Women Speak Tasmania

Tag: 2019

  • Andrew Wilkie Office Ban Spurs Transgender Row

    —

    in

    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…

  • Recognising Service to Free Speech

    —

    in

    For International Human Rights Day this year Women Speak Tasmania are recognising two outstanding Tasmanians for their contribution to Freedom of Speech.   Freedom of speech underpins all human rights. “On International Human Rights Day we want to recognise the contribution of Anne Warburton and Alderman Jeff Briscoe who have defended women’s rights to express…

  • RIP Tasmanian Times: The Death of Independent Journalism

    —

    in

    Tasmanian Times, previously owned by independent editor Lindsay Tuffin, has been taken over by Green Party stalwart and political aspirant Alan Whykes. Whykes has brought a new style to Tastimes that has not been welcomed by many former writers, contributors and readers. Alan Whykes has stood as a candidate for the Tasmanian Greens in several…

  • The Story of Hobart’s Gender-Inclusive Toilet Posters

    —

    in

    In 2019, Hobart City Council debated whether to display posters in public toilets supporting trans and gender-diverse people. The initiative was introduced by Councillor Holly Ewin in May 2019. Cr Ewin argued that displaying posters would show solidarity with Hobart’s queer community at a time of heightened debate over gender, birth certificates, and marriage law…

  • Garbled unisex message in toilets

    —

    in

    After much controversy, the push to encourage “trans and gender diverse” use of Hobart’s public toilets is to result in sign­age derided as “meaningless”. The Hobart City Council has for months been wrestling with the wording of poster-style signs urging acceptance of people using the toilet — male or female — that aligns with the…

  • Hobart Councillor cautioned over ‘Nazi, transphobe’ comments

    —

    in

    An official caution has been issued to a Hobart councillor found to have breached a code of conduct by suggesting feminists opposed to transgender reforms were “transphobes” akin to “Nazis”. Cr Holly Ewin, a “non-binary” vocal supporter of transgender reforms, has been found by an independent investigation panel to have breached several sections of the…

  • Push on Politicians to Back Federal Child Trans Health Inquiry 

    —

    in

    Women Speak Tasmania has recently backed calls for a federal parliamentary inquiry into the models of care, including medical and surgical interventions, currently being offered to children and young people presenting at gender services in Australia.  The ‘gender affirming’ approach adopted by such as the Gender Clinic at the Royal Melbourne Hospital for Children has…

  • Freedom of choice in the public toilet

    —

    in

    Hobart will next month consider installing permanent signs in all public lavatories endorsing the right of transgender people to use men’s or women’s toilets. Temporary signs have already been backed by the Hobart City Council, but their implementation has stalled amid attempts to “deplatform” a women’s group from the consultation process. Advocates are pushing ahead…

  • New power balance: rethink of transgender law ‘highly likely’

    —

    in

    A bid to amend or repeal Tasmania’s controversial transgender laws is “highly likely” following a shift in the balance of power in the state’s lower house. The nation-first changes passed in April by Labor and the Greens, with support from Speaker Sue Hickey, allow sex-free birth certificates, gender change by affirmation, and extend hate speech…

  • MP whose ex-wife is now a man bans women’s group from using an office because it holds ‘trans-exclusionary’ views

    —

    in

    A feminist group has been banned from using free office facilities normally available to community organisations because Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said it holds ‘trans-exlusionary’ views. Andrew Wilkie has banned Women Speak Tasmania from using taxpayer-funded photocopying facilities in Hobart. The federal member for Clark said his sensitivity about the issue has been heightened because…