Doncaster MP accused of transphobia after telling parents to 'push back' against non-binary children

Don Valley Conservative MP Nick Fletcher sparked fury during a Commons debate in which he said: “Do not ever give into them or to peer pressure from other adults.

“Your child was born a boy or girl. Be proud of who they are. Tell them to be proud of who they are.

“Wherever their interests lie, help and encourage them. Be part of their lives, talk to them.

“Talk to them all the time. But push back on this. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.

“They will thank you for it in the long run.”

But his remarks have been blasted by the trans community.

Owen J Hurcum, the world’s first openly non-binary mayor, condemned Fletcher for “stating transphobic myth and bigotry over and over again” as well as urging parents to “fully IGNORE their children if they come out as trans”.

Others accused Fletcher of using “awful transphobic tropes” during the parliamentary debate and using the “non-binary topic to fearmonger” about the trans community.

One said: “Nick Fletcher using his platform to spew every single transphobic trope he can think of – now rambling for over 15 minutes with a stream of transphobic dog-whistles – hardly anything about being non-binary people!

Another added: “Tory MP Nick Fletcher is just using this as an opportunity to spout the usual transphobic drivel on trans kids, bathrooms and sports.”

As MPs debated a public petition on making non-binary a legally-recognised gender identity in the UK, Mr Fletcher said: “While I am here, I want to speak to parents.

“If your child comes home with these concerns, talk to them but be strong.”

He added: “If they say they are unhappy, think just for a second how unhappy they will be when their best friend is having a child and they can’t, when their best friends are dressing up beautifully and they are having to shave.

“What makes you sure they will be happy then?”

Mr Fletcher said he did accept that non-binary people “do exist”, but did not agree that legal recognition for them was needed.

He added: “I see them. I hear them. I feel for them. I want to help them.

“I say this to them: We are a tolerant nation and we accept you as you are, however it does not follow that the law has to be changed to reflect the way certain individuals feel.”

The petition, which calls on the Government to “make non-binary a legally recognised gender identity in the UK”, attracted more than 140,000 signatures from across the country.

It is the latest in a series of comments which have landed the Don Valley MP in hot water.Last November he was accused of faking constituency visits after using the same selfie photo three times and said that women taking lead roles in shows such as Doctor Who was leading young men to commit crime.

And he has faced fierce criticism over a campaign to remove a graffiti covered shed near Doncaster railway station.