On Saturday, 9 February 2019, Women Speak Tasmania (WST) held a media conference at Salamanca, just outside the market precinct, to launch our flyer outlining the impacts of proposed transgender law reforms on women’s human rights. Following the conference, volunteers handed out flyers inside Salamanca Market, speaking directly with the public.
The response was mixed—many Tasmanians expressed gratitude for finally being informed about reforms they knew nothing about, while others disagreed. But what shocked us was what followed.
The very next day, Salamanca Market’s official Facebook page condemned our presence, claiming that “anti-transgender materials” had been distributed, apologising to those “offended,” and distancing themselves from WST. Instead of upholding freedom of speech in a public space, the City of Hobart framed women raising legitimate concerns as a threat.
The backlash was telling. Many community members commented publicly, questioning why the Market should dictate which political views are acceptable. As one person wrote:
“Free speech is important. I don’t want to live in a place where city councils or market committees decide who can and can’t have an opinion. This is Australia, not Soviet Russia.”
Another pointed out the hypocrisy:
“It seems hypocritical for the market to claim to be ‘inclusive of all identities’ while ignoring the political right of women to publicly demonstrate.”
British human rights campaigner Miranda Yardley also lent support, warning that women in the UK have already faced arrest for questioning gender identity ideology, and that Australia must resist the same authoritarian creep.
The flyers handed out that day simply presented evidence and arguments about the risks of erasing sex-based rights. Yet the City of Hobart’s response was to apologise for our very existence in the debate.
This episode is not about markets, stalls, or “offending” people—it is about women’s right to speak. If reforms can reshape laws, services, and protections for women and girls, then women must be allowed to discuss them openly, without being branded and silenced.
