Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has banned a women’s group from office facilities made available to community organisations because of its “exclusionary” views on transgender issues.
The federal member for Clark allows community groups to use his taxpayer-funded photocopying facilities in Hobart. Until recently this included feminist group Women Speak Tasmania.
WST has in recent years clashed with transgender activists over law reform, with the group concerned about the sanctity and safety of female-only services and places. Mr Wilkie has now banned the group from using the facilities, telling The Weekend Australian he sees its views as “discriminatory” and “exclusionary”.
Mr Wilkie said he told WST his stance was partly informed by his ex-wife, Charlie Burton, who has been transitioning from female to male gender, as well as by activist Rodney Croome.
“They (WST) were using it but when I learned of their discriminatory views I then stopped them using it,” Mr Wilkie said. “One of the explicit conditions of use of the photocopier is that it shouldn’t be for any material that is exclusionary. They discriminate against transgender women; men who have become women.
“The fact that (my ex-wife) Kate has become Charlie does give me a particular interest in the issue of transgender.
“I’ve also witnessed first-hand the hurt caused to some transgender people by other members of the community.”
WST is furious over the ban, accusing Mr Wilkie of discriminating against the group, while allowing “radical” trans groups to continue to use his office facilities despite their attacks on women’s rights to female-only services.
“There is clearly a direct attack on women’s sex-based rights at the moment,” WST spokeswoman Isla MacGregor told The Australian.
“Australia is in the grip of a psychosis whipped up the by gender lobby that (says) ‘trans women are women and anybody who opposes that is a hate group’.
“I think that Wilkie has fallen for that ploy and it’s tragic that he has … He needs to do more homework.”
She said WST’s opposition to “male-bodied” people accessing female-only services and places was about defending women’s rights and safety, not inciting hatred towards transgender people.
In April this year, Tasmania passed laws allowing people as young as 16 to change their official gender simply by statutory declaration, and making sex an ‘opt-in’ on birth certificates.
Dr Burton, a member of Equality Tasmania and Transforming Tasmania, backed Mr Wilkie’s stance on WST.
By Matthew Denholm
Source: The Australian
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