Australian anti-transgender group Binary has denied it qualifies to be listed as an extremist hate group following a report from a US based organisation who included them as one of “20 far-right groups in Australia”.
The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) say their work identifies organisations that are “embracing beliefs and activities that demean, harass, and inspire violence against people based on their identity traits including race, religion, ethnicity, language, national or social origin, caste, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity”.
Kirralie Smith, who runs Binary Australia, says the assertions from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) are ridiculous. Smith says the organisation only aims to educate the community about how they feel sex-based rights are being threatened and undermined by “radical activists”.
“It is a defamatory slur that is unfounded and unjust.” Smith said of the organisation’s inclusion in the hate group report. “There is zero evidence of Binary inciting violence or acting hatefully toward an individual or group.”
Via their website Binary Australia regularly highlight people who are transgender who break the law, describe transgender youth as being “chemically castrated”, and have promoted reports that students are now beginning to identify as cats.
“The GPAHE is a far-left group designed to stir up division and make false claims to try and attract attention. Like every other extremist group – they insult and name-call without any presentation of the facts. To be targeted by them is more like a badge of honour than anything else.” Smith said in an email.
Binary Australia was previously known as the Marriage Alliance, a group who campaigned against changing Australia’s marriage laws. During the debate over marriage equality, they produced as series of questionable advertisements including one that depicted a woman in a rainbow noose, and another that was filled with dubious statistics.
GPAHE co-founder Heidi Beirich, said the report was the latest in a series that the organisation has published looking at different counties around the world. The report highlighted that there are many white nationalist, anti-immigrant, or anti-Muslim organisations in Australia, but anti-LGBTQ+, anti-transgender, antisemitic, anti-women, and groups pushing conspiracy theories also made the list.
“It’s incredibly disturbing to see a growing number of groups boldly advocating for a white ethnostate in Australia,” Beirich said. “There is no doubt that the racism and bigotry that Trump unleashed in the US has influenced and emboldened that same sentiment as far away as Australia.”
The report also includes The Australian Christian Lobby for their lobbying against LGBTIQA+ people. The Australian First Party, LGB Alliance Australia, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party, Love Australia or Leave Party, Proud Boys Australia and the True Blue Crew are some of the other organsiations listed in the report.
OIP Staff
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