to cling to power.

The disturbing message comes as Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak stokes the fires of a “culture war” by backing a campaign by Labour MP Rosie Duffield and Conservative MP Miriam Cates, launched in the Express newspaper.

Both Cates and Duffield have been criticised for making regressive remarks about trans people and claiming that the trans community threatens women’s rights..

Sunak responded to their campaign continually reiterating the importance of what he described as “biological sex”.

“I know what a woman is – and I’ll protect women’s rights and women’s spaces. That’s why I am supporting the Express’s campaign,” he said.

Home secretary Suella Braverman has also peddled anti-trans views. In 2022, she said she believes a “rights culture” has “spun out of control” in the UK” and that there is a “collective frenzy” over trans rights.

She argued that the rise of trans rights and respect for peoples’ identities has meant the “basics of biology” have been “turned upside down”.

The Conservative Party declined to give PinkNews a comment regarding Jenkinson’s anti-trans tweets.