Rodney Croome’s predictions about the Coalition rolling out a trans fear campaign and a looming culture war in the lead up to the coming federal election (Canberra Times 10 Jan 2025), tell us that many in the LGBTQA+ community are nervous about the implications of the US election on voter sentiment in Australia.
While Rodney targets LGB Alliance Australia and trans exclusionary feminists as wanting to take trans rights away, he fails to address the core issues over the ever increasing conflict over women’s and children’s rights.
Drawing on previous election history on the gay marriage debate, Rodney imagines that the same campaign tactics, which he often refers to as ‘judo activism’, will result in a victory for gender diverse Australians.
While attacking the Coalition and Labor for not defending trans rights, it is not clear who Rodney is suggesting the LGBTQIA+ community should be voting for.
But, Rodney is correct in suggesting that amending the Sex Discrimination Act will be part of an election campaign by a broad coalition of groups which support women’s and children’s rights and safeguarding.
These groups understand that a one size fits all trans policy agenda culminating in self ID laws across all jurisdictions, has resulted in the worst Government meddling in the lives of the majority of Australians.
Six International Sporting organisations have now banned inclusion of trans identified males in women’s sports on the grounds of safety and fairness. The international reach of the gender debate seems to be peripheral to Rodney’s style of judo activism but has certainly been front and centre in the public’s eye after the Olympics this year.
The implementation of bans and restrictions in numerous countries have come about after years of research and evaluation of what is now being described as experimental medicine that lacks any evidence base. Rodney’s allegation of double standards does not apply as…….
To suggest a coming fear-mongering anti trans federal election campaign belies the very serious impacts that sex self ID laws have had on women and children and our multicultural community in Australia.
Elizabeth Caballero
Women Speak Tasmania
Letter to The Canberra Times