Politics

The Victorian Greens Have Been Hit With Another Transphobia Scandal

by Lavender Baj  16 June 2022
linda gale

Want more Junkee in your life? Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so you always know where to find us.

The Greens are in turmoil after multiple members of the party called out the transphobic views of newly elected State Convenor Linda Gale.

Port Phillip Deputy Mayor Tim Baxter called upon the party to “openly reject transphobia and “gender critical debate” in a series of tweets on Monday night, asserting that this is “just a subtler way to harm trans people”.

“I also call on those transphobes in positions of power within our party to consider their position. Our party should have no place for transphobes or transphobia,” said Baxter.

Gale’s election to the role of Convenor has prompted Greens Victoria Convenor Ricki Spencer — who is queer — to resign from her position in protest.

“If they want people like [Gale], and if that’s what the members choose to want, then okay, but then that’s perhaps not the best fit for somebody like me,” Spencer told Junkee.

“I’m not the only one, there’s other trans and gender non-conforming people who feel unwelcomed.”

Speaking with Junkee, Spencer alleged that she, as well as those who have supported her, have been targeted by transphobic hate from undisclosed members. While Gale’s election to the position was the final straw for her participation in various unpaid party positions, she stressed it was not this isolate incident alone that led to her decision. Junkee has reached out to Victorian Greens Leader Samantha Ratnam and Greens Leader Adam Bandt for comment on the allegations.

“I want people to understand that these things don’t just impact me, it’s got very little to do with me. I’m 53, I’m disabled, what can you do to me? But what it does is it impacts young, trans, gender-diverse people, people who are still frightened to come out to their families, this reinforces a culture of hate,” said Spencer.

Junkee understands that Spencer is not the only trans member of the Victorian Greens who has stepped down from their role as a result of alleged transphobia.

On Tuesday, Gale released a statement saying that “trans rights are non-negotiable” but did not denounce the paper she co-authored three years ago, or retract previous comments she has made.

“Trans rights are non-negotiable. All trans and gender diverse people are valid and deserve to live their lives free from harassment and discrimination. The role of the Convenor is to advance all Greens policies, and I will do so,” said Gale.

“As Convenor, I will uphold and fight for the right of trans and gender diverse people to live their authentic lives free from harassment and discrimination, just as I will fight for the rights of First Nations people, women, refugees, gay and lesbian people, people with disabilities, and people of colour. The Greens are committed to genuine social justice — a commitment I embrace wholeheartedly.”

Following her statement, many high-ranking members of the party have called on Gale to either explicitly reject the views she previously shared and apologise for the harm caused, or resign from her position.

Senator Janet Rice — one of the founding members of the Victorian Greens and a respected leader in the party — was one of the most vocal members of the party to condemn Gale’s behaviour.

Other members of the party, including Lidia Thorpe, Cate Faehrmann, Max Chandler-Mather, Mehreen Faruqi, and Jenny Leong are among those who have come out in support of Rice’s comments, with many echoing the call for Gale to publicly denounce her views or resign.

This isn’t the first time the Victorian arm of the party has been forced to apologise for anti-trans comments this year, after Melbourne City councillor Rohan Leppert made comments that seemed to question trans identities and access to gender-affirming healthcare.

“In light of recent commentary by Cr Rohan Leppert, the Victorian Greens reject any suggestion that trans rights should be up for debate,” the party said in a statement in April. “We assure the community and our members that views questioning the identity of trans and gender diverse people and their access to gender-affirming healthcare are not representative of the position, policies and values of the Victorian Greens.”

Leppert is still a Greens Councillor at the time of publishing and has not made a statement regarding Gale, but has liked a number of tweets appearing to criticise Janet Rice for speaking out.

Junkee has reached out to Linda Gale to give her the opportunity to retract her previous comments and apologise to the trans community. She directed us to her initial statement.