Conservative MP Jamie Wallis has come out as the first transgender member of parliament.
In a statement released to the Welsh Conservatives website today (30 March), Wallis stated: "I'm trans. Or to be more accurate, I want to be."
The MP for Bridgend and Porthcawl detailed the support he's had from Whips, but also some of the battles he's had with his gender identity since a young age and the issues he's faced in coming out.
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Taking to Twitter, the 37-year-old shared the statement alongside the caption: "It's time."
In the statement, Wallis explained that he has been 'diagnosed with gender dysphoria' and has 'felt this way since I was a very young child'.
He stated: "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.
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Wallis went on to detail a 'close call in April 2020' when someone tried to blackmail him, 'outed [him] to [his] father and sent photographs to other family members'. "He wanted £50,000 to keep quiet. The police were so supportive, so understanding and on this occasion the system worked. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 2yrs and 9mnths in prison," he explained.
Wallis reflected: "For a while it seemed as though I would be able to get on with things and move on. Being an MP and hiding something like this was always going to be tough, but I arrogantly assumed I was up for it.
"Well, I’m not."
The MP also opened up about a traumatic experience where he was raped, after having 'hooked up' with someone he met online.
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"I chose to say ‘no’ on the basis that he wouldn’t wear a condom he chose to rape me. I have not been myself since this incident and I don’t think I will ever recover. It is not something you ever forget, and it is not something you ever move on from," he said.
Wallis opened up that 'things have really taken a tumble' since the sexual assault, and that he is 'not ok'.
The 37-year-old explained that an incident on 28 November which saw him flee the scene of a car crash was because he was 'terrified' and 'overcome by an overwhelming sense of fear'.
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"I am sorry that it appears I “ran away” but this isn’t how it happened in the moment," he said.
Wallis concluded by reflecting on the chamber photograph and dinner which the parliamentary party organised the night before.
"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."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence contact Mindline Trans+ on 0300 330 5468. The line is open 8pm–midnight Mondays and Fridays and is run by trans volunteers
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If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 between 12pm–2.30pm and 7pm– 9.30pm every day. Alternatively, you can contact Victim Support free on 08 08 16 89 111 available 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas
Male Survivors Partnership is available to support adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. You can contact the organisation on their website or on their free helpline 0808 800 5005, open 9am–5pm Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; 8am–8pm Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10am–2pm Saturdays
Poppy Bilderbeck