Trans visibility should not be an invisibility cloak for women
For ‘International Day of Transgender Visibility’ on 31 March, online publication Mamamia published a series of articles examining the reality of the trans experience in Australia. The articles explore first hand accounts of what it is like to come out as trans, what it’s like to live as a trans person in Australia, and lastly the changes that trans people want to see in Australia.
Read more‘Gender inclusive’ policies disregard women’s safety
Policy adjustments on behalf of trans people that materially reduce the safety of women in communal accommodation are the subject of increasing international controversy. On March 16th, Baroness Nicholson, addressed the UK’s House of Lords to demand the withdrawal of Annex B of the NHS’s 2019 Guidance on “Delivering same-sex accommodation” in UK hospitals. She argued that the dignity, safety and privacy of women needs to be brought back into the centre of public policy and treated as a priority.
Read moreACAT decision finds debate on the nature of transwomen is in the public interest
Last month, after long deliberation, the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) handed down its decision on the appeal of radio newsreader, Beth Rep, partially reversing an earlier finding that she had unlawfully vilified former infantry Captain turned trans activist, Bridget Clinch. The ruling helps to remove lingering uncertainty about where the legal parameters of any public discussion of trans issues might lie, reducing the threat of vilification claims against individuals who venture upon this controversial topic.
Read moreOutrage at Australian media outlet for falsely reporting male sex attacker as “female”
This week, news.com.au ran a piece titled “Female sex attacker’s horror demand”, with the byline, “A woman has been thrown behind bars after sexually assaulting a stranger she followed down a Melbourne Street before issuing a shocking demand.”
Read moreDo transwomen have a ‘right’ to be pregnant?
Do transwomen (i.e. biological males) have a right to become pregnant? This somewhat dystopic question continues to be explored, most recently in a Letter to the Editor published in peer reviewed journal Acta Biomedica. Its authors are two Italian academics from the Sapienza University of Rome, who say that the speed of scientific innovation requires us to address this question.
Read morePsychiatrists’ college emphasises need for ‘comprehensive assessment’ of those experiencing gender dysphoria
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) has released its first position statement on gender dysphoria, titled “Recognising and addressing the mental health needs of people experiencing gender dysphoria/gender incongruence”.
Read moreMale netball team wins grand final in girls’ netball state championships
The state netball championships held in Brisbane last week attracted attention and controversy for all the wrong reasons. This was because the grand final was won by the Queensland Suns U17s team, an all boys’ team, who decimated the Bond University Bull Sharks girls’ team 46-12.
Read moreAs more girls and young women present to clinics with gender dysphoria, serious legal questions are being raised about the medical interventions prescribed
As more girls and young women present to gender clinics with gender dysphoria, serious legal questions are being raised about their treatment. And It seems that Australian doctors could find themselves in hot water if they follow the “affirmative model” of care favoured by trans advocates. As international trends veer away from this model and as “de-transitioners” − many of them women − come forward willing to sue for misdiagnosis, Australian doctors now have legal, as well as medical, dilemmas to resolve.
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