“I have never lived my truth”
BY ELEANOR NOYCE, IMAGE BY JAMIE WALLIS MP
In a statement delivered via Twitter, Jamie Wallis MP, Member of Parliament for Bridgend and Porthcawl, has come out as trans. Sharing his delicate personal journey, Jamie has revealed years of struggles with gender dysphoria. Though he will continue to use he/him/his pronouns for the time being, he has stated that he is on this journey, and is learning new things about himself each day.
Jamie stated: “I’m trans. Or to be more accurate, I want to be. I’ve been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and I’ve felt this way since I was a very young child. I had no intention of ever sharing this with you. I always imagined I would leave politics well before I ever said this out loud.”
Sadly, Jamie has also shared that he has, in the past, been blackmailed and outed to family members. For this reason, Jamie states that he believed he would leave politics before this ever came out, as he has struggled to come to terms with his identity. In many ways, he’s still figuring it out, and it’s important to acknowledge the role that blackmailing played in his coming out.
Importantly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a comment appearing to mock trans people at a dinner party held last night for the Conservative Party, stating as per Pink News and Politico: “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, or as Keir Starmer would put it, people who are assigned female or male at birth.” Clearly, there’s still a long way to go.
“Tonight, I was reminded of the incredible support those you work with can provide. Also, I was reminded how important it is to be yourself. I have never lived my truth and I’m not sure how. Perhaps it starts with telling everyone”, Jamie furthered, emphasising the support he’s received.
He has also been supported by an array of public figures, including Ash Sarkar and Rivkah Brown of Novara Media. The British LGBT Awards and Pink News have also tweeted their support.
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