After being called a transphobe by candidate "Melissa Poulton," Maclean, the Tory's deputy chairman for women, refused to apologize and doubled down on her comments.
"As Deputy Chair for Women, I am clear that the law allows me to say what a woman is and the difference between a woman and a trans woman. Both deserve respect and freedom to live their lives but it is not transphobic to say they are not the same thing," said Maclean on X.
Poulton is running against Maclean in the upcoming UK election and only recently transitioned to "female." Poulton was seen presenting as male in 2022.
In response to the GB News outlet claiming the MP apologized, Maclean fired back: "In fact I did NOT apologise for my comments relating to the Green Party’s extreme policies on gender and self ID ideology and am happy to come on to your program to explain my position in more detail. As Deputy Chair for Women, I am clear that the law allows me to say."
Maclean revealed she had been reported to police over her comments, however they did not pursue action or look into the matter further.
She wrote to the Daily Mail regarding the incident: "God forbid a woman should say what a woman is, but as I found out on social media, apparently doing so is controversial these days."
She said she would continue to "fight in the face of a barrage of criticism to stand up for women's rights."
"Women and lesbians have fought for decades to have their rights respected. I will not stand idly by and see these erased," she continued. "No matter how many times I am reported to the police, I will continue to make this stand."
