Dozens of trans rights activists rallied on the lawns of Parliament House to protest an anti-trans rights forum addressing media and MPs on Monday.
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The event, titled Why Can't Women Talk About Sex, was organised by anti-trans group Binary Australia, which rebranded itself from anti-marriage equality group Marriage Alliance.
Unsuccessful Liberal candidate Katherine Deves and expelled Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming were among a number of speakers at the event, hosted inside Parliament House by Liberal senator Alex Antic.
United Australia senator Ralph Babet and Shadow Indigenous Australians Minister Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, also spoke at the event.
![Trans rights activists held a rally outside of parliament. Picture by Karleen Minney. Trans rights activists held a rally outside of parliament. Picture by Karleen Minney.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/209641672/f4b5b765-89be-461d-99a8-748671daa52c.jpg/r0_255_4984_3057_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
National Union of Students queer officer Damien Nguyen was among around two dozen activists who travelled from Sydney for the rally. He said this year has been "one of the worst" for trans rights in Australia.
"We have seen literal Nazis standing in front of Parliament House in Melbourne ... we have seen TERFS [trans-exclusionary radical feminists] just meeting up again and again," he said.
Mr Nguyen said some of the issues activists were campaigning for included decriminalisation of sex work across the country, paid transition leave in workplaces and protection for drag shows.
A number of drag queen storytime events have been cancelled this year due to threats.
![Trans rights activists held a rally outside of parliament. Picture by Karleen Minney. Trans rights activists held a rally outside of parliament. Picture by Karleen Minney.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/209641672/20c18d5b-bd09-4315-8527-d9828994fab0.jpg/r0_285_5568_3428_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Speaking alongside trans rights activists, Greens MP Stephen Bates urged solidarity from the LGBTQ+ community and allies.
"We need to have solidarity as the LGBTQIA+ community in this country because we know that if they come for one of us, they'll come for all of us," he said.
He later added allies needed "to show up and stand with our community after these disgraceful attacks on trans kids in our Parliament and in our media".
![An anti-trans protester stands outside of Parliament House. Picture by Karleen Minney. An anti-trans protester stands outside of Parliament House. Picture by Karleen Minney.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/209641672/d33b25b6-68d4-4da8-b5d5-6555f9f957b5.jpg/r0_285_5568_3428_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Greens senator Janet Rice also spoke about the legacy of her late wife Penny Whetton, who died suddenly in 2019.
Outside of Parliament, one anti-trans protester stood holding a trans flag marked with a red cross.