Over the last two years, Women Speak Tasmania has faced the cancellation of two community forums by Libraries Tasmania after bookings had already been confirmed and publicly advertised.
Both events concerned public policy, women’s rights, and laws affecting sex-based rights and protections. In both cases, the forums were ultimately relocated and held without incident.
These cancellations raise broader questions about freedom of discussion in publicly funded spaces, and whether lawful viewpoints on contested public issues are being treated differently from other forms of advocacy.
The Burnie Library Cancellation (March 2024)
In March 2024, a representative of Women Speak Tasmania booked a room at Burnie Library for the morning of Friday 21 March. The event was initially promoted with reference to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Shortly before the forum, the title and description were updated to reflect the publication of the Cass Review in the United Kingdom, a major independent review into gender services for children and adolescents. The revised event and Q&A was promoted as:
“Gender Affirming Care – Puberty Blockers: The 21st Century Global Medical Scandal.”
The discussion was intended to cover:
- international developments in youth gender medicine,
- whistleblower accounts from clinicians and former staff,
- concerns regarding puberty blockers and medical pathways for minors, and
- growing international calls for review and caution.
The booking had already been formally confirmed. However, after the updated event details were publicly advertised, complaints were made to the library.
On 19 March, Libraries Tasmania cancelled the booking. The reasons given included the state election caretaker period and claims that the event did not align with the library’s Client Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
Despite the cancellation, the forum later proceeded at an alternative venue without disruption or incident.
The Devonport Library Cancellation (April 2025)
The Event and Cancellation
In February 2025, Women Speak Tasmania booked the Melrose 1 Room at the Paranaple Centre, operated by Devonport Library, for Monday 7 April from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
The forum was titled:
“Women’s Rights in the Modern World.”
It was advertised as a free RSVP-only event open to the public. Topics listed included:
- the impact of gender law reforms on women’s sports, facilities, and opportunities, and
- the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act and the Federal Sex Discrimination Act, including how these laws define “woman” and “sex”.
The booking was confirmed and the event was publicly promoted. Following complaints after advertising began, Libraries Tasmania cancelled the booking, stating that the event was inconsistent with the Department for Education, Children and Young People’s diversity and inclusion policies.
Social Media Reaction
Following the cancellation announcement, a number of hostile comments appeared under Women Speak Tasmania’s Facebook post.
One commenter wrote:
Another commenter, using the name Lily Flower, stated publicly that she had complained to the library and had received confirmation that the booking was cancelled. She also indicated she intended to contact other Libraries Tasmania venues, including Launceston Library, to oppose future Women Speak Tasmania events.
In subsequent comments, she described Women Speak Tasmania as a “foul organisation” and characterised the group’s views as “harmful and false rhetoric”.
Despite these efforts, the Devonport forum was later rescheduled at a local RSL venue and proceeded peacefully and without incident.
A Bigger Question
The issue raised by these two cases goes beyond venue administration. Public libraries are taxpayer-funded community spaces intended to serve people with diverse beliefs and viewpoints.
The cancellation of lawful forums discussing women’s rights, public policy, and legislation raises important questions:
- Should publicly funded venues exclude events because some people disagree with the viewpoint being expressed?
- Are diversity and inclusion policies being applied consistently?
- And who ultimately decides which lawful opinions are considered acceptable for public discussion?
These questions are now at the centre of ongoing legal proceedings.
In Part 2, we examine the formal complaints lodged with the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner and the current proceedings before the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT).