Australian lesbians denied the right to meet with females only

The Human Rights Commission denies women their sex based rights

Australian law denies reality and rejects science for the sake of not hurting the feelings of males who wish they were women

The Lesbian Action Group (LAG) have been denied the legal right to promote their meetings to females only along with their right to the freedom of association.

On Monday 20th January a decision was handed down by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) denying lesbians the right to meet publicly without having to include men (transwomen) who say they are lesbians.

In his judgement Member Stewart Fenwick said,

“In summary, the Applicants identify as a discrete minority...  identified by their sex and sexual orientation, characteristics that afford them the protection of the SDA. They seek to actively discriminate against another group ... identifiable by their gender identity, a characteristic also protected under the SDA. I have determined that endorsing overt acts of discrimination cannot be the intended effect of the s 44 exemption power in the SDA.”

The LAG had previously applied for the exemption and it was denied in 2023. The Human Rights Commission has upheld gender identity as being more important than biological sex – in effect erasing what it means to be a lesbian. Lesbians rely on biological sex for definition, whereas transgender identity rejects biological sex.

The AHRC denied the exemption in October 2023.  In Sept 2024 LAG appealed to the ART.

“This is an extremely disappointing ruling by the ART”, says Nicole Mowbray from LAG and LGBAA. “It is giving men a loophole into lesbian spaces. We need our sexual boundaries to be respected, not denied in law. Lesbians are exclusively sexually and romantically attracted to other females, not to men who say they are female.”

“It is absolutely absurd and disturbing that trans people can have a trans-only event at the Melbourne Fringe Festival this year, but lesbians cannot hold a lesbian-only event. There seems to be a very obvious hierarchy of groups who are being protected under the Sex Discrimination Act by the AHRC – and it does not favour women and lesbians.”

Australian law denies reality and rejects science for the sake of not hurting the feelings of males who wish they were women.

It is absurd and dangerous.

Women require sex-based recognition and rights for safety, fairness and dignity.