Liberal MP Moira Deeming Uses First Speech To Victorian Parliament To Air Anti-Trans Views

Newly elected Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming on Tuesday used her maiden speech to the Victorian Parliament to air her well-known anti-trans views. 

Deeming’s speech regurgitated some of her pet peeves, including Victoria’s safe schools program, trans access to toilets and sex work regulations. 

Trigger Warning: This story discusses anti-LGBTQI statements, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

LGBTQI advocacy organisations condemned Deeming for her speech. “Trans and gender-diverse Victorians deserve dignity and respect. They deserve to be viewed as equal citizens by the politicians who represent us. Yet it is because of views like Deeming’s they face disproportionate levels of discrimination and violence,” the Victorian Pride Lobby said in a statement posted to Twitter. 

“To our trans and gender diverse communities in Victoria – we stand with you and will continue to call out transphobia where it arises,” the Lobby said. 

A History Of Anti-Trans Statements

When asked about the speech, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told media persons that he was “not here to talk about that member of parliament and essentially give her what she wants.”

“We are an inclusive, harmonious, respectful place where equality is non-negotiable. That’s always been my view. It’s always been our policy,” the Premier said. 

The former teacher and councillor has a history of making anti-trans statements. During her time as Melton city councillor, Deeming attended meetings of various councils across Australia to ask if it was “legal for local government councils to provide sex-based targeted services and facilities separately to gender-identity based targeted services and facilities. If not, why not?”

In her 2020 campaign statement, Deeming said she was against “radical policies” like storytimes for children narrated by Drag Queens and trans persons getting access to bathrooms that match their gender identity.

Deeming was selected to replace Bernie Finn for the Upper House Western Metropolitan Region seat in Parliament. Finn was dumped by the Victorian Liberal Party for calling for abortion to be banned, including for rape survivors. 

Sex-Based Rights

Deeming had quit the teaching profession after her 2016 campaign against the state’s safe schools program, saying she would rather be fired than teach  “sleazy, unnecessary drivel” to her students.

She raised the issue once again in her inaugural speech. “Primary school children were being subjected to erotic sexual content,” Deeming claimed.

“Female students no longer had the right to single-sex sports teams, toilets or change rooms, and teachers like me were being forced to lie to parents about their children, who were secretly living as one gender at school and another gender at home,” said Deeming, who added that she has worked with “LGB” organisations who share her views. 

She pointed to her campaign against trans access to single-sex services and facilities and declared that women and female children in Victoria were suffering as the government “cannot or will not define what a female is”.

Deeming spoke out against the state’s gender affirmation policy. The MP insisted that “what most women would consider to be sexual harassment and indecent exposure is now legal in Victoria,” and called on the state to reinstate what she called “sex-based rights”.

‘Utterly Vile’

The speech delivered by new Liberal MP Moira Deeming in Parliament just now was utterly vile.

Trans and gender diverse Victorians face stigma, discrimination and violence on a daily basis because of transphobic views like Deeming's.

The Greens won't stand for it.

— Samantha Ratnam (@SamanthaRatnam) February 21, 2023

Deeming added that the “extremes” of equality had a “dark side” and claimed that the state’s new law to protect sex workers’ rights would make Victoria the “child rape capital of Australia”.

Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam slammed Deeming on social media after her speech. “The speech delivered by new Liberal MP Moira Deeming in Parliament just now was utterly vile,” Ratnam posted to Twitter.

“Trans and gender-diverse Victorians face stigma, discrimination and violence on a daily basis because of transphobic views like Deeming’s. The Greens won’t stand for it,” said the Member for Northern Metro Region.

If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.

For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.