Women Speak Tasmania

Tag: 2026

  • Drag Queen Storytime and The Safeguarding Question

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    While researching lawfare in Australia, I came across the long-running legal battle involving Lyle Shelton. In 2020, Shelton publicly criticised a Drag Queen Storytime event at a Brisbane City Council library. He described the performers — Johnny Valkyrie (known as “Queeny”) and Dwayne Hill (who performs as Diamond Good-Rim in adult shows) — as “dangerous…

  • From Sex-Segregated Spaces to All-Gender Design: Reflections from The Hub

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    On 29 May 2026, representatives from Women Speak Tasmania attended the Northern Suburbs Community Recreation Hub in Mowbray following an invitation from the Tasmanian Department of State Growth to inspect the facility’s all-gender amenities and discuss the design philosophy underpinning the project. As previously outlined in correspondence from Minister for Sport Nick Duigan, the Hub’s…

  • Senate Estimates Expose Ongoing Chaos: Pregnancy for Men and Refusal to Define “Woman”

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    During this week’s 2026–27 Budget Estimates hearings, two important exchanges once again highlighted the deep confusion and ideological capture within Australia’s key gender and human rights agencies. Pregnancy and “Potential Pregnancy” in Discrimination Law On Tuesday 26 May 2026, in the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Senator Michaelia Cash questioned Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dr…

  • Duty of Care and Safeguards for Women and Girls in Surf Life Saving Tasmania – Letter to the Board of Directors

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    Letter sent to the Board of Directors of Surf Life Saving Tasmania on 24.05.26 Dear Members of the Board, Re: Duty of Care and Safeguards for Women and Girls in Surf Life Saving Tasmania – Implications of the IRB Training for Women in Lifesaving Program Women Speak Tasmania writes regarding concerns raised by female members…

  • Your Views on Same-Sex Spaces – Email to Minister Anne Aly

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    On Tuesday 19 May 2026, Federal Labor Minister Dr Anne Aly appeared on ABC Afternoon Briefing and made concerning comments about women’s rights. Minister Aly claimed that efforts to protect women’s single-sex spaces come only from the “far Right”, and described women advocating for female-only spaces — such as Sall Grover — as “punching down”.…

  • Terf Island is Rising Up — And Australia is Feeling the Tremors

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    An earthquake has hit Australian politics. The recent Full Federal Court ruling in the Giggle v Tickle case has left many Australian women furious. This is no small legal dispute — it is an event that could reshape Australia’s political landscape for years to come. Politicians who stayed silent for years are suddenly finding their…

  • Lawfare in Australia: Consequences for Gender-Critical Beliefs

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    Understanding the Conflict Between Gender Ideology and Gender-Critical Views In recent years, Australia has witnessed a growing number of complaints, tribunal proceedings, workplace disputes, regulatory actions, and court cases involving conflict between gender ideology and gender-critical beliefs. These disputes are not simply disagreements about personal identity. They raise broader questions about how society defines sex,…

  • What a Week! Reflections on Advocacy, Attacks, and Media Balance in Tasmania

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    Over the weekend, we at Women Speak Tasmania reflected on a very busy and, yes, quite exciting week. It started with a simple email to Tasmanian parliamentarians asking for “sex” to be properly restored and protected in the Anti-Discrimination Act. What followed was a pile-on of attacks on women advocating for sex-based rights. It began…

  • How Tasmania’s Major Newspaper Frames Women’s Rights

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    On 20 May 2026, Tasmania’s major newspaper published an article that raises serious concerns about fair and accurate reporting on one of the most contested public issues in the state. Journalist David Killick opened his article in The Mercury with the following sentence: “Tasmania will not be changing its discrimination laws despite lobbying from anti-transgender…

  • Opinion: Women Are Not “Anti-Trans” for Defending Sex-Based Rights

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    This week Women Speak Tasmania found itself discussed in Tasmania Parliament and labelled in media coverage as part of an “anti-transgender” campaign. The reason? We sent an email to Tasmanian parliamentarians inviting them to support the Women’s Pledge Australia and consider reforms to strengthen women’s sex-based protections under Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act. Women Speak Tasmania is…