Women Speak Tasmania (WST) is holding its Youth Gender Distress Forum on 27 November 2025, inside the Parliament House Reception Room. Our event is a lawful, registered, peaceful forum focused on healthcare, safeguarding, and evidence-based discussion.
In recent days, a group organising a counter-protest has circulated promotional material on Facebook using highly inflammatory, derogatory, and hostile language about WST and about the clinicians attending the forum. This material raises serious concerns for the safety, comfort, and wellbeing of attendees, speakers, and members of the public.
Hostile and Dehumanising Language
The counter-protest flyer and associated social-media comments repeatedly use terms such as:
- “fake feminists”
- “hate group”
- “TERF”
- “transphobes”
- “cis supremacist bullshit”
This type of language is designed to provoke contempt, not dialogue. It contributes to an environment where women may feel unsafe simply for attending a public policy forum.
This rhetoric also erases the fact that many attendees are members of parliament, parents, clinicians, teachers, and community members seeking open discussion — not confrontation.
Encouragement of Disruption and Intimidation
In posts promoting the action, organisers encourage:
- noise-making instruments
- loud disruption
- attempts to “boost interactions” by provoking responses
- bringing “wild outfits,” props, and other attention-drawing items
These plans indicate a deliberate intention to intimidate or drown out a lawful event inside Parliament House.
Even if not violent, such behaviour can significantly impact the safety and wellbeing of women who simply wish to participate in civil discussion without harassment or fear.
Alarming Comments Suggesting Potential Physical Aggression
Within the public comment threads promoting the counter-protest, one commenter stated that they intended to bring drumsticks and “know how and when to use them.”
While the intent behind the comment is not entirely clear, such statements in the context of an emotionally charged counter-protest are concerning and may be interpreted by attendees as implying potential physical aggression.
WST has no desire to assume malicious intent, but when women are already being targeted with derogatory language, comments like these understandably raise red flags about safety.
Impact on Women and Families Attending
The tone and content of the counter-protest material risks creating:
- a hostile environment
- fear of harassment for women entering Parliament House
- discomfort for young people, parents, and professionals
- a chilling effect on freedom of expression and political participation
Many attendees have expressed concern about being filmed, mocked, or confronted while trying to enter the building.
Our Commitment to Safety and Civility
Women Speak Tasmania remains committed to:
- peaceful assembly
- respectful dialogue
- the safety of all participants
- freedom of political belief and expression
Our event will proceed as planned inside the Parliament House Reception Room, with appropriate safety measures and with full respect for the rights of others to protest peacefully without intimidation or harassment.
Call for Respectful Conduct
WST recognises the right of individuals to protest.
However, we strongly urge counter-protest organisers and participants to:
- avoid inflammatory or abusive language
- refrain from intimidation
- respect the right of women to meet peacefully
- ensure their actions do not compromise safety
We ask all Tasmanians — regardless of political beliefs — to uphold the principles of respect, dignity, and civil discourse.