Today, in an article for The Australian titled “Gender Hate Law Sparks Free Speech Fear” (9 November 2018), journalist Matthew Denholm reported on proposed amendments to Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act that would extend protections against hate speech to include “gender identity” and “gender expression.” The article explained that the proposed changes, put forward by the Labor opposition, would broaden existing protections to cover personal expressions of gender, including appearance, speech, mannerisms, behaviour, names, and personal references.
Denholm also reported concerns raised by Women Speak Tasmania regarding the potential impact of the amendments on public debate and freedom of expression. WST spokeswoman Bronwyn Williams argued that the expanded provisions could restrict the ability of women’s groups to discuss issues relating to biological sex and access to female-only services, out of concern that such discussions could be interpreted as inciting hatred or ridicule. The article also included comments from Labor justice spokeswoman Ella Haddad, who rejected claims that the amendments would limit free speech and stated that the reforms were intended to strengthen protections against discrimination for transgender people. Attorney-General Elise Archer called for the proposed amendments to be referred to the Tasmania Law Reform Institute for further analysis.
Source: The Australian
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