Category: Blog
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Women Speak Tasmania Conference 2024 – Westbury
Women Speak Tasmania held its three-day conference in Westbury from 20–22 November 2024, bringing together members and allies for planning, reflection, and fellowship. This year’s conference was both enjoyable and productive, with forward planning for 2025 as a major focus. Delegates also took time to celebrate the hard work of the committee, particularly the completion…
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Gender and Sexuality Inclusive Language – UTAS Ethics Committee
In October 2024, members of the University of Tasmania’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) received an email titled “Gender and Sexuality Inclusive Language – Guidelines.” The email, sent by Cynthia A. Awruch (Manager Research Ethics), was blunt: “It is the University of Tasmania’s policy for all researchers to use inclusive language in their research and…
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Tickle v Giggle: Why This Case Matters for Sex-Based Rights in Australia
The Federal Court case Tickle v Giggle has become one of the most significant legal disputes in recent Australian debates about sex, gender identity, and single-sex spaces. The ruling is already influencing discussions about anti-discrimination law, women-only services, and how the Sex Discrimination Act is interpreted. What Was the Case About? The case began in…
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Women Speak Tasmania Launches Our Official Website
Women Speak Tasmania is proud to announce the launch of our official website! Since our founding in 2018, our mission has been clear: to protect, defend, and restore the sex-based rights of women and children in Tasmania. Over the years, our members have worked tirelessly—through submissions, advocacy, public events, and community outreach—to hold governments and…
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A Dark Day for Women’s Free Speech and Right to Lawful and Peaceful Assembly in Tasmania
How Tasmania Police fail to protect women from violence outside Parliament House 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 we found to our dismay that there is one…
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Robin Banks and the Silencing of Women: A Timeline of Events and Unresolved Complaints
In recent years, Women Speak Tasmania (WST) has been at the centre of a disturbing pattern of censorship, no-platforming, and institutional bias against women raising concerns about gender ideology. At the heart of these events lies the role of former Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks. What follows is a timeline of events, a summary of…
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Tasmanian Tribunal Refuses Exemption for Lesbian-Only Events
In 2021, Launceston woman Jessica Hoyle, with the support of LGB Alliance Australia, applied to Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner for an exemption to hold lesbian-only social events. The aim was to create spaces exclusively for same-sex attracted women — events that would exclude biological males, including males who identify as transgender women. Hoyle argued that lesbians…
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Tasmanian Forum on Conversion Therapy Laws Highlights Free Speech and Debate
On November 23, 2022, the Free Speech Alliance Australia hosted a forum at Parliament House, Hobart, to discuss proposed Tasmanian laws banning conversion therapy. The event, supported by Liberal MP Lara Alexander, brought together experts, survivors, and concerned citizens to examine the risks, impacts, and consultation process surrounding the legislation. Forum convener Isla MacGregor welcomed…