Tasmania’s transgender community braces ahead of Tuesday rally after Nazi outrage in Melbourne

An anti-transgender rights rally outside Tasmania’s parliament will go ahead on Tuesday, despite ugly scenes at a Melbourne event on the weekend.

WARNING: This story contains images some readers may find distressing.

A group of protesters who attended UK anti-trans rights activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s event performed Nazi salutes outside Victoria’s parliament, sparking calls for her Tasmanian event to be called off.

But Tasmania’s Speaker Mark Shelton and upper house president Craig Farrell announced on Monday that Ms Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, would be allowed to hold the next leg of her speaking tour.

“The lawns at Parliament House have always been a gathering place for democratic activity, including protests of all persuasions,” they said in a joint statement.

“While there may, at times, be opposing views to the protests occurring, censoring free speech is not in the interest of a democratic society.”

Equality Tasmania’s Lucy Mercer-Mapstone said she was disappointed the rally was going ahead and said Tuesday would be a tough day for Tasmania’s transgender community.

“Equality Tasmania believes it is wildly inappropriate to have someone who attracts Nazi sympathisers to an event to be allowed to speak in front of Parliament House, the home of democracy in Tasmania,” she said.

“The hurt that this is causing the trans and gender-diverse people in Tasmania is indescribable.

“The slurs that we’re hearing from the speaker and from her supporters are abhorrent and do nothing to create the kind of inclusive state that Tasmania strives to be.

“Freedom of speech is a right that every Australian holds, and it must be respected, however with freedom of speech comes a responsibility not to cause harm to any of our fellow Australians or Tasmanians.”

Equality Tasmania will host a vigil on parliament lawns at the same time as the event, with Ms Mercer-Mapstone vowing it would be peaceful.

Event organiser Silver Moon said Ms Keen-Minshull’s group Let Women Speak was not associated with Nazis.

She said she hoped the event would be a peaceful one.

“Tasmania is a bit different to Victoria, and I don’t expect to have that kind of thing occurring,” she said.

“We’ve certainly got security in place; we’ve talked to the police; we’ve talked to the parliamentary security people, and so on.

“I certainly want people to feel able to come to our event and that it’s not likely to produce any violence, but at the same time, I don’t know who’s going to be there; who’s going to be opposing us.”

Ms Moon said Ms Keen-Minshull was speaking up in support of women’s rights and was conducting a “democratic process” by finding out the views of women.

Calls to include salutes in Nazi symbol ban

The Tasmanian government plans to table a bill in parliament this week that would ban the display of Nazi symbols like the swastika.

The proposed laws would include a prison term of up to three months or a fine of up to $3,620 for a first offence and would include exceptions for artistic and historical uses.

The maximum fines would double for a second offence.

Equality Tasmania, the Labor Opposition and Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the weekend’s events demonstrated the need for the legislation to be expanded to include a ban on the Nazi salute.

“The scenes that we saw unfold on the steps of Victoria’s parliament on Saturday would send a chill through the Jewish community as well as many, many Australians who recognise it is very dangerous to allow Nazis to go unchallenged,” Ms O’Connor said.

“We need to make sure that the legislation which the government has said it will table this week, is strong and it is robust, and it sends an unequivocal message that Nazis are not welcome here in peace-loving, inclusive Tasmania.”

Minister Guy Barnett said the government would take on board any stakeholder feedback but did not commit to introducing a ban.

“I’m sure those matters will be considered, once we take on board all the pros and cons of that type of initiative, we have put a fair bit of work through the Attorney-General and her department to draft that legislation,” he said.

 [Contact ABC News]