Transgender woman Roxanne Tickle has refiled her lawsuit against the social media app Gigggle and its CEO Sall Grover.
The Gurdian has provided an update on the case.
In a federal court lawsuit filed on 22nd December Tickle says she was barred from using the female-only social media app Giggle for Girls and she is now suing the company for discrimination. She claims she was allegedly barred from the app in September 2021 after the organisation and its leader Sall Grover said she was a man.
Tickle is seeking damages, access to the app, and a full apology. Tickle previously filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission in December 2021, but it was later withdrawn. Tickle dropped her previous lawsuit because she did not believe she had sufficient funds for the legal costs after Grover said she would fight the claim all the way to the High Court. She says she know has limited funding for the case and is asking the court to approve a late application.
“I believe that I am being discriminated against by being provided with extremely limited functionality of a smartphone app by the app provider compared to that of other users because I am a transgender woman,” Tickle wrote in the Human Rights Commission complaint last year.
“The app provider appears not to recognise transgender women as female. I am legally permitted to identify as female.” Tickle said.
Last year Giggle’s lawyers at the Feminist Legal Clinic responded to the complaint saying the Tickle was “considered male” based on her appearance in the profile photo she uploaded, and this is why she had been removed. They claim that Tickle’s gender identity was not known to them at the time of the decision to ban her from the app.
OIP Staff
Do you need some support?
If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, support and counselling are available from:
QLife: 1800 184 527 / qlife.org.au (Webchat 3pm – midnight)
QLife are a counselling and referral service for LGBTQIA+ people.
DISCHARGED: info@discharged.org.au / discharged.org.au
Discharged is a trans-led support service with peer support groups for trans and gender diverse folks.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 / lifeline.org.au
Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 / www.beyondblue.org.au
You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.
