Jacob Rees-Mogg insists women can't have a penis and quotes Bible

4 April 2022, 10:40

Jacob Rees-Mogg argues a woman can't have a penis

Jacob Rees-Mogg has insisted that a woman cannot have a penis in the ongoing trans debate.

Speaking during LBC's Call the Cabinet, Mr Rees-Mogg said: "People must be allowed to lead the lives they want.

"I don't want to tell them how to lead their lives, but I agree that there are some things that are perfectly obvious and you can't contradict them."

It came after a caller asked: "What is a woman and can a woman have a penis?"

To which Mr Rees-Mogg responded to the second question saying: "No."

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He first referenced the Bible, saying: "God made man in his own image. He made man and he made woman. He made both of them.

"I think God making us in his own image is quite good enough for me."

He then went on to say: "The issue is a complex one.

"There are issues of tolerance, and there are issues of kindliness, and I think it's very important to allow people to make whatever choices in their life."

Mr Rees-Mogg's comments follow a debate which has particularly come to light in sports, with more trans women moving to compete against females.

Nick asked: "When it comes to a swimmer who was born a man but now wants to compete as a woman - or a cyclist - is their own games the best way forward?"

"I think I'm going to appeal to the Daily Telegraph who had the best April fool of anybody," Mr Rees-Mogg said.

"They said, considering how poorly they'd done over the winter, the men's cricket team was going to be replaced by the women's cricket team who have done rather better.

"That might solve all of these problems when the English women's cricket team take on the New Zealanders at Lord's."

Starmer put on the spot over trans swimmer Lia Thomas competing

It comes after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was grilled on the issue during LBC's Call Keir.

When asked several times on whether or not "a women can have a penis", Sir Keir replied: "I'm not... I don't think we can conduct this debate with...

"I don't think that discussing this issue in this way helps anyone in the long run.

"What I want to see is a reform of the law as it is, but I am also an advocate of safe spaces for women and I want to have a discussion that is... anybody who genuinely wants to find a way through this, I want to discuss that with, and I do find that too many people - in my view - retreat or hold a position of which is intolerant of others.

"And that's not picking on any individual at all, but I don't like intolerance, I like open discussion."

Most recently, cyclist Emily Bridges has faced criticism after she announced she would begin racing in female competitions from this year, with her testosterone levels being low enough to meet British Cycling's guidelines.

However, she was last week blocked from competing in an upcoming women's cycling championship and could miss out on qualifying for the upcoming Commonwealth Games while a panel continues to review her case.

Meanwhile, US swim Lia Thomas received backlash after she made history in becoming the first trans person to win a US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I title last month.

Her win sparked controversy among other competitors, with Reka Gyorgy taking to social media to accuse Ms Thomas of "stealing" her place in the finals.