High Court denies Giggle for Girls founder’s appeal in landmark trans discrimination case
The High Court of Australia refused Sall Grover’s request to appeal a Federal Court ruling that she discriminated against transgender woman Roxanne Tickle on Giggle for Girls.
In 2021, Giggle for Girls founder Sall Grover personally deleted the profile of transgender woman Roxanne Tickle after an AI filter mistakenly identified her as male. The Federal Court ruled in May that this action constituted direct discrimination under sections 7D(1) and (2) of the Sex Discrimination Act, ordering $10,000 in damages, later doubled, and costs to Tickle. Grover appealed for special leave to the High Court of Australia.
On Thursday, the High Court declined the request, stating there was no reason to doubt the Full Court’s construction of the Act and that an appeal had insufficient prospects of success. The ruling finalises the first Australian case to address gender-identity discrimination, prompting commentary from Melissa McIntosh, Pauline Hanson, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody, and Equality Australia’s Heather Corkhill.
