Women’s Group Sends Anti-Trans Survey To Candidates

“Do you support the dissemination of material through schools and popular culture that encourages a false understanding that it is possible to change sex?”

This is one of the trans-exclusionary questions on a survey sent by Women’s Declaration International (WDI) to political candidates and politicians, in regard to the upcoming Australian federal election. 

According to their website, WDI is a “group of volunteer women from across the globe dedicated to protecting women’s sex-based rights.”

Principal solicitor at Feminist Legal Clinic, Anna Kerr, on behalf of WDI Australia, stated that the survey’s purpose is to “raise awareness of the Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights.”

Survey Asks For Definition of Woman

The survey consists of nine yes or no questions with the option to comment further. 

The first question in the survey, under the heading, “Definition of woman” reads as follows:

“Do you agree that legal recognition of sex should be based on chromosomal, gonadal and anatomical characteristics rather than on self-declaration?”

Other questions in the survey include: 

“In your view can a man ever give birth?”

“Do you agree with the inclusion of males who identify as women in women’s sports?”

“Do you recognise the right of lesbians, as same-sex attracted women, to exist and to meet, socialise and partner with other women free from harassment by males who identify as women?”

NSW Senate Candidate: ‘I Can’t Believe They’ve Gone This Far’

Rachel Evans, NSW Senate candidate with Socialist Alliance, received the survey. 

“I started doing this [survey] and realised it was very anti-trans and then looked up Women’s Declaration International; realised where they were coming from. So, a very organised, anti-trans radical feminist group from the UK and in Australia now.”

Evans continued, “This stuff is around but then it’s consolidated into this extremely conscious survey with a group that’s really organizing against the trans community… I can’t believe they’ve gone this far, but they have.”

According to a spokesperson from queer activist group Pride in Protest, “This is a desperate strategy by the same group that thinks BLM [Black Lives Matter] is a Soros funded trans conspiracy to convince left-wing candidates to indulge in discourse around ‘sex based rights’ i.e transphobia. It’s no surprise that this is a group that [Liberal Candidate for Warringah] Katherine Deves would volunteer with.”

Kerr: Misogynistic to Suggest Survey is Transphobic

Kerr disagreed that the survey is transphobic, telling Star Observer, “There is nothing transphobic about urging political candidates to take account of women’s rights. To suggest this is not only deeply misogynistic but also offensive to the many trans people who share these concerns.”

Speaking about the point of the survey, Kerr emphasised, “We hope to educate political candidates about the concerns held by members of [WDI] about a range of issues, including the importance of women having reproductive autonomy, the need to resist commodification of women and children and the multiple harmful impacts of extreme trans ideology.” 

According to Sydney Morning Herald, Feminist Legal Clinic was evicted from its City of Sydney owned offices last July for posting, and refusing to remove, anti-trans content from its website.

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