Tag: politics

  • Cassy O’Connor and Rebecca White must Explain How Sex Self-ID will Impact Women’s Human Rights?

    Campaign group Women Speak Tasmania is calling on Greens’ leader Cassy O’Connor and Opposition leader Rebecca White to clarify how sex self-ID will impact the human rights of women and girls. Labor and the Greens bulldozed amendments to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, and the Anti-discrimination Act, through the Tasmanian Lower House last…

  • Robin Banks Attempts to No-Platform Women Speak Tasmania

    Women Speak Tasmania is scheduled to speak at a Human Rights Week event for the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) on 12 December next. On 30 November, former Anti-discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks, emailed WILPF with the following … Ms Banks’ statements clearly amount to vilification of the Women Speak Tasmania speakers, and…

  • Women Call for Parliamentary Inquiry into Transgender Law Reforms

    Women Speak Tasmania briefed honourable members of the Legislative Council today, offering our perspective on Labor and the Greens’ proposed amendments to the Justice and Related Legislation (Marriage Amendments) Bill 2018.  ‘We outlined the very real negative impacts on the rights of female persons to safe, female-only spaces if biological male persons are able to become…

  • Labor and the Greens ‘Win’, But Democracy Loses

    When we go to the ballot box and vote, we have an expectation that those we elect will at least try to represent our interests. We assume that any debate in parliament, particularly if the issue is contentious, will be as well-informed as it can possibly be. On 20 November, we saw Labor and the…

  • Transgender Campaign Misinformation Continues

    Roen Meijers of Transforming Tasmania continues to be confused about the issue of Birth Certificate registrations as it is not gender that is recorded, but sex. Additionally, the Options Paper on transgender law reform released for public consultation by former Anti-discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks, in 2016 was only that – an Options Paper. The consultation…

  • Gender hate law sparks free speech fear

    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…

  • Transforming Tasmania Shouldn’t Shut Down Birth Certificate Debate

    Transforming Tasmania’s proposed changes to birth registration and anti-discrimination law in Tasmania are radical amendments that shouldn’t be rushed through parliament. Labor and the Greens need to support the Government’s referral of those amendments to the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute so the Tasmanian people can have their say. These amendments, if they become law, will…

  • Labor and the Greens Under Pressure Over Birth Certificate Changes

    Women Speak Tasmania is hearing from many women across Tasmania who are outraged at Labor and the Greens attempt to fast track changes to birth certificates at the behest of Transforming Tasmania. Never before has the community witnessed such unashamed fast tracking of legislation, with trans rights activists insisting the matter was broadly discussed, with…

  • Calls for Review of Sex Discrimination Laws

    Women Speak Tasmania is calling for uniform changes to federal and state anti-discrimination laws. Spokesperson Bronwyn Williams said, ‘We are calling on all Australian legislatures to urgently address the need for accurate and effective definitions of “sex” and “gender identity” in anti-discrimination laws across Australia’. ‘We must develop uniform laws in all Australian jurisdictions to…

  • Silencing and Censorship in the Trans Rights debate. Part 3

    Part Three. “I am not a Woman” – Transsexuals and Transgender Women Speak Out Today, the dominant discourse in the transgender rights debate insists that transgender women are ‘women’. It is not uncommon to hear the argument that, because they are women, their biology is female and it is ‘transphobic’ to suggest they are biological…