Union refuses to condemn high-ranking official for transphobic remarks

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The Fire Brigade Union has refused to condemn a series of transphobic comments made by one of its senior officials.

Paul Embery, an executive council member, made the remarks on Twitter in response to the governmentā€™s move to reform transgender laws.

He wrote: ā€œComing next: short people may identify as tall, fat people may identify as thin, and ugly people may pretend to be George Clooney.ā€

Union refuses to condemn high-ranking official for transphobic remarks
(Twitter)

In his now-pinned tweet, he added: ā€œThereā€™s something Orwellian about allowing someone to insert a lie on their birth certificate & forcing society to accept the lie as truth.ā€

Embery defended his views, tweeting to PinkNews journalist Benjamin Butterworth that ā€œforcing society to recognise someone as one gender when he/she maintains the anatomy of another is ludicrous.

ā€œSorry if that upsets you,ā€ he added.

A Stonewall spokesperson said that ā€œcomments like this underline how much work there is still to be done to make trans equality a reality.ā€

But the FBU refused to denounce the remarks.

The unionā€™s head of communication Lynne Wallis said: ā€œWe are only able to say that Paul Emberyā€™s views as expressed on his private Twitter page are his own, and are not those of the Fire Brigades Union.

ā€œWe are therefore unable to comment further.ā€


When pressed on whether the FBU would take action against Embery for his comments ā€“ which were made on a Twitter profile which can be viewed by anyone ā€“ Wallis refused to respond.

A Stonewall spokesperson said this kind of statement was insufficient.

Paul Embery fbu
(FBU)

ā€œOrganisations that consider themselves trans inclusive should call out all instances of transphobic language and behaviour exhibited by staff or members, wherever they take place,ā€ they said.

ā€œMaking a clear stand against transphobia within your organisation sends a clear signal to others that this behaviour will not be tolerated, and shows trans people that you welcome and respect them.ā€

Embery, who also later called the proposals ā€œabsurd,ā€ is not only prominent figure who has struggled with the idea of trans people gaining more rights.

Helen Lewis, deputy editor of the left-wing New Statesman, wrote in The Times: ā€œIn this climate, who would challenge someone with a beard exposing their penis in a womenā€™s changing room?ā€

paul embery youtube
(YouTube)

Embery tweeted his message above a screenshot of a Sunday Times article which drew criticism for the way it reported the governmentā€™s proposals.

Tim Shipman and Jason Allardyce wrote: ā€œAdults will be able to change their gender legally without a doctorā€™s diagnosis under government plans that will transform British society.

ā€œMen will be able to identify themselves as women ā€“ and women as men ā€“ and have their birth certificates altered to record their new gender.ā€

Women would identify as women ā€“ and men as men ā€“ under the new plans, which acknowledge trans rights.