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An Australian women’s rights advocate has been ordered to pay a combined total of $95,000 AUD to two trans-identified men, with an additional $40,000 penalty in the case of non-compliance. Kirralie Smith was found guilty by a New South Wales court of “unlawfully vilifying” two trans-identified males who made headlines for participating in women’s sports.
Justin “Riley” Dennis and Nicholas “Stephanie” Blanch lodged criminal complaints against Smith for raising public awareness of their inclusion in women’s football. Smith, a spokeswoman with Binary Australia, a campaign group dedicated to advocating for single-sex sports in Australia, had been raising public awareness of their inclusion in women’s sports after learning of injuries sustained by female players.
The judgement was decided by Magistrate Sharon Freund on August 26, who stated: “I am satisfied that the defendant unlawfully vilified the Plaintiff … when she referred to the plaintiff as a male or a man.”
Smith has been ordered to hand over $55,000 to Blanch and another $40,000 to Dennis. Magistrate Freund also directed Smith to “refrain publishing anything that identifies the plaintiff or their football team,” and to “publish a public statement of apology.”
Somewhat confusingly, Smith has pointed out, the public apology she has been ordered to issue is to be in the form of “a pinned post that must go on all my social media pages… The pinned post I have been ordered to make names both of them… Make it make sense.”
Smith has been granted 28 days to file a notice of intention to appeal, and has said she intends to do so.