Exclusive: A decision to use a transwoman and comedian who describes herself as a “blokey lesbian” to promote a same sex awareness day has sparked outrage among some gay women, who say their rights are being eroded by trans lobbyists.
In the latest incident to cause upset, the influential AIDS Council of NSW (ACON) last month appointed a trans woman, who identifies as a lesbian, to promote Lesbian Day of Visibility.
Rosie Piper, a comedian, has previously described herself as a “blokey lesbian” and a “straight man” who has been living in the wrong body.
However, references to Ms Piper’s role for ACON have now disappeared from its social media. (ed: see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y0ts8vSb_E)
University of Sydney emeritus Professor Bronwyn Winter questioned how a transgender woman could be chosen to raise awareness of lesbian issues and said it was part of a wider push by some in the trans community to replace “same sex attraction” with “same gender identity attraction”.
She said ACON’s campaign ” was “insulting to lesbians”.
“There are a lot of lesbians who will never accept male-bodied people can be lesbians,” she said.
Prof Winter is a lesbian and one of the founders of the campaign group called Respect My Sex, which is calling on Australian voters to ask their candidates at the upcoming election questions about sex based rights.
“Lesbians who want to socialise with lesbians are now being driven underground,” she said.
She cited a tribunal case in Tasmania where LGB Alliance member Jessica Hoyle sought an exemption to be able to hold lesbian events without “people with penises”.
The exemption was rejected by the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination commissioner Sarah Bolt.
Ms Hoyle said the decision was homophobic and was appealing in what could be a test case in Australia.
Source: ’Insulting to lesbians’: New Sydney trans rights row erupts