Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, claimed on Sunday that people should not say only women have a cervix, calling it “not right,” after one of his MPs received threats online for making the statement.
When asked by BBC presenter Andrew Marr whether it was “transphobic to say only women have a cervix,” Starmer replied, “It’s something that shouldn’t be said. It’s not right.”
Is it transphobic to say only women have a cervix.
— Ben (@Jamin2g) September 26, 2021
Starmer: It shouldn’t be said. It is not right. #Marr pic.twitter.com/BGRbeK08H8
Pressed on whether someone who does think only women have a cervix would be welcome in the Labour Party, Starmer said, “We need to have a mature, respectful debate about trans rights and … bear in mind that the trans community are among the most marginalised and abused communities.”
“Wherever we’ve got to in the law, we need to go further, and we want to go further,” he continued, concluding, however, that the Labour Party conference would be “a place which is safe for that debate to take place.”
Starmer made the comments after Labour MP for Canterbury Rosie Duffield received threats online for saying “only women have a cervix”. In response to the threats, she said she would feel unsafe attending this week’s conference. Starmer told Marr he had assured Duffield she would be safe at the event.
Many social media users criticised Starmer’s comments, accusing him of “denying the biological truth and existence of the female sex”.
Keir Starmer says it “is not right” that only women have a cervix.
— Bella Wallersteiner (@BellaWallerstei) September 26, 2021
There you have it folks. The leader of the Opposition denying biological truth and existence of the female sex. I despair.
And there you have it. @Keir_Starmer doesn’t want women to say they have a cervix. Not allowed. Women will take their bodies elsewhere than @LabourParty and you will be a laughing stock. https://t.co/uVViJsJsWD
— Jean Hatchet (@JeanHatchet) September 26, 2021