Women Speak Tasmania

Tag: free speech

  • How a Tasmanian Senator’s Defence of Free Speech Triggered a Vexatious Discrimination Complaint

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    In July 2020, amid rising global debates over cancel culture, Liberal Senator for Tasmania Claire Chandler published a powerful Talking Point in The Mercury titled “Big names spark turning point against free speech attacks.” Senator Chandler highlighted the Harper’s Magazine open letter signed by 150 prominent writers and academics, including Noam Chomsky, Margaret Atwood, and…

  • Recognising Service to Free Speech

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    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…

  • Forum: “Review of Transgender Law Reforms”

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    On 17 March 2019, Women Speak Tasmania (WST) announced that the Tasmanian Regional Meeting of the Quakers cancelled their booking for a public forum due to be held at the Friends Meeting House in New Town. The cancellation came just one day before the event, which was set to discuss the impact of transgender law…

  • Quakers Cancel Booking for Women’s Forum 

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    The Clerks of the Tasmanian Regional  Meeting (TRM) of the Quakers yesterday cancelled the forum booking for Women Speak Tasmania scheduled for Monday night 18 March.  The forum was to be held in the Friends Meeting House in Argyle Street, New Town. ‘The cancellation appears to be the result of a smear campaign from some…

  • Salamanca Market’s Attempt to Silence Women’s Voices

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    On Saturday, 9 February 2019, Women Speak Tasmania (WST) held a media conference at Salamanca, just outside the market precinct, to launch our flyer outlining the impacts of proposed transgender law reforms on women’s human rights. Following the conference, volunteers handed out flyers inside Salamanca Market, speaking directly with the public. The response was mixed—many…

  • Lifting the Lid on the Fundamentalist Trans Rights Lobby’s Bag of Dirty Tryx in Tasmania

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    During Human Rights Week in Tasmania, Women Speak Tasmania representatives Isla MacGregor and Bronwyn Williams were invited to speak at a forum organised by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). Shortly before the scheduled date, the event was cancelled by the organisers following public controversy surrounding the topic of transgender law reform.…

  • Attack on Freedom of Speech

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    In the article: Attack on Freedom of Speech (also published under the headline Women say they’re being stopped from speaking at a forum over opposition to Tasmania transgender laws) by Matthew Denholm The Australian reported on a dispute concerning Women Speak Tasmania’s invitation to speak at a Human Rights Week event organised by the Tasmanian…

  • Gender hate law sparks free speech fear

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    Today, in an article for The Australian titled “Gender Hate Law Sparks Free Speech Fear” (9 November 2018), journalist Matthew Denholm reported on proposed amendments to Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act that would extend protections against hate speech to include “gender identity” and “gender expression.” The article explained that the proposed changes, put forward by the Labor…

  • The Reluctance of Tasmanian Authorities …

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    Consultation Session with Michel Forst, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders – Civil Society Activists, Saturday 8 October 2016 Representatives of the Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF) Southern Tasmania, Nordic Model Australia Coalition (NorMAC) and Whistleblowers Tasmania attended the civil society activists consultation session in Hobart. M. Forst is visiting Australia as part of…

  • Van Badham’s Freedom of Speech for Some?

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    Recent twitter comments on 6th April from Guardian Australia columnist Van Badham in support of the sex trade’s campaign to derail the World’s Oldest Oppression conference being held at RMIT this weekend, have many people questioning if Van Badham has any genuine commitment to freedom of speech or not. Van Badham has joined a twitter…