A high-profile campaigner against transgender women competing in female soccer leagues has been hit with a restraining order on behalf of a prominent transgender player.
Kirralie Smith organised a campaign that bombarded Football NSW with 12,000 emails demanding a rethink on trans women playing in female competitions.
‘Keep blokes out of women’s sport!’, the petition page read.
During her lobbying efforts, Ms Smith named a number of transgender players on social media, including a leading goal scorer.
On April 1, police came to Ms Smith’s home and issued the campaigner with an Apprehended Violence Order preventing her from discussing or approaching the player.
The order also covers electronic harassment of the trans activist player, who lives over 300km away.
‘I was in disbelief,’ Ms Smith said.
‘I have been issued with an application for an AVO and I’ve never been violent in my life.’
Kirralie Smith has been campaigning to have Football NSW review its policy on the issue, naming a number of transgender players within the competition in a series of social media posts
The trans woman was a top goal scorer in the competition
The 51-year-old mother-of-three believes this is the first case in Australia where police have become involved over social media posts speaking out against transgender ideology.
Ms Smith is required to attend court later this month for the court to decide whether the interim order will be upheld.
‘I will strongly oppose the accusations in court,’ she said.
‘I have a very long-standing knee injury. I’m not violent and not capable of violence.’
Ms Smith, who is director of Binary Australia, said the decision by the court will have far reaching consequences for freedom of speech, particularly in regard to transgender comments, however she is undeterred by the AVO.
‘It’s important for women to be able to draw boundaries and speak freely about how males impact their spaces and services,’ she said.
‘I will continue to speak truthfully about matters of biology and how they affect women and children in Australia.’
Anti-trans campaigner Kirralie Smith and her supporters bombarded Football Australia with complaints about trans women playing the sport in female leagues
Ms Smith has been highly vocal around the participation of transwomen in women’s sports and the risk of injury to female players.
It is believed the government’s eSafety Commission, responsible for cyber bullying, has been involved in the case.
Ms Smith removed her Facebook page, which had 47,000 followers, at the request of the eSafety Commissioner on February 20.
Former Liberal candidate, lawyer and co-founder of Save Women’s Sports, Katherine Deeves – who has also been outspoken about the need to keep women’s sports for biological women – said she is concerned about the implications of this case.
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On April 1, police came to Ms Smith’s home and issued an AVO preventing her from discussing or approaching a trans activist who she had previously named, despite the fact she lives over 300km away
Ms Smith said she is not violent and is no threat to the trans activist who has received the AVO
‘The High Court has acknowledged in various decisions that the implied freedom of communication exists under the Constitution in relation to political and government matters,’ she said.
‘The objective of AVOs in domestic violence and personal violence legislation and the eSafety Commissioner legislation, must be compatible with the system of representative and responsible government.
Principal Solicitor at the Feminist Legal Clinic, Anna Kerr, also expressed concern that laws intended to keep people safe are increasingly being used to silence women.
‘Too often we see bullies calling out those who dare to stand up to them,’ Ms Kerr stated.
‘AVOs that are failing to keep women safe from male violence are now being used as weapons against them.
‘I am concerned that the eSafety Commissioner and law enforcement agencies must take care that their powers are not manipulated to suppress free speech.’
Comment has been sought from the eSafety Commission and the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has shared guidelines about the inclusion of transgender people in sport in 2019, noting that ‘transgender and gender diverse people are sometimes excluded from sport, or may experience discrimination and sexual harassment when they do participate.
