Politics With Michelle Grattan: Margaret Thornton On The Landmark Tickle V Giggle Transgender Case

Last week, the Federal Court found a transgender woman, Roxanne Tickle, had been directly discriminated against when she was removed from a women-only social media app, Giggle for Girls.

The historic decision followed a long court saga, with the first judgement in 2024. The app's founder, Sall Grover, has said this week she plans to appeal the“Giggle v Tickle” case in the High Court.

To unpack the case and its ongoing implications, we are joined on the podcast by Australian National University Emerita Professor Margaret Thornton. She is an expert in gender equality, anti-discrimination law and feminist legal theory.

On Grover's plan to appeal to the High Court, Thornton outlined why it was likely to proceed.

Following the Federal Court's ruling, Federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor promised a future Coalition government would legislate to clearly protect single sex spaces, based on biological sex, defined as a person's sex at birth.

However, Thornton said this might break some of Australia's international anti-discrimination obligations.

On others' calls to restrict trans women from sports and women's prisons, Thornton says the outcome of this court case isn't likely to directly affect those issues.

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