New transgender law in Tasmania could make it illegal to refuse to call people by their preferred pronouns
The new reform will also allow people 16 or older to change their gender by law
By Steve Brown
A new transgender law in Tasmania could see people imprisoned who refuse to call people by their preferred pronouns.
If the new anti-discrimination law is passed through the government, it would make it illegal to refuse to call people by their preferred gender pronoun.
The law will also allow parents to decide whether to record their child’s gender on birth certificates or to opt out.
Under the new change, individuals aged 16 or older will also have the right to change their gender by law and the proposed reform – which was put forward by Tasmania’s Labour opposition party and the Greens -has been praised by Transforming Tasmania.
The new reform will have to pass the state’s upper house courts in order to become state law.
Despite the change has been welcoming by LGBT activists and groups, Dr Greg Walsh – a senior lecturer in law at the University of Notre Dame Australia, told The Australia: “Although it is admirable that parliamentarians want to ensure those who are transgender are respected, the attempt to use state power to force individuals to use language that contradicts their deeply held beliefs is completely unacceptable.”