Scottish Greens MSP Q Manivannan faces backlash over rape comments

Q Manivannan, a Scottish Greens MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, is facing significant backlash following the resurfacing of a podcast clip in which they described rape as existing "on a spectrum."

During an interview on "The Subjective Space" podcast with Dr. Sindhu Rajasekaran, Manivannan discussed the societal perception of sexual violence. They argued that the common "demonisation of rape" relies on the archetype of a "monster rapist" and suggested that rape constitutes a "spectrum of things that constitute one homogenised word rape."

Critics, including social media users and Scottish Labour MP Tracy Gilbert, have accused Manivannan of minimizing the severity of the crime. Opponents stated that the remarks are dangerous and fail to provide a proper moral framework for condemning sexual violence.

Manivannan, who is an Indian-born, non-binary individual, was elected to the Scottish Parliament in May 2026. The comments were recorded in February 2025, prior to their election to Holyrood.