Sall Grover, a prominent critic of transgender legal recognition, says she has issued legal notices to multiple LGBTIQA+ organisations alleging defamation.
The accusations relate to flyers promoting a counter-protest to a women’s rights rally scheduled to take place in Sydney on Sunday.
Grover had been scheduled to speak at the rally but withdrew after she was allegedly the subject of a death threat that was delivered online to Kirralie Smith, the CEO of Binary Australia. Smith was also targeted in the communication but has indicated she will still speak at the rally.
OUTinPerth does not suggest that the publication of the flyers and the alleged death threats against Smith and Grover are connected.
Grover told viewers of News24, formerly Sky News Australia, that Pride in Protest, the Trans Action Network and the Macquarie University Queer Collective had described her as a “racist” and a “transphobe”, prompting her legal representatives to send cease-and-desist letters.
Grover came to prominence following a discrimination complaint relating to the now-defunct Giggle for Girls social media app, which she created. Grover removed transgender woman Roxanne Tickle from the platform and was found by the Federal Court to have indirectly discriminated against Tickle. On appeal, the Full Federal Court found that Grover and her company had also directly discriminated against Tickle and increased the penalty awarded. Grover has indicated she intends to seek further legal review through the High Court.
During the progression of the case through the courts, Grover has become one of Australia’s most prominent campaigners against transgender legal recognition. She regularly appears on conservative news channels in Australia and the United Kingdom, speaks at conservative conferences, and maintains an active social media presence.
Grover spoke about her reaction to the flyers and the alleged death threat during an appearance on Danica De Giorgio’s Opinionated program on Friday night. The program allows guests to deliver a monologue on a topic of their choosing without questions or challenges from the host.
“Women’s rights and the aggression of trans activists are being ignored because of political cowardice,” Grover said in comments directed at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Grover has also argued that provisions added to the Sex Discrimination Act in 2013 protecting gender identity should be removed.
Earlier this week Pride in Protest spokesperson Evan Van Jijl told OUTinPerth that the event was “clearly transphobic” and described Grover as a “TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist).
“Many women in this country still aren’t protected by our Sex Discrimination Act. But transphobes are only interested in expanding the right for institutions to discriminate against women,” Van Jijl said.
OUTinPerth has contacted the organisations named by Grover for comment.
