Katherine Deves drops out of Senate race

The failed Liberal candidate has backed down from her recently announced Senate candidacy to focus on an ongoing legal case concerning the rights of transwomen.

Katherine Deves has stepped away from an internal party race to fill Jim Molan’s vacant Senate seat to focus on a legal case concerning the rights of transwomen. Picture: Adam Yip

Former Liberal candidate Katherine Deves has stepped away from an internal party race to fill Jim Molan’s vacant Senate seat to focus on a legal case concerning the rights of transwomen.

Ms Deves, whose Senate candidacy was revealed by The Australian last week, said she would be unable to manage a political campaign alongside her legal advocacy for the Tickle v Giggle case, and would be withdrawing from the race.

“I considered my priorities and realised the Tickle v Giggle case was too important to step away from,” she told The Australian. “The opportunity to contribute to the law in this way may never arise again.”

The Tickle v Giggle case concerns transwoman Roxanne Tickle, who is suing the female-only social media app Giggle for discrimination, claiming she was unfairly removed from its platform.

Ms Deves, who unsuccessfully ran an anti-trans campaign for the seat of Warringah during last year’s federal election, said she could be “more effective in preserving sex-based rights by contributing my effort and energy to this case”.

“Tickle v Giggle has the potential to resolve the inherent conflict between women’s sex-based rights and the rights of those who assert trans-identities,” she said.

Ms Deves last week said she had been approached by senior members of the Liberal Party encouraging her to run for the spot vacated after the death of senator Molan, in spite of her divisive views that attracted ­criticism from Liberal MPs such as Matt Kean and Trent Zimmermann.

NSW Liberal Party ­president Maria Kovacic is being tipped as the preferred moderate candidate, but former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance is also expected to throw his hat in the ring, having gained support from regional moderates.

Jess Collins will also run as a conservative-backed candidate for the vacancy. The Australian understands prominent anti-voice campaigner Warren Mundine has also been urged to throw his hat in the ring.