Tag: 2025
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Resign as patron of Equality Australia – Letter to Governor General
Dear Governor General I am concerned that you are making an unwise and inappropriate decision by being patron of Equality Australia. Equality Australia is currently interfering in the court case Giggle v Tickle by opposing the Lesbian Action Group’s position re the existence of and the definition of lesbian. Lesbians are same sex attracted females.…
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Amend the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act – Letter to Peter George
Dear Peter, Congratulations on your election. I’m greatly relieved and hopeful:-) As a Tasmanian, parent and registered high school teacher working in Glenorchy , I’d ask once government is formed, for you to please put forward a bill to amend the Tasmanian Anti Discrimination Act which currently does not mention men and women (biological sex)…
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Model Policy for Schools: Sex-Based Rules and Record Keeping
UPDATED FOR 2025: This model policy developed by Sex Matters, specifies how a school records, communicates and uses data on the sex of all pupils, and any rules that treat girls and boys differently but fairly. It draws on inputs from parents, teachers, lawyers and safeguarding experts and is in line with legislation and guidance…
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Educator fired over alleged grooming behaviour hired at public primary school
An educator employed at a private school in Northern Tasmania was fired after an internal investigation deemed his behaviour posed a “serious risk of grooming”. However, he has since been hired at a public primary school in Launceston. The educator’s dismissal letter, viewed by The Examiner, summarised the outcome of the school’s investigation and concluded…
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Landmark Australian Court Decisions Challenge Gender-Affirming Care for Children
A significant Family Court ruling during 2025 has placed Australia’s medical approach to childhood gender distress under new scrutiny. The case of Re Devin has raised serious questions about expert evidence, the role of advocacy in clinical practice, and whether vulnerable children are being placed on irreversible medical pathways too quickly. For Women Speak Tasmania,…
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Analysis of the UN Report by Reem Alsalem titled The different manifestations of Violence against Women and Girls in the context of Surrogacy (A/80/158)
The report investigates the practice of surrogacy and its implications for the human rights of women and girls, with a focus on the risks of violence, exploitation, and commodification. Surrogacy, particularly in its commercial form, is framed as part of a global industry that thrives on gender inequality, economic vulnerability, and demand from wealthier individuals…
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How the gender affirming care model failed our families
For years, the gender-affirming care model has shaped the treatment of kids presenting with gender dysphoria – no questions asked. Now, these parents want answers. It was in early April that Richard*, a dad from NSW’s Hunter Valley, first heard about a 58,000-word judgment handed down by Justice Andrew Strum in the Family Court. The…
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Tasmanian Politicians Back Women’s Pledge to Protect Sex-Based Rights
Women Speak Tasmania launched Women’s Pledge Australia, a state-wide initiative calling on political representatives to commit to safeguarding the sex-based rights of women and girls. The pledge has been formally sent to Tasmanian state parliamentarians, as well as to members of local government, with a clear and urgent request: stand with women and girls by…
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Australian Feminists Unite for Shadow Report to the United Nations Human Rights Council
Our coalition of independent feminist organisations has submitted its shadow report to the United Nations Human Rights Council as part of Australia’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR). In doing so we warn that recent laws and policies are undermining women’s sex-based rights, breaching obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination…