Senator Claire Chandler’s fury at ‘transphobic’ claim

Tasmanian Lib senator Claire Chandler has called on the state’s anti-­discrimination tribunal to ­explain whether people in the community are able to ‘discuss the reality of ­biological sex’.

Tasmanian Liberal senator Claire Chandler. Picture: Peter Mathew

Tasmanian Liberal senator Claire Chandler has called on the state’s anti-­discrimination tribunal to ­explain whether people in the community are able to “discuss the reality of ­biological sex”, after a ­complaint made to the body against her was withdrawn.

Senator Chandler said she was “furious at the abuse of process which has occurred”, after Equal Opportunity Tasmania accepted a complaint over an email she sent to a constituent suggesting her ­belief that only biological females should access women’s sports and female toilets.

The email, which followed a complaint about an opinion piece in Hobart’s The Mercury, read: “Women’s sport, women’s toilets and women’s changing rooms are designed for the female sex and should remain that way.”

Senator Chandler said she would have faced conciliation proceedings if a confidentiality clause had been agreed.

The complaint withdrawal came as the AFL, Tennis Australia, Rugby Australia and Netball Australia were among nine sporting organisations to issue revised guidelines on Thursday for the participation of transgender athletes in competition.

The AFL opened the door for transgender women to play in grassroots competitions without having to lower their testosterone levels, as the various sports outlined more inclusive policies for trans athletes.

Writing in The Australian on Friday, Senator Chandler lashes out at Rugby Australia for ignoring World Rugby guidelines on transgender participation.

“The World Rugby Guideline runs to 38 pages. It has a reference list of 45 scientific reports,” she writes. “It finds that it is neither safe nor fair for transgender players who are biologically male to play in women’s rugby, demonstrating with significant rigour that a situation where a male player tackles a female creates a minimum of 20 to 30 per cent greater risk for those female players.

“The Rugby Australia Guideline emerged completely out of the blue following secret and closed consultation with hand-picked participants.”

The complainant in the Tasmanian case, Mark Weaver, accused Senator Chandler of using her platform to “endorse the exclusion of transgender people in our community, and potentially embolden others to do the same”.

“I had hoped, as a result of conciliation, Senator Chandler would agree to meet with transgender and gender-diverse Tasmanians and their families and loved ones to learn more about their experiences and how her policy ideas might affect them,” Mr Weaver said in a statement.

“Conciliation was the best opportunity to make this happen and now that opportunity has passed. Because conciliation and dialogue will no longer occur, and because I do not have the legal, financial or other resources of the senator, I will withdraw my complaint rather than proceeding further.”

Senator Chandler said Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Sarah Bolt had “no authority to accept the complaint and direct me to a mandatory conciliation conference”.

“This process continues a pattern of behaviour by Equal Opportunity Tasmania in directing con­ciliation on complaints that have no substance and are only intended to compel the respondent to ­attend conciliation,” she said.

“The withdrawal of the complaint also leaves the community in legal limbo around what statements members of the public can make about sex-based rights.”