New Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas slammed for transgender stance
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<p>Equality groups have lashed the Perth Lord Mayor after he made comments about transgender on breakfast radio that were "repugnant and bigoted".</p>
<p>Basil Zempalis told listeners that it was "wrong" for someone to identify as a different gender to their physical anatomy.</p>
<p>"If you've got a penis mate, you're a bloke," he said yesterday morning.</p>
<p>"If you've got a vagina, you're a woman. Game over."</p>
<p>His co-host Steve Mills pointed out that he would likely meet transgender people in his role as Lord Mayor, which Zempalis laughed off.</p>
<p>Zempalis then made a public declaration for any woman with a penis to ring in the radio station for a chance to win a $100 store voucher.</p>
<p>After being warned by Mills that people in the wider community might not like his stance, Zempalis shrugged it off.</p>
<p>"Well mate, if you want to go softy, lefty, namby-pamby," he said.</p>
<p>TransFolk WA chair Hunter Gurevich sai that Zempilas' comments were harmful to transgender people.</p>
<p>"These comments are repugnant, bigoted, narrow-minded, parochial and fundamentally deny contemporary science," he said.</p>
<p>"Further, it puts LGBTQIA+ people at increased risk of harm, when we are already a vulnerable group in society."</p>
<p>Pride WA president Curtis Ward said that the comments were misinformed and damaging.</p>
<p>"It is possible to appear one way and feel another and when someone says they're transgender, they are simply saying they feel differently to how they appear," Mr Ward said.</p>
<p>"[That is] sex being your physical appearance and your biology whereas gender is how you identify psychologically, whether you're feminine or masculine."</p>
<p>"I think people need to be educating themselves about what they're speaking about and if they do have that stage, and they are commanding such a large audience, they should be making educated statements," he said.</p>
<p>Zempilas has since issued an apology for his remarks.</p>
<p>"The comments were inappropriate and I apologise. It was early morning radio banter gone wrong," he said in a text message.</p>
<p>"The comments do not reflect how I feel. I did not intend to cause any offence and I am sorry. It will not happen again."</p>
<p>He spoke on his radio show 24 hours after the incident, saying that the comments were a "bad mistake".</p>
<p>"What's more disappointing is that I understand that that is indeed how people live their lives … I was aware of that yesterday," he said.</p>
<p>"Those comments don't reflect my values, they don't reflect the values of 6PR or Channel 7, they don't reflect the values of the City of Perth.</p>
<p>"I had a very strong talking to from my wife last night. They don't represent her values. Her best friend is gay."</p>
<p>He urged listeners that he would learn from his mistake.</p>
<p>"All you can do in life is go, 'I made a blue, I'm sorry,' and you've got to try not to do it again, and that's exactly what I'll do," he said.</p>
<p>"I have to get better and I will get better."</p>
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