The CEO of a female-only social media app has discussed being ordered to pay $10,000 in damages for laughing at a meme during a discrimination case brought by a transgender woman.
Sall Grover, who runs the Giggle for Girls app, was penalised after her reaction to an image of Roxanne Tickle shown during court proceedings in Australia.
The case centred on Tickle being denied access to the platform after initially being accepted.
In 2021, Tickle downloaded the Giggle for Girls app, which was marketed as a safe online space exclusively for women.
Sall Grover is challenging the ruling
GB NEWS
The platform used gender recognition software to screen users through selfie uploads.
Despite initially being accepted onto the platform, Tickle's membership was revoked seven months later.
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As someone who identifies as a woman, Tickle claimed she had a legal right to access services intended for women.
Tickle sued the platform and Grover, seeking A$200,000 in damages, claiming "persistent misgendering" had caused her "constant anxiety and occasional suicidal thoughts".
In an affidavit, Tickle stated: "Grover's public statements about me and this case have been distressing, demoralising, embarrassing, draining and hurtful."
She added that this had led to "individuals posting hateful comments towards me online and indirectly inciting others to do the same."
Sall Grover spoke on GB News
GB NEWS
Giggle's legal team argued throughout that sex is a biological concept and that refusing Tickle access was lawful sex discrimination, not gender identity discrimination.
However, Justice Robert Bromwich rejected this argument, ruling that case law has consistently found sex is "changeable and not necessarily binary".
The judge's decision determined that gender identity takes precedence over biological sex considerations.
Speaking to GB News, Grover explained she received the discrimination complaint while 15 weeks pregnant in 2022.
"I was having a girl, I was like sex is assigned at birth, this is just nonsense," she told the broadcaster.
She had refused to settle demands including paying A$20,000, allowing "men who claim to be women" on the app, and attending gender education.
Grover is now appealing the ruling.
The case, known as "Tickle vs Giggle", marks the first time alleged gender identity discrimination has been heard by Australia's federal court.
Tickle welcomed the ruling, stating it "shows that all women are protected from discrimination" and hoping it would be "healing for trans and gender diverse people".
Responding on X, Grover wrote: "Unfortunately, we got the judgement we anticipated. The fight for women's rights continues."
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