Women’s Liberation Front member Tessa Anne has lodged a complaint with the Tasmanian Attorney General, Vanessa Goodwin, citing bullying and discriminatory conduct by Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks.
‘I have written to Vanessa Goodwin seeking a parliamentary inquiry into Robin Banks’ hostile and discriminatory conduct towards me and other members of WoLF. I am aware that other individuals may have similar complaints regarding the bullying conduct of the Commissioner and her staffer Leica Wagner’, said Tessa Anne.
‘I met with Robin Banks and Leica Wagner in June this year, seeking answers to questions about Equal Opportunity Tasmania’s proposal to amend the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act to allow males to become legally female on the basis of self-identification alone’.
‘Public comment on EOT’s options paper ‘The legal recognition of sex and gender diversity in Tasmania’ was sought by Robin Banks in her capacity as Anti-Discrimination Commissioner. As women who would be affected by these proposals, we wished to be involved in the consultation process, and we required answers to certain questions in order to provide an informed response’.
‘During the June meeting Robin Banks and Leica Wagner conducted themselves in a hostile and combative manner. They refused to honestly respond to our organisation’s questions and concerns’.
‘They accused our organisation of holding “bigoted and small-minded” views and implied opinions such as ours were responsible for the violence perpetrated against transgender persons’, said Ms Anne.
‘Further, they appeared to have no clear idea of the meaning of the terms “sex”, “gender” and “gender identity” or the distinction between them in current legislation and the options paper’. Neither were they clear on the broader concept of discrimination against women and its manifestation in domestic violence’.
‘Their conduct was extraordinary – totally lacking the professionalism and impartiality members of the public are entitled to expect in their dealings with public officers’.
‘I did not have the benefit of a support person during our meeting. I feel Banks and Wagner took advantage of my vulnerability – they saw it as an opportunity to denigrate my contribution to the debate and aggressively promote their shared ideology.’
I intend to pursue this matter with the Attorney General, Vanessa Goodwin, as a matter of urgency, and persist in calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the conduct of Robin Banks and Leica Wagner, and their ability to fulfill the roles required of them by Equal Opportunity Tasmania.
Tessa Anne, Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF)
