Indian-origin trans MSP Q Manivannan under fire after calling rape a ‘spectrum’ in viral podcast clip

​Q
Ma iva a

A
I dia -o igi
t a sge de ,
o -bi a y
Scottish
G ee s
MSP
has
come
u de
fi e
afte
a
clip
f om
a
podcast
i te view
eco ded
last
yea
esu faced
o
social
media
a d
we t
vi al.Q
Ma iva a ,
who
was
elected
to
the
Scottish
Pa liame t
i
May,
made
the
comme ts
du i g
a
episode
of
The
Subjective
Space,
a
podcast
hosted
by
D
Si dhu
Rajaseka a .
The
i te view
was
eco ded
i
Feb ua y
2025,
mo ths
befo e
Ma iva a
e te ed
Holy ood.I
the
clip
ci culati g
o li e,
Ma iva a
discusses
how
society
views
ape
a d
people
who
commit
sexual
offe ces.
They
a gue
that
ape
should
ot
simply
be
u de stood
th ough
the
image
of
a
ste eotypical
“mo ste
apist”
a d
questio
what
ci cumsta ces
could
lead
a
i dividual
to
commit
such
a
c ime.Ma iva a
also
said
ape
exists
o
a
“spect um”
a d
a gued
that
focusi g
o ly
o
ext eme
po t ayals
of
offe de s
ca
limit
deepe
discussio
about
why
such
c imes
happe .The
ema ks
have
si ce
d aw
c iticism
f om
politicia s
a d
social
media
use s,
with
c itics
accusi g
the
MSP
of
mi imisi g
the
se ious ess
of
ape.

Who
is
Q
Ma iva a ?

Ma iva a
is
a
I dia -bo
Scottish
G ee s
politicia
who
ide tifies
as
a
quee
Tamil
immig a t
a d
uses
they/them
p o ou s.

They
we e
elected
o
7
May
2026
as
a
MSP
fo
Edi bu gh
a d
Lothia s
East,
becomi g
o e
of
the
Scottish
G ee s’
ep ese tatives
at
Holy ood.
The
Scottish
Pa liame t
lists
Ma iva a
as
a
cu e t
MSP
fo
the
egio .Befo e
e te i g
politics,
Ma iva a
was
a
docto al
stude t
i
Scotla d
a d
has
desc ibed
thei
political
wo k
as
focused
o
ma gi alised
commu ities,
social
justice
a d
e vi o me tal
issues.Thei
electio
also
att acted
atte tio
because
Ma iva a
was
livi g
i
Scotla d
o
a
stude t
visa,
which
is
due
to
expi e
late
this
yea .
They
have
said
they
a e
pu sui g
a
ew
visa
to
emai
i
the
UK.

What
did
Ma iva a
say
i
the
podcast?

Du i g
the
i te view,
Ma iva a
questio ed
the
commo
idea
that
people
who
commit
ape
a e
fu dame tally
diffe e t
f om
eve yo e
else.They
said
the
difficult
questio
was
u de sta di g
what
co ditio s
could
cause
“i dividuals
like
ou selves”
to
commit
such
a
act.The
comme ts
we e
made
while
discussi g
the
way
ape
a d
pe pet ato s
a e
viewed
by
society.
The
podcast
co ve satio
was
ot
eco ded
as
pa t
of
Ma iva a ‘s
wo k
as
a
MSP,
as
they
had
ot
yet
bee
elected.

Politicia s
c iticise
comme ts

Scottish
Labou
MP
T acy
Gilbe t
said
she
was
“ala med”
by
the
ema ks
a d
ejected
the
suggestio
that
ape
should
be
viewed
as
existi g
o
a
spect um.She
called
o
Ma iva a
to
et act
the
comme ts
a d
apologise,
while
also
u gi g
Scottish
G ee s
leade s
Gillia
Mackay
a d
Ross
G ee
to
cla ify
that
the
ema ks
do
ot
ep ese t
pa ty
policy.Refo m
UK
MSP
Se ga
Be esfo d
also
c iticised
the
comme ts
a d
called
fo
Ma iva a
to
be
suspe ded
while
the
pa ty
i vestigates.The
co t ove sy
comes
o ly
mo ths
afte
Ma iva a
e te ed
the
Scottish
Pa liame t
followi g
the
Scottish
G ee s’
st o gest-eve
electio
esult,
whe
the
pa ty
etu ed
15
MSPs.