Woman who lost her job for saying human beings cannot change sex awarded more than £100,000

Maya Forstater, a researcher in the UK who lost her job at the Centre for Global Development (CGD) after tweeting that trans-identifying males cannot change their biological sex, has been awarded more than £100,000 in compensation for loss of income and injury to feelings.

I have received the "remedy" judgement in my case. @cgdev has been ordered to pay over £100k in compensation for loss of earnings, injury to feelings and aggravated damages for their high-handed conduct.

Thank-you to everyone who supported my casehttps://t.co/N9NlRT5gw6

— Maya Forstater (@MForstater) June 30, 2023

The compensation ruling comes after Forstater won her discrimination case against the think tank last year, which had characterised her statements as bigotry and implied that she may have been guilty of harassment or discrimination herself. The Tribunal in this instance criticised CGD’s conduct during the four-year court battle, finding that it had made inaccurate and inflammatory statements which had contributed to the abuse on social media and the professional and personal shunning experienced by Fortsater.

Forstater thanked everyone who had supported her case, particularly her family, who she says has been through hell over the past four years, as well as crowdfund supporters, her legal team, and others.

The co-founder of advocacy group Sex Matters said the decision served as a warning to other organisations who discriminate against those with gender critical views.

“My case has exposed institutionalised discrimination against, and the routine abuse and smearing of, people with perfectly ordinary beliefs about the material reality of sex.

“A bigot is someone who is prejudiced or antagonistic towards a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular group. I, and many other people with gender-critical beliefs, have been the victims, not the perpetrators, of discrimination fueled by bigotry.

“Organisations that call people ‘bigots’ and that discriminate against them because of their beliefs can expect to pay significant damages when these cases come to court.

“This final judgment provides me with some measure of closure and vindication, as it requires that CGD compensate me for my loss of income and injury to feelings. And it makes clear that the organisation’s statements about me suggesting that I might have engaged in harassment or discrimination were false.”

Women’s Forum Australia CEO Rachael Wong offered her congratulations to Forstater and thanked her for all she has done to defend biological reality and women’s sex-based rights.

“This is a fantastic and well-deserved end to a saga that should never have unfolded in the first place. Well done, Maya, and thank you for all you have done and continue to do to defend the sex-based rights of women and girls, particularly their ability to speak out about the reality of biological sex and the adverse impact denying this reality has on them.”

Following the ruling, JK Rowling, who has supported Forstater throughout the case, tweeted, "Congratulations to @MForstater, who receives over £100k in compensation from @cgdev, who were found to have discriminated against her due to her gender critical beliefs, which, as her case established, are worthy of respect in a democratic society. #SexMatters."

Hear, hear!

Read Sex Matters’ full press release here.

Women’s Forum Australia is an independent think tank that undertakes research, education and public policy advocacy on issues affecting women and girls, with a particular focus on addressing behaviours and practices that are harmful and abusive to them. We are a non-partisan, non-religious, tax-deductible charity. We do not receive any government funding and rely solely on donations to make an impact. Support our work today.