Outcry over Australian Federal Court decision has flown around world
Former champion British sailor Tracy Edwards has condemned an Australian court decision as “terrifying” after it ruled transgender woman Roxanne Tickle was discriminated against when she was removed from a female-only networking app.
Alongside former British Olympian swimming silver medallist Baroness Sharron Davies, the pair said they were devastated after watching the Full Court of the Federal Court on Friday last week rule in favour of Ms Tickle.
The court found Ms Tickle, who was born a biological male who identifies as a woman, was discriminated against by female-only app Giggle founder Sall Grover after she twice removed Ms Tickle from the women’s only app.
Ms Edwards MBE, 63, broke down in tears as she hit out at the Australian decision.
“I think it should horrify not just every woman in the world, it should horrify ever free-thinking person who believes in reality, it’s shocking,” she said.
She described the changes to the law that brought about the decision as “so extraordinary”.
Ms Tickle was awarded $20,000 in damages – double the original amount Ms Grover was instructed by the Federal Court to pay in 2024.
Ms Grover removed Ms Tickle from the app after seeing the applicant’s profile in 2021 and she stopped repeated attempts by Ms Tickle to join the app.
Baroness Davies, 63, who became a Conservative peer in December, recently founded the Women’s Sports Union, a not-for-profit organisation fighting for fair and safe sport for women and girls.
She said she too was appalled by the Australian court ruling, which follows the 2013 decision under then-Australian prime minister Julia Gillard to remove the definition of “woman” from the Sex Discrimination Act.
“The problem is when these silly rules were put in place there was no critical thinking, it was done for virtual-signalling points in a very woke environment and they just did not think about what the end result was,” Baroness Davies said.
“The same as putting men into women’s sport, the end result of that is a destruction of women’s sport.
“What’s happened now in Australia is you have no rights that protect women, whatsoever, they’re gone”.
Scottish nurse Sandie Peggie – who was embroiled in a landmark legal case in Scotland after a workplace dispute in 2023 with 30-year-old trans doctor Beth Upton – a biological male who identifies as a woman – also said she was concerned by the decision.
“I have great admiration for Sall Grover and her courage in standing up for sex-based rights in Australia,” she said.
“Her determination in the face of enormous pressure has helped raise awareness of how important this issue is worldwide.”
Sophie Elsworth, The Advertiser
