Women Speak Tasmania

Category: Blog

  • AHPRA’s LGBTIQA+ Strategy: Affirmation First or Evidence-Based Care?

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    An analysis of regulatory documents and what they may mean for clinicians and patient care Recent Freedom of Information documents released to Women Speak Tasmania provide insight into how the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is developing its National Scheme LGBTIQA+ Equity and Inclusion Strategy. The documents show AHPRA has committed to using external…

  • AHRC President Faces Questions Over Youth Gender Care and Women’s Rights

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    On 29 April 2026, Hugh de Kretser delivered his inaugural Australian Human Rights Assessment address at the National Press Club in Canberra amid growing controversy surrounding the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Equal Identities: A human rights review of the experiences of trans and gender diverse people in Australia, released in March 2026. The report has…

  • APS Gender Care Statement Sparks Debate Over Evidence and Guidance

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    Australia’s peak body for psychologists, the Australian Psychological Society (APS), has released a new position statement titled “Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of transgender and gender diverse people.” The document was presented as an updated, evidence-informed position on psychological care for transgender and gender-diverse Australians. However, its release has prompted criticism from some clinicians,…

  • Human Rights, Sex-Based Rights, and the Questions Left Unanswered

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    On 21 April 2026, the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), in partnership with Tasmania’s Office of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, hosted the first event in its national seminar series titled “The Answer Is Human Rights” at the RACV Hobart Hotel. The event marked the AHRC’s 40th anniversary and promoted two major reform agendas: The evening featured…

  • Is AHPRA’s Registration of a Trans-Identified Male as Female Putting Patient Consent at Risk?

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    The recent registration of the trans-identified male Dr Beth Upton by Australia’s medical regulator has raised serious concerns among women across the country. The trans-identified male Dr Beth Upton, who began transitioning in 2022, is now working as an unaccredited emergency-medicine trainee under supervision at Port Macquarie Base Hospital and Kempsey District Hospital on the…

  • One Year Later: How Can Governments Continue to Break the Law on Women’s Rights?

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    On Saturday 11 April 2026, women and men gathered in multiple cities for the #OneYearLater International Day of Action. Under the banner “ONE YEAR LATER — WE’RE BACK. OBEY THE LAW NOW! TICK TOCK”, they asked a simple question: “How can our government just continue to break the law?” Exactly one year after the UK…

  • From Paris Punch to Policy Breakthrough: The IOC Finally Protects the Female Category in Sport

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    A Moment That Shocked the World It all happened almost in a flash. At the Paris Olympics in 2024, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif stepped into the ring against Italian female boxer Angela Carini. One powerful punch landed — and the match was over in what felt like seconds. Carini, tears streaming down her face, quit…

  • Tasmania’s Department of Health Puts Ideology Before Biology

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    A recent article in The Australian highlighted growing debate over the language used in women’s healthcare and medical institutions across Australia. The article focused on a seminar hosted by UNSW Sydney senior research fellow Kerryn Drysdale — whose academic background includes a thesis on drag culture — titled “Reimagining Menopause for Trans and Gender Diverse…

  • AusPATH Activism Silences Evidence-Based Debate

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    In a troubling display of activism overriding scientific discourse, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has bowed to pressure from trans activist groups, including the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH), effectively silencing a webinar by renowned Finnish expert Professor Riittakerttu Kaltiala. Titled Medical Gender Reassignment Among Minors: Why Are We Cautious…

  • Challenges Doctors Face When Challenging Gender-Affirming Care

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    In the evolving landscape of youth gender medicine, a growing number of medical professionals are raising alarms about the rapid adoption of gender-affirming care models. These models, which emphasize affirming a child’s self-identified gender through social transition, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones, have come under scrutiny for lacking robust evidence and potentially causing long-term harm.…