A transgender woman from Australia has won a discrimination case against a women-only social media app, after she was denied access on the basis of being male.

The Federal Court found that although Roxanne Tickle had not been directly discriminated against, she was a victim of indirect discrimination - which refers to when a decision disadvantages a person with a particular attribute - and ordered the app to pay her A$10,000 ($6,700; £5,100) plus costs.

It’s a landmark ruling when it comes to gender identity, and at the very heart of the case was the ever more contentious question: what is a woman?

In 2021, Tickle downloaded “Giggle for Girls”, an app marketed as an online refuge where women could share their experiences in a safe space, and where men were not allowed.

  • RubberDuck
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    74 months ago

    I think you asked a good question, but I also think the answer is no. As I understand this situation, the platform in this case did the discrimination. So in a dating app the user simply specified preferences on an individual basis. It might mean that certain selectors become an issue… can you offer a racial filter???.. But this is for another lawsuit I guess.