Minister for Women joins voices against Tas bill to ban trans women from sports

Trans community advocates in Tasmania have welcomed opposition from the state’s Minister for Women, Madeleine Ogilvie, to Senate Claire Chandler’s bill allowing trans women to be excluded from women’s sports.

Premier Peter Gutwein and Sports Minister Nic Street have also voiced their opposition to the bill, which would see sports segregated by “biological sex” to exclude trans women.

Ogilvie responded this week to a question in Parliament from the Member for Clark, Kristie Johnstone, who described the Bill as “divisive, hurtful, and utterly unnecessary”.

She said that she concurred with the State Government’s opposition to the bill.

Johnstone also asked Ogilvie the explain what the State Government is doing to foster trans inclusion.

Ogilvie responded by citing an increase to the Tasmanian LGBTIQ+ Community Fund and research into the needs of the community by the State Government and the University of Tasmania.

Equality Tasmania spokesperson Dr Charlie Burton thanked Ogilvie for supporting the Premier’s opposition to Chandler’s bill.

“We will seek a meeting with Ms Ogilvie and Mr Street to outline our detailed concerns about the bill, including the way it undermines the aspiration and hard work of many Tasmanian grassroots sports clubs towards being more inclusive of trans players,” said Dr Burton. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been vocal about his support for the bill to exclude trans women.

“I think it’s a terrific bill, and I’ve given [Chandler] great encouragement,” Morrison said last month.

“Claire is a champion for women’s sport, and I think she’s been right to raise these issues in the way that she has.”

Hundreds of trans community members and supporters recently rallied outside Hobart Town Hall to show their support for equality and to protest the discriminatory sports bill.

Former Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks told the rally that Chandler’s bill fails to address “pressing safety or equality issues facing women and girls”.

““Attacks on anyone’s equality are attacks on all equality,” said Banks.