Read the deleted tweets Scott Morrison’s star candidate sent calling transgender children ‘mutilated and sterilisied’ – as Albo attacks PM for ‘dividing Australia’ over issue
- Katherine Deves is contesting independent-held seat of Warringah in Sydney
- She shared a picture of a trans teenager who had just had his breasts removed
- Ms Deves wrote alongside the picture on Twitter: ‘It is beyond heartbreaking’
A Liberal candidate for a key seat at the Federal election described transgender children as ‘surgically mutilated and sterilised’ in deleted tweets.
Katherine Deves, who is contesting the independent-held seat of Warringah in northern Sydney, made the comments in controversial posts last November.
She shared a picture of a trans American teenager who had just had his breasts removed and wrote: ‘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 comments in a controversial Tweet in November
In a second tweet she added: ‘They will not stand for seeing vulnerable children surgically mutilated and sterilised in futherance 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 the teenager’s mother or father.
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 and women’s advocate who co-founded the group Save Women’s Sport which aims to stop trans women who went through male puberty from competing against women.
She 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.
Ms Deves apoligised for 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
On Tuesday Mr Morrison backed Ms Deves despite her controversial views on transgender people.
‘Katherine Deves over there in Warringah, you know, she’s standing up for something really important, and that is to ensure that, you know, 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, you know, 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, you know, common sense and what’s right. And I think Katherine’s right on the money there.’
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.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the NSW branch of the Liberal Party for comment.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison pats Shannie the golden retriever during a visit to Assistance Dogs Australia in western Sydney on Tuesday
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