Review promised into how an article criticising ‘transactivist agenda’ found its way into Greens newsletter

This article is more than 11 months old

This article is more than 11 months old

The New South Wales Greens have apologised after the party published a transphobic article in its member newsletter that claimed the “transactivist agenda” had “negative consequences” for women.

Published by Margot Oliver – a member of the party’s Marrickville branch – in the Greens internal newsletter, the article criticised the party for allowing a transgender woman to convene the party’s women’s working group, and questioned the legitimacy of what she called the “transactivist agenda”.

“There is now ample evidence on the negative consequences for lesbians and other female human beings, that ensue with the adoption of the transactivist agenda,” she wrote.

Citing the push by activists to get the Gender Recognition Act in the UK changed to allow people to self-declare their gender Oliver claimed the trans rights movement had “negative consequences” for women.

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“This means that any XY heterosexual male can declare himself female and demand immediate access to women’s politics, women’s spaces, women’s sports and to lesbian bodies, and charge discrimination if he does not get this access,” she said.

On Thursday, NSW Greens co-convenor Rochelle Flood and the party’s Newtown MP, Jenny Leong, issued a statement calling the article “completely unacceptable,” saying it “seeks to delegitimise and deny the fundamental rights of trans people”.

“It is completely unacceptable that a transphobic article was published in the latest edition of GreenMail, the Greens’ members internal magazine. We are so sorry this happened,” the statement read.

“We want to stress that the views expressed in this article are entirely inconsistent with Greens principles and our policies on trans rights.

“The views expressed by the author of this article are harmful and should never have been published in a Greens NSW publication. We offer our sincere apologies that this occurred and for the harm caused as a result of this.”

The party was criticised on social media, including by LGBT campaigner Sally Rugg, who called it “disgusting”.

“Stunned to see this prejudice given a platform,” she wrote.

Sally Rugg (@sallyrugg) CN: Transphobia



This is disgusting. Why are @GreensNSW sending this bigoted, transphobic hate in their internal nsw green mailout, GreenMail? Stunned to see this prejudice given a platform. Sept 2019 issue.



Cc: @Greens @jennyleong @greencate @MehreenFaruqi @ShoebridgeMLC pic.twitter.com/mp7hzAGs1v

The NSW Greens said it would launch a review into “how this article was was approved and to ensure that our members magazine is able to be a place for respectful debate without undermining people’s rights or conflicting with Greens principles”.

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi also criticised the article, writing on Twitter: “This is not acceptable and I’m really sorry it happened. This is completely inconsistent with Greens’ policies and principles.”

• This article was amended on 8 October 2019 because an earlier version misdescribed Oliver’s citation of the Gender Recognition Act in the UK.