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

An Indian-origin transgender, non-binary Scottish Greens MSP has come under fire after a clip from a podcast interview recorded last year resurfaced on social media and went viral.Q Manivannan, who was elected to the Scottish Parliament in May, made the comments during an episode of The Subjective Space, a podcast hosted by Dr Sindhu Rajasekaran. The interview was recorded in February 2025, months before Manivannan entered Holyrood.In the clip circulating online, Manivannan discusses how society views rape and people who commit sexual offences. They argue that rape should not simply be understood through the image of a stereotypical "monster rapist" and question what circumstances could lead an individual to commit such a crime.Manivannan also said rape exists on a “spectrum” and argued that focusing only on extreme portrayals of offenders can limit deeper discussion about why such crimes happen.The remarks have since drawn criticism from politicians and social media users, with critics accusing the MSP of minimising the seriousness of rape.Who is Q Manivannan?Manivannan is an Indian-born Scottish Greens politician who identifies as a queer Tamil immigrant and uses they/them pronou...