A transgender woman called Roxanne Tickle is taking Giggle for Girls CEO Sall Grover to the Federal Court next week, claiming discrimination on the grounds of gender identity.
Tickle has undergone gender-affirming surgery and has a Queensland birth certificate affirming female legal identity, and the Australian Human Rights Commission is the principal intervener. This case is very important because it could go to the High Court. Thus, it has far-reaching potential for sex discrimination law.
The story so far is as follows: Grover, an ambitious young business woman from Queensland, started an app called Giggle, designed for girls and women to connect, to find friends, flatmates, travelling companions and perhaps exchange tips on anything from pregnancy to makeup and fashion, whatever, “girly” sort of things, as the name “Giggle” would imply. What man would possibly be interested? Think again.
Grover is arguing on several levels, including Australia’s obligations to women under the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, ratified by Australia in 1983. She claims in her interview with Bindel that if she eventually wins, it will be an important international win for women’s rights, at least for those parts of the world that, like Australia, have signed up to CEDAW.
However, CEDAW was aimed at biological women and ratified by Australia before anyone thought about transgenderism. It was not necessary to define women. Grover is simply arguing that biological women, by virtue of their biology, have the right to protection and some safe and private spaces. She has a point.
Source: Giggle case serious test of biological reality of women | The Australian