Australian students vow to protest anti-trans activist Posie Parker’s rallies ‘again and again’
Protests are taking place around the Australia against British anti-trans activist Posie Parker, who is currently on tour across the country.
A number of protests have already taken place, including in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth during Parker’s (real name Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull) public appearances, where she has addressed small groups of supporters.
More protests are planned, beginning in Adelaide on Thursday (16 March).
Australia’s National Union of Students LGBTQ+ officer, Damien Nguyen, told PinkNews that the union, alongside LGBTQ+ rights groups across Australia, had worked together to organise the protests.
Nguyen led the cheers at the Saturday (11 March) protest, in Sydney, and took confidence in the fact more people attended the protest than showed up to support Parker’s appearance, he said.
Local media has reported she has been outnumbered at other Australian appearances by LGBTQ+ groups, as well.
Nguyen says he’s “never seen more young people showing up [to support a cause]”, adding it felt “crazy” to have people “so willing to sort of take part in this movement”.
He believes it is reflective of the wider Australian view, but is still “concerned” by the number of people supporting anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ movements.
He says it’s “really scary” seeing what’s happening in the United States around trans rights, and how that was then influencing people in other countries.
“We will be rallying again… because it’s important to us, and we’ll be out there again and again.”
About 150 protesters gathered at Western Australia’s Parliament House, in Perth, on Tuesday (14 March) in an attempt to drown out Parker’s appearance to a smaller crowd outside the building, as reported by The West Australian.
The outlet reported that Parker’s tour is at least partly sponsored by the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Network, which also operates in Australia.
A chant heard at several protests is: “Posie Parker you can’t hide, you’ve got Nazis on your side.”
Parker told the Perth protesters to “get a job” and “stop the genocide”.
In an interview with radio station 2GB ahead of her Sydney appearance, Parker described herself as “probably… transphobic” and said she did “nothing to invite controversy”.
She went on to claim people are not able to “speak the truth” and added she thought the “weird social currency of acceptance… is really not caring at all about women”.
Calls to block Posie Parker from New Zealand
LGBTQ+ rights activists in New Zealand are calling for the country’s immigration department to ban Posie Parker from being able to enter the country.
She is due to visit Auckland on 25 March and then Wellington, the capital, the following day, as part of her tour.
An open letter to Immigration Minister Michael Wood, has been published by Rainbow Greens, and co-signed by three Green Party MPs.
It states: “There is reason to believe [Parker’s] arrival in Aotearoa New Zealand poses a significant risk and threat to public order and the public interest — particularly with respect to preventing violence towards members of our takatāpui [an indigenous Māori LGBTQ+ term], transgender and gender diverse communities”.
PinkNews has contacted Posie Parker for comment on the Australia protests.
