Dear Linton Besser,
I am concerned about the continual mischaracterisation by ABC of women’s rights campaigners as “anti trans”, when in fact we are simply defending our right of association.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-23/lesbian-group-transgender-exemption-federal-court/106375606
Lesbians don’t “want the right to exclude trans women”- they want to assert women’s right of association.
The Australian Human Rights Commission on the other hand seems to have sneakily changed the definition of “woman”, to include … well, anyone who wants to be a woman.
This of course includes all the straight men seeking female partners who can now claim to be lesbians and have the full protection and support of the Sex Discrimination Commissioner- using women’s rights legislation hard won by working class women’s grass roots action over decades.
I don’t have to point out to you how obviously offensive this is. What’s less known, are the genuine safety concerns of giving any men access to women only spaces. Trans identifying men are no less likely to offend than any other man. In fact, for such a small minority of the population, they are associated with high levels of violent crime and sex offences:
Sex and Violence: What the Data on Trans Offenders Really Show
We Need to Talk About Trans-Identified Killers
The fact that the AHRC is so deeply ideologically captured ABC may be attributed at least partly to the endless, sly drip feed of trans-framed articles, which are really about other issues- such as women’s rights, evidence based care for children, and government corruption by DEI narratives.
There needs to be an urgent inquiry into the ABC’s ideological capture by trans/ queer ideologues via the diversity and inclusion industry.
Concerns raised about government relationship with LGBTQ group
ABC needs to understand the gravity of its bias, and its role in driving a sudden, significant swing to the hard right:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-15/story-lab-one-nation-polling/106322978
As evidenced by activity on X and other social media, gender ideology in public institutions is a huge area of public concern, with Celine Baumgarten having 20,000 plus supporters on X:
and Sall Grover 174,000
These issues will only grow if the ABC continues to ignore them, or report them in biased ways as it does: https://womenspeaktas.au/citizen-action/
Please examine whether ABC’s complaints process is fit for purpose, given the longstanding concerns that have been raised by many of us for years, especially about ABC’s ongoing relationship with ACON, and Hugh Marks’ woeful lack of awareness about it.
Best regards,
E. Gillanders