Transgender woman Roxanne Tickle wins discrimination case after being banned from women-only app
GuardianAug 22
Australia: Trans Woman Wins Giggle Discrimination Case
Above: Participants take part in the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade on March 02, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. Image copyright: Roni Bintang/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
An Australian court has ruled that the female-only app Giggle for Girls engaged in "indirect gender discrimination" against a transgender woman when her account was removed in 2021.
On Friday, Federal Court Justice Robert Bromwich ordered Giggle's founder, Sall Grover, to pay Roxanne Tickle $10K in legal fees but denied her request for a written apology.
The Spin
Narrative A
This landmark case hinged on the definition of a "woman" under Australian law. The court clarified that sex is changeable and not limited to birth assignment, rejecting arguments of immutability. This strengthens protections for transgender individuals, affirming their right to be recognized according to their gender identity.
Narrative B
Roxanne Tickle is a biological male, and Giggle is a biological-female-only space. Letting in Tickle would compromise the platform's safety and integrity. While the court has ruled against the app, the fact remains that her exclusion was rooted in safeguarding a platform designed exclusively for biological women.