Overview

• Tickle’s barrister, Georgina Costello KC, argued that the repeated refusals to admit her client constituted direct discrimination and demeaned her as a “hostile invader” rather than a woman.
• Noel Hutley SC for Sall Grover maintained she reviewed only a profile photo and genuinely believed Tickle was male, denying knowledge of her transgender status.
• Celia Winnett KC, acting for the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, urged that the ordinary meaning of ‘woman’ in the Sex Discrimination Act now encompasses transgender women following the 2013 amendments.
• Interveners including the Lesbian Action Group cited UK Supreme Court rulings that limit ‘woman’ to biological sex, urging similar interpretation in Australian law.
• The Full Federal Court is expected to deliver its judgment by February on Grover’s appeal and Tickle’s $40,000 damages claim.