UK TERF Helen Joyce Discredited by Australian Federal Court

The Australian Federal Court called into question the expertise of UK-based TERF activist Helen Joyce in a significant judgment handed down on Friday. Joyce, a prominent figure in the UK anti-transgender movement and enjoyer of Harry Potter erotic fanfiction, was called upon by Sall Grover (Giggle for Girls) to provide expert evidence in the case of Tickle v. Giggle for Girls.

The case centred on whether excluding transgender women from sex-based services violated the Sex Discrimination Act of 1984. A Report by Helen Joyce was presented to assist in arguing that transgender women should not be considered women for the purposes of the Act.

However, the court quickly identified significant issues with her qualifications.

“She has a PhD in mathematics, but does not have any formal education or qualifications even in biology, let alone in gender, sex or law, being the topics which her report addresses. [..] she is not an expert at all. She has no recognised expertise in any of the areas in which she expresses an opinion” the Judgement reads.

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The court found Joyce’s submission was not based on scientific or legal expertise but rather on a personal and ideological commitment against recognizing transgender identities. As a result, her report was not accepted as expert evidence but rather as a mere submission, which held no substantiative value to the court's deliberations.

Ultimately, the court ruled in favour of Roxy Tickle, finding that she had been unlawfully discriminated against based on her gender identity. The court awarded Tickle $10,000 in damages plus costs. Joyce’s report, which sought to undermine the legitimacy of transgender women’s identities, was deemed irrelevant and unhelpful to the case.

The court case was significant in Australia, as it reaffirms transgender people’s right to be free from discrimination.

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