Today in Parliament House, Canberra, nine women shared what happens when they talk about sex-based rights and realities. Over the coming days we will share all of their speeches along with the remarks made by several politicians who attended, including Senator Claire Chandler, Senator Alex Antic and Senator Ralph Babet.

Each woman shared about the erosion of women’s sex-based rights and the extreme lengths some are going to in an effort to silence us. We will not be silenced and we each resolve to continue fighting for the freedom to speak truth about sex and gender.

Speech from Parliament House in Canberra to address the question, “Why Can’t Women Talk About Sex?” by Kirralie Smith

12 days ago there was a first mention in NCAT for a case being bought against me by a male athlete. He is claiming I vilified him by misgendering him and for identifying him as a male bodied player in a female sporting competition.

In 2 days time, there will be a separate mention for a case against me by another male athlete who is claiming I have vilified him for the same thing.

This time next week I will be sitting in a local court in Sydney arguing that it is inappropriate for an application of apprehension of violence order to be made against me for identifying one of those players in the female competition.

In October I will sit in a different local court and do it all again.

In the space of just 5 weeks, I, as an adult human female, formerly known as a woman, will appear in four different court cases to defend women’s rights to say no to men in our spaces.

It would appear that women in Australia have less freedoms than males who appropriate female stereotypes of womanhood. When we say no to males in our spaces, services or sports we face threats of legal action, job loss, physical and violent threats, ostracization and intimidation. Just look at the protest outside today.

Correctly sexing a male is not vilification. Identifying males in female sporting teams is not violence, nor does it incite violence.

Very few politicians in this building have an appetite for truth. They and those who have come before them have legislated lies into law. No one can change their sex.

The government appears to be afraid of the truth. In turn the media and the courts act as if they are afraid of the truth.

Unfortunately, this causes thousands of Australians to be afraid of losing their jobs, being hauled before tribunals and courts for simply stating the fact that men are not women and we all deserve sex-based rights.

This is not freedom. This is not freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of thought. Speaking the truth is not violence. It is not vilification. It is not hate speech.

I for one will not relent until our freedoms are reinstated. I will not be compelled to lie. No one can change their sex. Men cannot be women.

Katherine Deves, Assoc Professor Holly Lawford-Smith, Moira Deeming MP, Sall Grover, Louise Elliot, Kirralie Smith, Dr Jillian Spencer, Angela Jones, Jasmine Sussex