Council set to debate future of anti-transgender forum at Hobart Town Hall

An anti-transgender forum will go ahead after Hobart City Council voted down a motion to cancel it, with one alderman saying “we cannot be the arbiters of what the public thinks”. LATEST >>

A HOBART City councillor has failed to cancel an anti-transgender forum planned for Hobart Town Hall.

Councillors voted down Cr Jax Fox’s motion at Monday’s council meeting, but agreed to develop a policy on who is and is not allowed to hold events on council property in future.

Currently there are no rules when it comes to what is acceptable content for a Hobart Town Hall event.

The forum in question is run by anti-transgender feminists, including members of the Coalition for Biological Reality and LGB Alliance.

Several of their attendees have compared transgenderism to a disease, a mental illness, a cult, and a sexual perversion.

Cr Fox, who is non-binary, said council should not be renting out its hall to groups that might breach the Anti-Discrimination Act.

“As a member of the LGBTIQ+ community, I am deeply offended and upset that this matter and several others relating to the rights of trans people have carried on for so long,” Cr Fox said.

“Why we don’t have the mechanisms in place to protect people … from open discrimination despite Tasmania having some of the best anti-discrimination laws is beyond me.”

Councillor Jax Fox has unsuccessfully attempted to cancel an anti-transgender forum planned for Hobart Town Hall. Picture: Kenji Sato

However, Cr Jeff Briscoe said the forum organisers could take council to the anti-discrimination commission if it tried to cancel the event.

Cr Briscoe said it should not be up to council to decide what was or was not acceptable content.

“If we have the ability to cancel events, we are imposing our political will on a group that’s in good faith organising a forum,” Cr Briscoe said.

“We cannot be the arbiters of what the public thinks.”

Cr Simon Behrakis said in a democracy people should be entitled to express their views without fear of being silenced.

“Part of this freedom of political decisions and political expression is that those who disagree with the event are free to protest or picket the event in a peaceful manner,” he said.

“That’s been the way political discourse and expression happens in this country and that’s how we have a functioning, vibrant political society.”

Deputy Mayor Helen Burnet sided with Cr Fox, saying that it was about time council had a concrete policy to ensure it was not tacitly supporting discriminatory views.

“We don’t have justice or recognition for the plight of people who are transgender, who have to defend their position every day,” Cr Burnett said.

“I think it is really important that we get this policy on what our council does or doesn’t do in relation to vicariously supporting something that might be spurring hate speech.”

Deputy Mayor Helen Burnett said council needed a concrete policy to ensure it was not tacitly supporting discriminatory views. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds also supported Cr Fox, saying council had received many letters from transgender people who felt threatened by the event.

Cr Reynolds said council had received legal advice that they could be found in breach of anti-discrimination law if they were found to have “aided” discriminatory behaviour.

“There is a potential, I think a very strong potential, for this kind of hatred and serious contempt or severe ridicule as defined under section 19 of the Anti-Discrimination Act,” Cr Reynolds said.

The motion was defeated 6-3, however, Cr Fox’s additional motion to put rules in place for future events was upheld unanimously.

Coalition for Biological Reality founder Stassja Frei said she was pleased council hadn’t cancelled their event.

“We are not there to incite violence or to vilify transgender people. We’re simply concerned about the impact of gender identity in law on other human rights,” she said.

“In a democratic society we should be able to discuss that impact without fear of cancellation and without fear of violence.”

The event has been postponed twice due to coronavirus, but is currently scheduled for February next year.

Council to debate future of anti-transgender forum

The Hobart council will debate whether it should decline a Town Hall booking for an anti-transgender forum, with claims allowing it would not align with policies around fostering an inclusive community.

The forum, gender identity in law is being held by the Coalition for Biological Reality, a group which is opposed to gender affirmation care and trans women participating in women’s sport, according to it’s website.

Cr Jax Fox is moving a motion for the council to decline to accept the booking of the forum, and said the council had received a number of complaints about the planned event.

“These complaints, all from people who identify with the LGBTIQ communities, raise concerns that the event is sanctioned by the City of Hobart as it is being run at one of our venues,” Cr Fox said.

Councillor Jax Fox is outraged by an anti-transgender forum being held at Hobart Town Hall. Picture: Kenji Sato

“The complainants state the event has the potential to vilify and stigmatise trans and gender diverse members of our community, based on previous public statements by the guests speakers.”

The date of the event had been changed twice, due to speakers being unavailable and because of the pandemic.

Cr Fox is also moving for a report to be provided outlining a policy on the use of council venues by third party hirers, detailing which type of events would be considered appropriate.

In the council’s administrative response to the motion, it said planning to develop a policy in relation to venue hire.

“Any policy would provide clarity on the types of events that are acceptable in the City’s venue along with defining which types of events attract the community hire rate when compared to the commercial hire rate,” the response said.

“In July 2021, officers received complaints from the public regarding the event which were responded to recognising that the event may cause distress for some members of the community but making it clear that it was not a City of Hobart event and was not endorsed by the City.

“Proceeding as proposed in the motion to not accept the booking may result in a complaint to Equal Opportunity Tasmania that Council has breached the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 in cancelling the booking.”

The matter will go before the council on Monday.

‘It’s like setting up a cult of the Lord Mayor’

SEVERAL councillors have accused the Lord Mayor of using ratepayer money for “self-promotion” to prop up her political profile.

The accusations come in the aftermath of a finance committee meeting, where pointed questions were raised about the mayoral office expenses.

One of the instigators was Alderman Jeff Briscoe, who has accused Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds of using council resources for “electioneering” purposes.

He took particular issue with letters sent to various organisations offering mayoral visits, mayoral speeches and other “publicity stunts”.

“This Lord Mayor is taking it to the extreme, pushing the limit all the time and treating the Lord Mayor’s office as her electoral office,” Ald Briscoe said.

“She gets enough publicity just doing the Lord Mayor job. It does cost money to do these things … to promote herself all the time – it’s like setting up a cult of the Lord Mayor.”

Alderman Jeff Briscoe accused the Lord Mayor of using her office for “publicity stunts”. Picture: Eddie Safarik

Councillor Reynolds said she felt sorry for Ald Briscoe who, she said, never quite got over being beaten in the mayoral election.

Cr Reynolds won the last mayoral election with a final count of 62.35 per cent of the popular vote.

“I feel a bit sad for Alderman Briscoe because I don’t think he’s ever accepted the result of the 2018 mayoral election,” Cr Reynolds said.

“Cities that have active mayors are stronger cities, and I think it’s really unfortunate to hear those kinds of comments which are ultimately very unconstructive.”

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds has defended her office’s spending. Picture: Eddie Safarik

Ald Marti Zucco sided with Ald Briscoe, saying the role of mayor had become increasingly politicised over the years.

Ald Zucco accused Cr Reynolds of appearing at public events only to announce good news, while leaving the CEO to be the bearer of bad news.

“This current Lord Mayor is very selective in her approach of being a spokesperson,” Ald Zucco said.

“I’ve been on council for 30 years and I honestly believe the position of Lord Mayor has become used for self-promotion.”

Ald Marti Zucco accused the Lord Mayor of appearing at public events only to announce good news. Picture: Chris Kidd

Hobart City Council CEO Kelly Grigsby said the Lord Mayor had a legitimate ceremonial role to play, as outlined in the Local Government Act of 1993.

Those roles and duties are also contained in the Lord Mayor’s Annual Report, the next edition of which is due out in January.

“The Lord Mayor has specific duties that differentiate her role from the broader elected member body and the sole purpose of the report is to demonstrate how the Lord Mayor is meeting her obligations under the legislation,” Ms Grigsby said.

“It is considered an appropriate exercise in accountability and one of good governance.”