Founder of ‘women-only’ app loses appeal after trans discrimination ruling

A “women’s only” social media app has lost its appeal to overturn a ruling that it discriminated against trans women.

In January 2022, Giggle for Girls, which was billed as a women-only space where women could find roommates, take on freelance work, and find friendship groups, came under fire for using artificial intelligence to exclude trans women.

An August 2024 court ruling found that Australian businessman Sal Glover and her app’s founder unlawfully discriminated against trans woman Roxanne Tickle when she had her membership revoked.

Mr. Grover is Wikipedia The page describes her as a “self-proclaimed trans-exclusive radical feminist,” and she filed a notice of appeal challenging Judge Robert Bromwich’s ruling in October of the following year.

The court found Ms Tickle had been unlawfully indirectly discriminated against after she was banned from using the app in 2021 because she “didn’t look feminine enough”.

Giggle’s lawyer, Bridie Nolan, argued that Tickle is male, even though her birth certificate lists her as female, and that it was legal to exclude her from the app under sex discrimination laws.

Ms Tickle’s lawyer, Georgina Costello, said Ms Tickle is a woman, has undergone gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy and identifies as female to friends, family and at work.

The case, titled Tickle v Giggle, marked the first time that the Federal Court of Australia had considered gender identity discrimination.

Tickle was awarded A$10,000 (£5,350) in damages and limited costs. She was seeking damages amounting to A$200,000 (£107,100) and aggravated damages, claiming Glover’s mistreatment of her gender caused her constant anxiety.

In an appeals court on May 15, Judge Melissa Perry upheld the previous ruling, telling the court that both Mr. Giggle and Mr. Glover had removed Mr. Tickle from the app because of his gender-related appearance.

She told the court: “This amounts to direct discrimination by referring to characteristics that relate to people with Ms Tickle’s gender identity.”

The judge also reassessed the damages originally awarded to Tickle and ruled that the amount was increased to A$20,000 (£10,700).

Please share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments section below. Please keep the conversation respectful.