Ross Greer has revealed that a conversation with Q Manivannan led to the MSP apologising for controversial comments about the “demonisation” and “spectrum” of rape.
The Scottish Greens co-leader said the MSP, who is from India, has been subject to “downright dangerous and violent rhetoric” and “nasty racism from some of the most sinister characters in Scottish politics”.
Speaking in Inverness ahead of his party’s conference, Mr Greer also said he is confident Manivannan had not misrepresented their childhood.
Reports had claimed the non-binary MSP, who uses they/them pronouns, may have sought to portray themselves as being disadvantaged, despite coming from a wealthy family.
Over the summer, comments re-emerged from a podcast about what Manivannan described as the “demonisation of rape”, saying: “It is a spectrum – none of which is any worse or less or more worse, but it is a spectrum of things that constitute that one homogenised word, rape.”
They also said there were “different modes” of consent and rape.
The MSP went on to say that the idea of a rapist being a “big, big, burly man” was “not necessarily unfounded” but said it was “misconstrued” because “any individual is capable” of rape.
They later apologised for the hurt caused but said their comments were “maliciously” edited.
Speaking to the Press Association on Friday, Mr Greer said an intervention led to the MSP saying sorry.
Asked if he had spoken to the Edinburgh and Lothians East MSP about their remarks, he said: “I did, and as a result of that, Q made that apology.”
Mr Greer would not reveal what he said as it was a “private” conversation, but added: “I’m glad that as a result of the conversation that we had, many conversations that we had as a team, Q felt that the right thing to do was to issue that apology.
“It is important to say that Q has owned the fact that the choice of words they made was really poor and it wasn’t appropriate.
“At the same time, they were really viciously, dangerously misrepresented by some extremely dangerous people.
“What they said was inappropriate, and we’ve apologised for it.
“What was reported wasn’t actually what they said in many cases, because they had been so misrepresented by, frankly, some of the most racist people in Scottish politics.”
Mr Greer said Manivannan, who described themselves as a “queer Tamil immigrant”, has been “on the receiving end of some nasty racism from some really most sinister characters in Scottish politics”.
He said MSPs from other parties had reached out to Manivannan, who had been subject to “some downright dangerous and violent rhetoric”.
Mr Greer said he did “not see any reason” to believe Manivannan had exaggerated their background, saying the Green had been “totally transparent” about it.
He said a property owned by Manivannan in India worth up to £250,000 was on their register of interests and that the MSP’s parents stayed there.
They're not some multi-millionaire like some of the other MSPs in the Parliament
He added: “I’m not an expert in the Indian caste system, but I know the Indian caste system is pretty complicated, and that you can be from a lower caste and still be from a relatively high income background.
“I think that’s a big part of it here and it’s just hard for us to understand that cultural context because we don’t have that same caste system here in the UK.
“But as is required of all MSPs, Q has been completely transparent about their assets, about property they own, things like that.
“They’re not some multi-millionaire like some of the other MSPs in the Parliament.
“Reform have got a party leader who bragged to me he had six houses, six boats, and five cars. No Green MSP owns anything like that.”
Manivannan, among the first two trans MSPs, was elected to the Scottish Parliament on a student visa.
Earlier this month, they announced they had been awarded a graduate visa, which will end in 2029, at which point they will apply for a global talent visa.
In August, Manivannan issued a public apology for their comments on rape, saying: “I am horrified that my comments were selectively edited in order to mislead people and misrepresent me, but I also accept that my language was abstract in the first place and for that I take full responsibility and am sorry.
“During the interview, I categorically stated that rape in every context is equally serious and harmful.
“This section of the interview was maliciously left out of clips – with the rest being misrepresented and widely shared out of context, despite my repeated clarifications.
“I also made the point that rapists do not fit a single stereotype and that many men are relatives or known to their victims.
“I recognise that the words in the clip shared, without the full context of the conversation, have caused considerable upset.
“For that I apologise.
“I will always stand with, and for, victims and survivors.”
A Reform UK spokesperson said: “Ross Greer has been drawing a taxpayer-funded salary since he was 21 and has never run so much as a tuck shop, yet he wants to sneer at a self-made man who has employed thousands and paid millions in tax over the course of his career.
“Reform has no shame in saying Scotland needs more people like Malcolm Offord creating work and opportunity and fewer career activists who have never had to meet a payroll.”