A TORY councillor who changed from being a man to a woman a decade ago has accused a Labour opponent of a hate crime after he called her “he”.

Transgender Zoe Kirk-Robinson says Bolton’s former mayor Guy Harkin “misgendered” her during a recent meeting by repeatedly addressing her as “he” and “him” instead of “she” and “her”.

6 Zoe Kirk-Robinson reported her Labour opponent to the police and Bolton Council for an alleged hate crime Credit: cascadenews.co.uk

6 Bolton councillor Guy Harkin says what he said was just a slip of the tongue Credit: cascadenews.co.uk

Cllr Harkin, 69, a retired senior management lecturer who served as the town’s mayor in 2012/3, insists it was a slip of the tongue, and said it happened a couple of times, not repeatedly.

Cllr Kirk-Robinson, a prominent LGBT campaigner and a Hate Crime Ambassador, has reported him to Bolton Council and Greater Manchester Police.

She says both are now investigating the incident.

In a tweet after the meeting she said: “Labour Cllr Guy Harkin repeatedly misgendered me in tonight’s council meeting, while going off on a personal attack against me.”

Later she added: “I can’t say I’m surprised at his behaviour but I had hoped that Bolton’s leading political group wasn’t transphobic.”

And in another tweet she said: “I will be calling on Bolton Labour Group to denounce his behaviour. Bolton does not welcome transphobia.”

6 Zoe Kirk-Robinson's tweet about the council meeting during which she was the victim of transphobia Credit: cascadenews.co.uk

6 She is a prominent LGBT campaigner and hate crime ambassador and says what happened legitimised 'transphobia in the eyes of the average bigot' Credit: cascadenews.co.uk

6 Zoe Kirk-Robinson wants Bolton's Labour group to take action over Guy Harkin Credit: cascadenews.co.uk

The 35-year-old said: “This obviously was a shock, and not a pleasant one. I expected better of a member of the council.

“For someone in the highest public forum of the town to feel transphobia was acceptable is shocking — It is not acceptable in Bolton — it shouldn't be acceptable anywhere.”

She added: “Bolton has a problem with hate crime and for Cllr Harkin to engage in a personal attack against me in this matter only serves to legitimise transphobia in the eyes of the average bigot — which makes life harder for all LGBT people.”

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In a video blog, the Tory added: “If I’m truthful, it hurt a lot, the guy had no reasons to ever suggest that I was male, he has never met me as a male.

“I transitioned over 10 years ago and I have lived in Bolton for seven, going on eight years, he never met me before I transitioned.”

Cllr Harkin once suggested naming streets after Adolf Hitler and other Nazis in a bid to sabotage a controversial housing development.

6 Councillor Guy Harkin served as Bolton's mayor from 2012 to 2013 and says he only called his opponent he a couple of times Credit: cascadenews.co.uk

He said he was “utterly unaware of the slip of the tongue” about Cllr Kirk-Robinson’s gender until it was pointed out to him the day after the meeting.

He added: “I offered immediately to apologise as there is not a homophobic or any kind of phobic bone in my body.”

Cllr Kirk-Robinson, who was elected to her Westhoughton seat last year, is a hate crime ambassador and added: “The incident has been referred to Greater Manchester Police, and therefore is now out of my hands.

“As a hate crime ambassador, I always urge people to report hate crime when it occurs and I will continue to do so.”