Media release – Equality Tasmania, 20 February 2023

COUNCIL THROWS OUT ANTI-TRANS MOTION

COUNCILLORS TO LEARN ABOUT ISUSES FACING TRANS AND GENDER DIVERSE TASMANIANS

Equality Tasmania has welcomed the defeat of a Hobart City Council motion that would have excluded trans and gender diverse people from Council-owned bathroom and toilet facilities appropriate to their gender and segregated them to a third, gender-neutral facility.

The motion, put by Cr Louise Elliott and aimed chiefly at the Hobart Aquatic Centre, was defeated nine votes to three.

Council then voted nine to three for a motion from Councillors Zelinda Sherlock and Ryan Posselt affirming the Council’s support for trans women’s access to women’s facilities and committing the Council to gender identity inclusion training for all elected members.
Equality Tasmania spokesperson, Rose Boccalatte said,

“This is a victory for inclusion, common sense and the reputation of Hobart.”

“Trans Tasmanians and our families will breathe a sigh of relief that segregated facilities have been dealt such a decisive blow.”

“This motion should never have been put, given there is no discernable problem, and hopefully Tasmania can move on from these corrosive attacks against the dignity of trans and gender diverse people.”

“We applaud the Council for also affirming its commitment to equality and dignity for trans and gender diverse people, and for ensuring there will be education about the issues we face.”

For a copy of Cr Elliott’s motion see below

DEFEATED MOTION FROM LOUISE ELLIOT:

  • That the Council:
  1. acknowledge that all community members should be able to feel safe and comfortable using the City’s change rooms, and toilet and shower facilities and
  2. adopt a policy position that as the City develops new and/or renovates existing change rooms, and toilet and shower facilities, that:
  3. where communal shared spaces are offered, that it will seek to provide at least three segregated communal shared spaces; namely a space for females/women, a space for males/men, and a space that is for people of all sexes and genders, noting that this is in addition to (not replacement of) any other spaces where there is a requirement or other need (such as accessible facilities for people with a disability and facilities for parenting and family groups) and
  4. it will seek to increase the supply of separate, individual change room, toilet and shower facilities which are solely used by an individual or a group known to each other (such as a family group) which can be accessed directly without passing through a segregated communal shared space.

Featured image above:  trans Tasmanians and their allies who attended this evening’s Council meeting. The photo was taken outside the Hobart Town Hall.