Latest news with #DrPallaviDevulapalli
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Green Party accused of silencing gender critical voices
A former Green Party spokesman who was expelled for raising concerns about transgender ideology has accused the party of silencing gender critical voices. Dr Pallavi Devulapalli learnt earlier this month that she had been removed from the party following an investigation into comments she made at a hustings event a year ago. It comes after the party was found to have discriminated against Dr Shahrar Ali, its former deputy leader, over his belief that 'biology is real and immutable'. Campaigners in the party told The Telegraph that the decision to expel the spokesman exposed an 'authoritarian rot' at the heart of the Greens. Speaking at an event in June 2024, Dr Devulapalli showed support for sex-based rights and questioned whether trans activists were behaving 'mischievously' in the debate. The King's Lynn and West Norfolk councillor, who now sits as an independent, was subsequently suspended after also showing her support for the Cass report into self-identification. 'Purge' against gender critical politicians In an interview with the Guardian, Dr Devulapalli accused her party of launching a 'purge' against gender critical politicians and members. She said: 'They don't like my stance on trans self-ID and the trans women policy. They didn't come out and say that so they expelled me on a technicality.' Dr Devulapalli added: 'We've seen the Greens veer away from its original founding culture towards a much more Left-wing authoritarian culture. 'If you say or think the wrong thing, then you're out – that's really worrying.' She has joined 24 fellow former party members in the new Greens in Exile group, who have been suspended or removed from the party largely because of their gender critical views. In its ruling expelling Dr Devulapalli, the party said she was being removed to 'avoid or reduce the likelihood of further harm to the party'. Dr Devulapalli said in response that she was 'disappointed and infuriated' by the decision. It comes after Dr Ali was awarded more than £9,000 in damages in February 2024 after a judge ruled that the Green Party discriminated against him and that he had been improperly dismissed. In remarks after his court victory, Dr Ali called for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to investigate the Green Party over how it handles trans rights debates. The Mayor's and City County Court had ruled that Dr Ali's removal was 'procedurally unfair' because the Green Party identified no code breaches at his dismissal. In papers submitted to the court, lawyers acting for Dr Ali claimed that officials in the Green Party 'collaborated' to remove him from his post because of his beliefs about gender, which include the view that 'biology is real and immutable'. 'Kafkaesque charges' Speaking to The Telegraph on Wednesday, Dr Ali said: 'The Green Party is using weaponised disciplinary complaints processes to continue to persecute, exclude and betray sex realist members who have built the party up for over a generation. 'Not content to lose a gender critical discrimination case against me in a landmark protected belief case last year, at an estimated total cost to them of £450,000, they have now expelled our health spokesperson on Kafkaesque charges. 'As a medical practitioner, Pallavi well understood the importance of Cass for protecting children and youth from unsafe 'gender affirming' medical malpractice. 'True Greens are not ones to stand idly by and abide by unlawful discrimination against themselves, when they have been fighting all their lives to end discrimination against others. We have been seeking remedy through the courts to expose the authoritarian rot and will continue to do so.' A Green Party spokesman said: 'We don't comment on individual cases.'
Telegraph
11-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Green politician expelled over ‘harmful' gender critical views
The Green Party has expelled its former health spokesman for raising concerns about transgender ideology. Dr Pallavi Devulapalli had been suspended since September, after the party received a complaint about comments she made at a hustings in June last year. The GP of 20 years spoke in favour of the Cass Review investigating gender services for children, in her role representing the party on health. The independent report, led by Baroness Cass, recommended halting the prescription of sex hormones to young patients with gender dysphoria. Dr Devulapalli expressed support for sex-based rights and questioned whether the debate over trans issues was being promoted 'mischievously' through the guise of claims about rising anti-LGBT hate crimes. Last week, Dr Devulapalli was told that she had been expelled from the party after attending a Christmas gathering with members of her local Green Party, despite being under investigation for her comments in June. Dr Devulapalli insisted that she had been invited as a 'private guest', but the Green Party's disciplinary body designated the gathering an official party event – and ruled that her attendance breached the terms of her suspension. In its ruling expelling her, the party said she was being removed to 'avoid or reduce the likelihood of further harm to the party'. Dr Devulapalli, who now sits as an independent on West Norfolk council, said she was 'disappointed and infuriated' by the decision. She added: 'It seems like they are picking and choosing science that fits with their ideology. When it comes to climate change and pollution, all the policies are based on scientific reasoning. 'But when it comes to human biology, they have this enormous blind spot where they cannot see that sex is real, men cannot become women. 'We cannot pump people full of hormones to change their biological sex. It is not possible and is actually dangerous.' 'Trans men are men' Dr Devulapalli's views oppose the party's position on the issue. On the party's website, it states: 'Trans men are men, trans women are women, and [...] non-binary identities exist and are valid.' The use of puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria has been banned indefinitely following the Cass Review. Trans activists called the move 'draconian' and claimed it risks the safety and well-being of young trans people. Dr Devulapalli has said she will continue to stand as an independent and has not ruled out pursuing legal action.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Green Party expels ex-health spokesperson after LGBTQ+ comment row
The Green Party of England and Wales has expelled its former health spokesperson eight months after an investigation was launched into her comments on LGBTQ+ hate seen by the BBC show the Greens expelled Dr Pallavi Devulapalli for breaking party rules by attending a party event while under investigation for calling reports of rising LGBTQ+ hate crimes "mischievous".Dr Devulapalli, who has campaigned for the party to change policy on trans people, said the Greens had made "a political move" to silence her and had found a "technicality" to expel Green Party confirmed Dr Devulapalli's expulsion but said it "did not comment on individual cases". The party has not given any explanation for Dr Devulapalli's suspension or expulsion. But the BBC has obtained internal party documents showing she was expelled for "breaching" the terms of her original suspension by attending a Green Party event while under Devulapalli, who works as a GP, told the BBC the event was a Christmas party with members of her local Green Party where she had been "invited as a private guest".But the report seen by the BBC found the invite came from a local party coordinator and was sent to supporters and volunteers. The Green Party's disciplinary body decided this made it an official party its ruling, the party said she was being removed to "avoid or reduce the likelihood of further harm to the party". Dr Devulapalli said finding out she had been expelled from the party she had served for 10 years "felt like I had been literally punched in the gut"."It sucked the breath out of me," told the BBC. Dr Devulapalli said she has "no doubt at all this is a political move".She claimed she was "expelled on a technicality" after years of internally campaigning for the party to treat "sex as a protected characteristic".The party's rights and responsibilities policy states "trans men are men, trans women are women, and that non-binary identities exist and are valid".The party also supports making it easier for trans people to be legally recognised in their chosen gender without the need for a Gender Reassignment Certificate (GRC), which Dr Devulapalli has called a "mistake". Green Party documents show Dr Devulapalli was originally placed on an emergency suspension pending a code of conduct investigation last councillor, who sits on West Norfolk Council, was at the time one of the Green's most high-profile figures and stood for the party at last year's general election in South West Norfolk, against former Conservative Prime Minister Liz the election she spoke at a hustings event hosted by Friends of the Earth, where she was asked to respond to reports on rising LGBTQ+ hate crime, as well as her opinion on single-sex spaces and where the Green party stood on that issue. She told the meeting: "I've yet to meet anyone that actually says somebody should not have the right to be addressed as they please, and to dress as they please."I really think there is something mischievous in the air - to make those out to be an issue."Following the hustings Dr Devulapalli clarified her comments, telling the BBC "there is no trans-hate in society in general".She said her remarks reflected her view that hate crime against LGBTQ+ people was "being politicised" and "most people weren't aware of the issue".She said she condemned anti-LGBTQ+ hate data show 4,732 hate crimes against trans people in the year before Dr Devulapalli's comments, up from 4,262 the previous year. Hate crimes against gay, lesbian and bisexual people have fallen 6% over the same period to 25,639. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
