Court Case Against Anti-Trans Dating App ‘Giggle’ Kicks Off
Image: Source: USYD Queer Action Collective on Facebook
Trans rights activists held a counter-protest this morning outside Sydney Federal Court, standing up to anti-trans activists at the beginning of the Tickle v Giggle for Girls Pty Ltd court case today.
The case was brought to court by Roxanne Tickle, a transgender woman, 苍.听
Ms Tickle has said that she was denied access on the grounds of being a trans woman, and that Giggle for Girls CEO Sall Grover looked at photos and considered her 鈥榤ale鈥�.聽
Ms Tickle鈥檚 lawyer Georgina Costello told a court hearing that the . Ms Tickle is in possession of a birth certificate stating that she is female, which she received after gender-affirming surgery in 2019.聽
Meanwhile, Ms Grover and her team say that Giggle for Girls was created as an 鈥渙nline refuge鈥� for women online, stating that the app is not in violation of sex discrimination laws.
Precedent-setting case
This is the first case to tackle gender identity discrimination at a federal level, and has involved Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dr Anna Cody.聽
On Tuesday April 9th, Dr Cody said: 鈥淓very individual, regardless of their gender identity, deserves dignity, respect and equal treatment under the law.聽
鈥淲e stand with trans communities and will continue to advocate for their rights and the rights of women. No one in Australia should face discrimination or exclusion based on their sex or gender identity.鈥�
Protests around Tickle v Giggle
Members of Sydney University鈥檚 Queer Action Collective gathered at 9:30am outside the courthouse to counter a previously planned anti-trans protest.聽
Ester Whitehead from QAC said that the case was a 鈥渃lear-cut case of anti-trans discrimination鈥�, having nothing to do with the safety of women but instead an attempt to fearmonger about trans people and wome苍.听
Whitehead said: 鈥淭hese people are spreading entirely false narratives that members of our community are dangerous, talking of trans women as perpetrators or as a danger to women鈥檚 spaces. This couldn鈥檛 be further from the truth.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not only trans women impacted by this 鈥� plenty of cisgender women with more 鈥榤asculine鈥� facial features have been blocked by Giggle鈥檚 AI. This means the app is not only transphobic but also deeply sexist, telling us that women who aren鈥檛 鈥榝eminine鈥� enough aren鈥檛 welcome.
鈥淲e are here today to stand up for trans rights and for feminism 鈥� for the rights and safety of all 飞辞尘别苍.鈥�
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