Lorraine Kelly attends the National Television Awards held at The O2 Arena in 2019. (Getty/ Dave Benett)
Lorraine Kelly has declared that she wants to kick transphobic bigots “up the arse”, after trolls misgendered trans activist and author Paris Lees.
Lees took to Twitter over the weekend to call for a UK ban on conversion therapy, writing: “I faced intense pressure to be a boy for the first 20 years of my life.
“Friends, family, strangers and the media all told me I had to be a boy. That being trans wasn’t an option.
“All it did was make me deeply unhappy. I needed them to believe and accept me
“Ban conversion therapy.”
Kelly responded: “Well said Paris Lees – you are a bold, brave, brilliant woman and have no idea of the difference you have made and the human beings you have helped.”
Well said @parislees – you are a bold, brave, brilliant woman and have no idea of the difference you have made and the human beings you have helped x https://t.co/kCH6pzKcRB
— Lorraine (@reallorraine) May 15, 2021
However, shortly after Kelly tweeted in support of Lees and her calls for a conversion therapy ban, the author and activist shared a vile and transphobic comment posted in response.
She wrote: “I don’t like drawing attention to this stuff but just want to say I’m genuinely sad for people who feel the need to act like this, those on the receiving end, and that we’re living in a country where this kind of bullying is being rebranded as healthy debate.
“It’s not. It’s toxic.”
Kelly was having none of it, and tweeted: “FFS – I suppose we should feel sorry for this bigot – but I’d dearly like to give them a kick up the arse.
“So sorry Paris Lees that you are subjected to such bollox.”
FFS -I suppose we should feel sorry for this bigot – but I’d dearly like to give them a kick up the arse. So sorry @parislees that you are subjected to such bollox. https://t.co/avZgS1U5rz
— Lorraine (@reallorraine) May 17, 2021
Her Twitter followers strongly supported the idea, with author Amrou Al-Kadhi telling Kelly: “Lorraine is a QUEEN. I wish more of the British media was like her!!!”
Another wrote: “Too many of us get this vile kind of interaction, online and in real life. Based on ignorance and fear. Thanks for supporting us, Lorraine.”