The Australian Human Rights Commission has shockingly suggested that men who identify as female could be discriminated against on the grounds of their “potential pregnancy,” despite conceding that biological males cannot get pregnant.
The AHRC’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dr Anna Cody told the opposition at a budget estimates hearing on Wednesday that transgender women were eligible for protection if an employer did not hire them because they wanted or planned to get pregnant.
Dr Cody also accepted there was nothing stopping a man from “putting on a dress, walking in, and claiming the protections” under the Sex Discrimination Act, as it would be up to the court to decide if he was discriminated against.
Opposition legal affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash told the hearing she was “very confused” by the argument as a “biological male cannot get pregnant”.
“If they can’t become pregnant, how can you then become potentially pregnant?” Senator Cash asked.
Nationals MP Alison Penfold introduced a private members’ bill to parliament on Monday proposing an overhaul of the Sex Discrimination Act to reinstate the biological definitions of “man” and “woman” that were stripped under the under the Gillard government reforms.
The bill was drafted before the Giggle vs. Tickle case but aims to address the issues raised by the case.
Author and women’s rights activist JK Rowling re-posted a video of Ms Penfold’s speech to parliament with her 13.8m followers.
Source: Subscribe to The Australian | Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone & Android apps