Trans Activists Disrupt Green Party Event on Women's Health

Trans rights activists disrupted a Green Party Conference event focused on women's health on Sunday, with a member of the party's executive reportedly among those who entered the Green Party Women fringe meeting. The group, identified as LGBTIQA+ Greens, unfurled a trans flag in an attempt to prevent speaker Elaine Miller, a physiotherapist and campaigner, from addressing the audience via Zoom. Green Party Women members physically intervened to prevent the projection screen from being covered.

Prior to the protest, the LGBTIQA+ Greens had accused Miller of being a "notorious campaigner against trans rights" and deemed her appearance a "safeguarding issue." However, Green Party Women countered that the demonstration was an instance of the party intimidating women's rights campaigners.

Among the protesters was Dylan Lewis-Creser, the non-binary co-chair of LGBTIQA+ Greens, who also sits on the Green Party executive alongside party leader Zack Polanski. Jude English, chair of Green Party Women, described the protest as "intimidation" and stated it undermined women's access to the party's political system.

Miller, who was speaking in a professional medical capacity, expressed surprise at being labeled a "transphobe." Her talk, she explained, included discussions on health issues faced by women transitioning to male after testosterone treatment. She criticized the protesters' approach, stating they preferred to prevent debate rather than engage in one. Miller also noted on X that women's health is linked to environmental issues, which she believed would be of interest at a Green Party conference. Her presentation specifically addressed pelvic health and the environmental impact of plastic incontinence pads.

The LGBTIQA+ Greens issued a statement acknowledging the importance of the healthcare topic but asserted they "cannot accept the platforming of a notorious campaigner against the rights of trans people." This incident follows the Green Party executive's decision to ban the women's rights group Green Women's Declaration from attending the conference. The executive cited concerns that the group, which advocates for "defending sex-based rights" and female-only spaces, could "make our trans members feel unsafe."

Green Women's Declaration responded to the protest by calling it "Institutional misogyny writ large" and vowed to continue their advocacy.

Earlier in the conference, the Green Party had reportedly advised members to avoid terminology such as 'mothers and fathers,' suggesting 'parents and carers' as an alternative to accommodate individuals who do not conform to traditional gender norms. The Green Party has been contacted for comment.