A collection of publish and unpublished articles and opinion pieces written by Women Speak Tasmania members over the years
- Dossier on Impacts of Tasmania Sex Self-ID laws on Women, Girls, Families and LGB peoplePRESENTED TO TASMANIAN ATTORNEY GENERAL GUY BARNETT ON 20th JANUARY 2025 INTRODUCTION Women Speak Tasmania (WST) is a women led and woman centred grass roots advocacy body. We campaign for the sex based rights of women in Tasmania. WST believes that biological sex is binary and gives rise to meaningful… Read more: Dossier on Impacts of Tasmania Sex Self-ID laws on Women, Girls, Families and LGB people
- Take Pride out of schoolsHave a look at the screenshot below from the Tasmanian Education Department page. Apparently, they had a fabulous time at the Pride Parade.They say they are all for ‘creating a safe and supportive environment for children, young people and their families’ but, as we now know, this form of words… Read more: Take Pride out of schools
- Deeming vs Pesutto: An Analysisby Sarah Kingsley THE CASE Ms Deeming alleged that Mr Pesutto had defamed her on five occasions, causing injury to her and her reputation, by referring to her as a Nazi sympathiser. Mr Pesutto denied this. Defamation is when a person publishes material that injures another person’s reputation. Defamation law… Read more: Deeming vs Pesutto: An Analysis
- Policies of Sports Governing Bodies on Inclusion of Transgender Athletesby Sarah Kingsley OVERVIEW There is considerable disjunction in the attitudes of various organisations to the essential question of whether biological sex confers significant difference in performance between male and female athletes: and if there are such differences, whether hormone treatments are sufficient to create the required level playing field.… Read more: Policies of Sports Governing Bodies on Inclusion of Transgender Athletes
- Human Rights relating to WomenBy Sarah Kingsley United Nations Documents There is a range of legislation including international covenants and Australian law that governs human rights. The base document that outlines all human rights is the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There is also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).… Read more: Human Rights relating to Women
- Opinion: The Cass ReviewPersonal analysis of The Cass Review findings The Cass Review has laid bare a systematic lack of proper clinical evidence for the use of the ‘ gender affirming model’. Unlike what was discovered thanks to the publication of the WPATH files, the Cass Review puts the welfare of children as… Read more: Opinion: The Cass Review
- Opinion: Rodney Croome: Will promoting hate achieve a win-win?This opinion piece was written by Isla MacGregor in response to Rodney Croome’s article. It was rejected by the new editor of The Tasmanian Times I read Rodney Croome’s article ‘Turf War: What’s really Behind Recent Attacks on Trans Tasmanians’ with considerable interest, most notably for the conspiratorial tone of… Read more: Opinion: Rodney Croome: Will promoting hate achieve a win-win?
- Opinion: National Guidelines needed before law reformsIt is timely, given the election media frenzy over statements made by Warringah candidate Kath Deves on gender medicine for minors, that the Tasmanian Law Reform Institue has released its long awaited final report on proposed legislative reforms on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity conversion practices. It is reasssuring to… Read more: Opinion: National Guidelines needed before law reforms
- ABC Hobart censorship relentless under ACON policy captureABC Hobart are not letting up on their relentless censorship of Tasmanians, including two Liberal Party defectors MPs Lara Alexander and John Tucker who have raised concerns about the flaws in the affirmative care approach to treatment of children struggling with gender dysphoria. Their concerns are especially relevant to upcoming anti conversion… Read more: ABC Hobart censorship relentless under ACON policy capture
- A dark day for women’s free speech and right to lawful and peaceful assembly in TasmaniaTasmania Police fail to protect women from violence outside Parliament House in Hobart in March 2023 In Tasmania we like to regard our state as a peaceful and accepting place where our people can safely and freely discuss the important issues of the day. But on Tuesday 21st, March 2023… Read more: A dark day for women’s free speech and right to lawful and peaceful assembly in Tasmania
- The media’s campaign against media freedom and free speech in TasmaniaIsla MacGregor talk at LWS Kelley-Jay Keen-Minshull Parliament House Lawns Hobart 21 March 2023 Its not hard to imagine just how gender identity brainwashing in Tasmanian institutions has been achieved especially as most media won’t report on therising community opposition to this new state religion. Why won’t media report on… Read more: The media’s campaign against media freedom and free speech in Tasmania
- Opinion: Ignorance on Impacts of Gender Law ReformsThe Advocate Editorial ‘Trans, gender diverse face fear, ignorance’ (Saturday Feb 4th 2023), promotes an ideological position, which may represent the personal views of Anthony Haneveer but do not represent the views of the vast majority of Advocate readership. Without speaking to any of the people at the Hobart Aquatic… Read more: Opinion: Ignorance on Impacts of Gender Law Reforms
- Fact Check on Gender Law Reform forumFrom Isla MacGregor – Freedom of Speech and Press Freedom Advocate Matty Wright’s letter (Mercury, October 11) in response to Charles Wooley’s article (Mercury, October 8) continues the misinformation generated by Kenji Sato’s article of October 3 headed ‘Offensive’ anti-trans forum sparks outrage.’ Of note is that the online version… Read more: Fact Check on Gender Law Reform forum
- Robust and respectful free debate is vitalComment by Isla MacGregor Cassy O’Connor’s recent call for Premier Jeremy Rockliff to ban the Free Speech Alliance Australia forum at Parliament House on conversion therapy laws is regrettable. Democracy can only flourish when there is informed, robust and respectful free debate. The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute final report on… Read more: Robust and respectful free debate is vital
- Transforming Tasmania cries foul over poll resultsBy Women Speak Tasmania The EMRS poll results released yesterday indicate the majority of Tasmanians do not support changes to the state’s birth registration process proposed by Labor and the Greens. The changes were passed as amendments to the Justice and Related Legislation (Marriage Amendments) Bill 2018 by our parliament’s… Read more: Transforming Tasmania cries foul over poll results
- An open letter to Hobart City Council aldermenBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor Women Speak Tasmania is writing to you regarding the Salamanca Market Facebook posting on Sunday 10 February which stated, among other things, that … ‘The City of Hobart have been made aware of a group that were distributing anti-transgender materials yesterday at the Salamanca… Read more: An open letter to Hobart City Council aldermen
- Children’s Commissioner’s advice to Legislative Council exposes lack of consultation on transgender reformsBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor – Women Speak Tasmania The Tasmanian Commissioner for Children and Young People, Leanne McLean, in a recent email to the Legislative Council on changes to the Justice and Related Legislation (Marriage Amendments) Bill 2018, stated she has not been ‘briefed or asked to comment on… Read more: Children’s Commissioner’s advice to Legislative Council exposes lack of consultation on transgender reforms
- Salamanca Market’s attack on women’s freedom of speechBy Women Speak Tasmania Last Saturday Women Speak Tasmania held a media conference at Salamanca (outside the market precinct) to launch our flyer outlining our views on proposed transgender law reforms and their effects on women’s human rights. The flyers were also distributed at Salamanca Market that day. Our flyers… Read more: Salamanca Market’s attack on women’s freedom of speech
- Investigation into former Anti-discrimination Commissioner Robin BanksBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor – Women Speak Tasmania Women Speak Tasmania is disappointed that Anti-discrimination Commissioner Sarah Bolt has referred our complaint against former Anti-discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks to the Ombudsman for investigation. We submitted our complaint against Robin Banks when our organisation was no-platformed last year at… Read more: Investigation into former Anti-discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks
- Cassy O’Connor and Rebecca White must explain how sex self-ID will impact women’s human rights?By Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor – Women Speak Tasmania Campaign group Women Speak Tasmania is calling on Greens’ leader Cassy O’Connor and Opposition leader Rebecca White to clarify how sex self-ID will impact the human rights of women and girls. Labor and the Greens bulldozed amendments to the Births,… Read more: Cassy O’Connor and Rebecca White must explain how sex self-ID will impact women’s human rights?
- Lifting the lid on the fundamentalist trans rights lobby’s bag of dirty tryx in TasmaniaBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor Women Speak Tasmania Human Rights Week 12 December 2018 Isla MacGregor writes … ‘If one section of our community want to change the definition of what it is to be a woman, then women rightly have a major stake in this discussion, not only… Read more: Lifting the lid on the fundamentalist trans rights lobby’s bag of dirty tryx in Tasmania
- Human rights event cancelled due to trans lobby’s bullyingBy Women Speak Tasmania ‘We are in a new era of witch burning, except that today, the fire is that of media and propaganda, with trans activists and their supporters suppressing any information that contradicts their goals and silencing their critics through oppressive tactics. Some of our contributors have been… Read more: Human rights event cancelled due to trans lobby’s bullying
- Robin Banks Attempts to No-Platform Women Speak TasmaniaWomen Speak Tasmania is scheduled to speak at a Human Rights Week event for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) on 12 December next. On 30 November, former Anti-discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks, emailed WILPF with the following … Ms Banks’ statements clearly amount to vilification of the… Read more: Robin Banks Attempts to No-Platform Women Speak Tasmania
- Men and your new identity in the 21CBy Isla MacGregor For all the men in Tasmania who are not quite grasping what the proposed transgender legislation has to do with them, it is useful to understand how this will affect your identity. Under this proposed new legislation there will no longer be anything such as just ‘male’… Read more: Men and your new identity in the 21C
- Reclaim the Night – Is It Still About Women?By Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor Hobart’s Reclaim the Night rally is one of many that occur around Australia every year. The concept originated as a means for women to express public solidarity with each other and ‘reclaim’ their right to be out in public after dark without being in… Read more: Reclaim the Night – Is It Still About Women?
- Labor and the Greens ‘Win’, But Democracy LosesBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor When we go to the ballot box and vote, we have an expectation that those we elect will at least try to represent our interests. We assume that any debate in parliament, particularly if the issue is contentious, will be as well-informed as it… Read more: Labor and the Greens ‘Win’, But Democracy Loses
- The Mercury – PR Machine for the Trans Lobby?By Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor In recent weeks, Hobart’s Mercury newspaper has featured a number of articles and longer form stories showcasing the trans rights lobby group, Transforming Tasmania. Transforming Tasmania is behind a number of radical amendments to birth registration and anti-discrimination laws put forward by Labor and… Read more: The Mercury – PR Machine for the Trans Lobby?
- The Trans Rights Debate – Who’s Peddling the ‘Hate’?By Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor Emily Baker’s recent article in the Mercury titled ‘Penis stickers labelled hateful: Anger at anti-transgender campaign’ quoted Transforming Tasmania representative, Martine Delaney’s, opinion of the stickers. Delaney said the stickers expressed a view ‘actively promoted by only extremely conservative Christian groups and a very… Read more: The Trans Rights Debate – Who’s Peddling the ‘Hate’?
- Transgender campaign misinformation continuesBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor – Women Speak Tasmania Roen Meijers of Transforming Tasmania continues to be confused about the issue of Birth Certificate registrations as it is not gender that is recorded, but sex. Additionally, the Options Paper on transgender law reform released for public consultation by former… Read more: Transgender campaign misinformation continues
- O’Connor and White in Damage Control over Backlash on Transgender ReformsBy Women Speak Tasmania While Labor Opposition leader, Rebecca White, moves to distance the party from a deal with the Greens to fast track changes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, the Greens’ Cassy O’Connor has resorted to accusations of transphobia against those calling for public consultation on… Read more: O’Connor and White in Damage Control over Backlash on Transgender Reforms
- Transforming Tasmania Shouldn’t Shut Down Birth Certificate DebateBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor – Women Speak Tasmania Transforming Tasmania’s proposed changes to birth registration and anti-discrimination law in Tasmania are radical amendments that shouldn’t be rushed through parliament. Labor and the Greens need to support the Government’s referral of those amendments to the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute… Read more: Transforming Tasmania Shouldn’t Shut Down Birth Certificate Debate
- Labor and the Greens Under Pressure Over Birth Certificate ChangesBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor – Women Speak Tasmania Women Speak Tasmania is hearing from many women across Tasmania who are outraged at Labor and the Greens attempt to fast track changes to birth certificates at the behest of Transforming Tasmania. Never before has the community witnessed such unashamed… Read more: Labor and the Greens Under Pressure Over Birth Certificate Changes
- Don’t agree with trans ideology? UTAS will find a way to silence youBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor – Women Speak Tasmania On 6 August last, Tasmanian Times published an article titled ‘Silencing and Censorship in the Trans Rights Debate’ The article featured five case studies that exemplified the dominant narrative in this debate – supportive of the trans rights agenda and… Read more: Don’t agree with trans ideology? UTAS will find a way to silence you
- Transgender law reform … a women’s rights perspectiveBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor – Women Speak Tasmania In recent years, ‘gender’ and ‘gender identity’ have become a feature of anti-discrimination law in Australia at both the federal and state levels. Transgender rights proponents are now lobbying for radical changes to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act… Read more: Transgender law reform … a women’s rights perspective
- Is mainstream media in Australia afraid to cover women’s views on the transgender rights debate?By Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor – Women Speak Tasmania And what about the Mercury? In the last few months Tasmanian Times has published several articles on the transgender rights debate written by women from Women Speak Tasmania. Most of these articles were also sent out nationally as Media Releases. No… Read more: Is mainstream media in Australia afraid to cover women’s views on the transgender rights debate?
- Protesters Call for Boycott of Girl Guides AustraliaBy Bronwyn Williams and Isla MacGregor – Women Speak Tasmania Women Speak Tasmania has held a street protest against Girl Guides Australia’s recently released policy that allows biological male persons, both boys and adult men, to join the organisation as members and leaders Thursday 11 October 2018 was International Day… Read more: Protesters Call for Boycott of Girl Guides Australia
- Silencing and Censorship in the Trans Rights debate. Part 3By Isla MacGregor Part Three. “I am not a Woman” – Transsexuals and Transgender Women Speak Out Today, the dominant discourse in the transgender rights debate insists that transgender women are ‘women’. It is not uncommon to hear the argument that, because they are women, their biology is female and… Read more: Silencing and Censorship in the Trans Rights debate. Part 3
- Women call for review to sex discrimination lawsBy Isla MacGregor Women Speak Tasmania is calling for uniform changes to federal and state anti-discrimination laws. All Australian legislatures must urgently address the need for accurate and effective definitions of “sex” and “gender identity” in anti-discrimination laws across Australia. We must develop uniform laws in all Australian jurisdictions to… Read more: Women call for review to sex discrimination laws
- Silencing and Censorship in the Trans Rights debate. Part 2By Isla MacGregor Part Two. The transgender debate is increasingly characterised by no-platforming, withdrawal from participation, censorship, bullying, threats, intimidation, silencing, stonewalling and expulsion from groups for those who express dissent from the ‘popular’ transgender narrative. The following Tasmanian case studies outline examples of trans rights crusaders and their ideological… Read more: Silencing and Censorship in the Trans Rights debate. Part 2
- Silencing and Censorship in the Trans Rights debate. Part 1By Isla MacGregor Part One. Silencing and Censorship or Robust Debate? The recent launch of the group, Transforming Tasmania, which aims to lobby for law reforms that improve the lives of transgender and gender-diverse people, is an opportunity for the community to engage in robust, open and safe discussions on… Read more: Silencing and Censorship in the Trans Rights debate. Part 1
- Outrage over Oxfam investigations into paedophiles, sexual misconduct …By Isla MacGregor Yesterday’s news about NGO Oxfam’s 2011 internal investigation into allegations against some staff over sexual abuse, harassment and illegal use of prostitutes revealed a totally abhorrent culture within some elements of the world-renowned aid organisation. Several staff members who worked with Oxfam in Chad and Haiti between… Read more: Outrage over Oxfam investigations into paedophiles, sexual misconduct …
- Funding cuts to Scarlet Alliance: Michael Keenan gets it right …By Isla MacGregor I can only congratulate Justice Minister Michael Keenan for not allocating funding to the Scarlet Alliance in the 2017/18 round of funding to NGOs for combating sex trafficking and slavery in Australia. In February, March and April this year I was a co-signatory of a group of… Read more: Funding cuts to Scarlet Alliance: Michael Keenan gets it right …
- Amnesty International’s capitulation to women’s increasing poverty and subordination to menBy Isla MacGregor “We need to eroticise equality. Prostitution is about buying a body, not mutual pleasure and free choice”, says Gloria Steinem … “The end of prostitution might be a distant ideal, but it is still far better than Amnesty’s grubby collusion with misogyny.” – Julie Bindel Simone Watson,… Read more: Amnesty International’s capitulation to women’s increasing poverty and subordination to men
- It’s bad news from New Zealand’s Survivors …By Isla MacGregor First published April 27 Survivors from the sex trade in New Zealand are speaking out about the tragic failure of decriminalisation aimed at preventing harms to prostituted women and girls from sex buyers and pimps but here in Tasmania Young Labor and many in the Union movement… Read more: It’s bad news from New Zealand’s Survivors …
- Thomas Kent and the Sex Party propaganda machine …By Isla MacGregor Thomas Kent, in recent comments on an article in Overland journal Sex work and silence by Celeste Elizabeth, member of the Women’s Legal Service Board and self proclaimed delinquent, has outed himself as the propagandist for the Sex Party in Australia he is. While Sex trade apologists… Read more: Thomas Kent and the Sex Party propaganda machine …
- Boycotts ramp up on The Body Shop and L’OrealBy Isla MacGregor In the lead up to Christmas cosmetic retailer The Body Shop is coming under increasing pressure from women’s human rights groups with calls for consumers to boycott their products. The Body Shop is one many corporate offenders on the Collective Shout 2016 Crossed Off list an annual… Read more: Boycotts ramp up on The Body Shop and L’Oreal
- Young Labor Didn’t Do its HomeworkBy Isla MacGregor Tasmanian Labor’s agenda for its conference in Queenstown this weekend has promised an opportunity for ‘robust and spirited debate’. While the decriminalisation of brothels and the legalisation of some illicit drugs are being proposed by two separate branches of the party, the coupling of both proposals is… Read more: Young Labor Didn’t Do its Homework
- The reluctance of Tasmanian authorities …By Isla MacGregor Consultation Session with Michel Forst, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders – Civil Society Activists, Saturday 8 October 2016 Representatives of the Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF) Southern Tasmania, Nordic Model Australia Coalition (NorMAC) and Whistleblowers Tasmania attended the civil society activists consultation session in Hobart.… Read more: The reluctance of Tasmanian authorities …
- Whistleblowers Tasmania backs call for Parliamentary Inquiry …By Isla MacGregor Whistleblowers Tasmania has backed the call by Tessa Anne from the Women’s Liberation Front for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the conduct of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks and Equal Opportunity Tasmania Policy Advisor Leica Wagner. The allegations made by Tessa Anne and reported in The Australian on… Read more: Whistleblowers Tasmania backs call for Parliamentary Inquiry …
- Sex industry lobby group disrupts Survivor book launchBy Isla MacGregor On Sunday 21 August, sex trade advocates tried to derail the launch, in Townsville, Queensland, of Prostitution Narratives, a recently published compilation of sex trade survivor testimonies. The tactics used by the pro sex trade lobby are becoming increasingly nasty, especially since the release of damning stories of… Read more: Sex industry lobby group disrupts Survivor book launch
- Melbourne Writers’ Festival Panel Dispute Exposes Anti-Survivor AgendaBy Isla MacGregor In the spirit of the popular ‘sex workers are under-represented’ stance, repeated by liberal media and prostitution advocates, ad-nauseum, Daily Life has published yet another article repeating the myth. The author, Kate Iselin, aside from being a self-described “sex worker” and published writer, is also “furious.” This… Read more: Melbourne Writers’ Festival Panel Dispute Exposes Anti-Survivor Agenda
- Prostitution – the global humanitarian disaster of the 21CBy Isla MacGregor Amnesty International’s Sex Trade Policy – Rights for Whom? Talk by Isla MacGregor Parliament House, Hobart, Tasmania Introduction Thank you, Simone, for speaking of the harms of the global sex trade with such clarity. I hope I can add something to the debate by discussing Amnesty International’s… Read more: Prostitution – the global humanitarian disaster of the 21C
- NorMAC Nastiness in Hobart: A responseBy Isla MacGregor Crikey! The pro-sex trade lobby have been misrepresenting Nordic Model supporters with a renewed vigour. The “Why be poor?” brigade of alleged “sex workers” certainly know how to spin a yarn but it’s the same old yarn and the public are just not swallowing it. After I… Read more: NorMAC Nastiness in Hobart: A response
- Opinion: A reality check on sex workBy Isla MacGregor Recent articles have argued for and against decriminalization of prostitution. It’s an emotive subject, likely to raise strong commentary, so let’s try and see this argument against some indisputable facts. One: the entire weight of mankind’s experience in all civilised societies round the world has always centred on… Read more: Opinion: A reality check on sex work
- Sex offender’s sentence must be appealedBy Isla MacGregor On 23 December we read in the Mercury that Darren John Fenton, 48, received a suspended sentence after being found guilty of the indecent assault of two 13-year old girls on the East Coast last year. The manifestly inadequate sentence, delivered by Justice Helen Wood, is a… Read more: Sex offender’s sentence must be appealed
- UTAS Women’s Collective: A new meaning for inclusive?By Isla MacGregor In six decades of life as a woman, I’ve seen countless expressions of patriarchy. From the family favouritism shown to my brothers, to the societal and workplace inequities of single parenthood, and now the creeping social oblivion of female middle age. I’ve studied and worked in the… Read more: UTAS Women’s Collective: A new meaning for inclusive?
- Amnesty International condemned over fast-tracking of sex laws policyBy Isla MacGregor Human Rights and Women’s groups along with Survivors have been outraged over the continued attempt by Amnesty International to rail road through their policy on prostitution after being exposed for failing to properly consult with their international membership base and stakeholders. The proposed Amnesty International International Council… Read more: Amnesty International condemned over fast-tracking of sex laws policy
- Amnesty Members put No Confidence motion in Amnesty Australia Board at Hobart AGMBy Isla MacGregor Members of Amnesty International Australia last Saturday (16th May), put a [i]No Confidence Motion[/i] in the [i]Amnesty International Australia Board[/i] over their actions on Amnesty’s proposed new sex law policy. Two resolutions were put before the Tasmanian Amnesty AGM including a [i]No Confidence Motion[/i] in the AIA… Read more: Amnesty Members put No Confidence motion in Amnesty Australia Board at Hobart AGM