Transgender rights activist Andrea Thompson says the removal of the WA Gender Reassignment Board is welcomed but has also raised concern about some of the comments made by Attorney General John Quigley.
At a media conference on Tuesday the Attorney General said the reforms would bring WA out of the “dark ages” and bring Western Australia inline with standards in federal legislation and similar process in other states.
“I’m really thrilled that the government’s finally making good on its commitment to abolish the Gender Reassignment Act. It’s taken them nearly seven years to come up with this, so it’s terrific to hear.” Thompson told Jo Trilling host of ABC Radio Perth’s Drive program.
Thompson said the current process via the Gender Reassignment Board was both cruel, humiliating and completely unnecessary.
The rights activist said she would have preferred to see a process that did not medicalise transgender people and create barriers to them just living their lives.
“I don’t know why we need to have a medical practitioners or a psychologist, as has been said by the government today, certify that the person has undergone suitable medical treatment.
“It’s not up to the government or a doctor to decide what kind of treatment, if any, a gender-diverse person needs. That continues to medicalise gender diversity and treat it as an illness – which it is absolutely not.”
Thompson also raised concern over comments the Attorney General reportedly said in relation to violent offenders being barred from changing gender. Andrea Thompson said the comments from Quigley demonised transgender women.
“He was quoted a saying ‘you don’t want someone who, for example, has been convicted of a nasty aggravated sexual offence, then changing gender so they can access women only areas.”
“This doesn’t happen in the real world. This is hate speech, and its designed only to demonize gender diverse people and its really sadly that Mr Quigley, a senior member of our government, should reveal his true thoughts about gender diverse people in this way – while spruiking the concession in the law reform to gender diversity.”
Jo Tilling revealed that the Drive program had received texts from a number of listeners who voiced concern that the laws would be used by men wanting to access women’s spaces.
“Nobody chooses to be gender diverse.” Thompson replied. “I just doesn’t happen that men wake up one day and say I’ve decided to be a woman so I can go to a women’s change room, it’s just a complete furfy.”
Note: OUTinPerth Co-editor Graeme Watson is a regular guest on the ABC Drive program.
