We stand in solidarity with all trans and gender diverse people

The Working Women’s Centre SA proudly supports the rights of all people, including trans and gender diverse people, to live their lives with dignity and respect, to access healthcare, and to be free from violence and harassment.

Yesterday in the South Australian Parliament’s Legislative Assembly, a One Nation bill attacking gender-affirming healthcare for children and young people, was narrowly defeated. Thank you to the Members of the Legislative Assembly – Labor and the Greens – for opposing laws that do not follow medical professional expertise and that would harm trans young people and their families.

Gender diversity exists across all cultures and throughout history. Many cultures have gender systems and roles that go beyond simply male and female, or man and woman. Everyone has the right to be themselves, fully and with same rights as other people.

Our service is trans inclusive, and we provide services to women, non-binary people and men, who meet our service eligibility criteria. We seek to advance gender equity and safety in workplaces, and we support inclusivity for all trans and gender diverse workers. Everyone deserves workplaces free of transphobia and misogyny, which are often deeply connected. ‘Working women’ includes all women, including trans women.

A small, yet vocal and powerful group of Far-Right politicians and extreme religious lobbyists are using misinformation, stigma and hate to bully marginalised people and distract us from what really matters.

All women know what it’s like to feel unsafe and to be harassed based on gender. We stand with trans people who experience the very same harassment at high rates. Women’s safety and the safety of trans and gender diverse people are not in opposition. In fact, they are part of the same fight against gender-based violence. We should be challenging violence, not scapegoating a marginalised community.

The vast majority of women support rights and fairness for all. We reject damaging anti-trans narratives that claim to speak for us, while real issues of gender-based violence and inequalities go unaddressed.

Transphobia hurts all women – and this is why:

1. It reinforces sexist ideas about what a “real” woman looks like
2. It targets women who don’t fit gender norms – trans or not
3. It divides feminist movements and weakens solidarity
4. It puts everyone’s bodily autonomy at risk
5. It distracts from real issues like violence, healthcare and rights
6. It often goes hand in hand with racism, ableism and homophobia

• Source The New Feminist

What can you do?

Show your solidarity

We encourage you to sign Not in Our Name Australia’s open letter.

“We are women from every corner of society – mothers, daughters, friends, sisters, grandmothers, partners, colleagues, caregivers and leaders – united in rejecting the discrimination and exclusion of transgender people in our name.”

Learn about the issues and don’t let disinformation divide women

Check out these resources by the Trans Justice Project

• Being an Effective Ally
• The Anti-Trans Disinformation Handbook
• Conversations for Trans Justice

• You can also check out these resources from Transcend for accurate information about gender affirming healthcare.

Every time a Bill such as what we saw yesterday is debated in Parliament, it creates fear, dread and harm amongst the trans community including vulnerable young people.

• Reach out and show care to trans people in your life.

• Importantly, you can write to your Member of Parliament and encourage them to always vote against hate and misinformation, and for dignity, human rights and kindness.

And finally, show up and support when it counts.

Don’t let the Far-Right divide the feminist movement. Be part of making social change that seeks liberation for everyone.