Inner West Council Slammed After Trans People ‘Gawked At’ During Swim Event

Sydney’s Inner West Council (IWC) faced backlash from the community, and accusations of clumsily handling their third Trans and Gender Diverse Swim event.

The IWC has since been forced to issue a list of improvements to be made in future events. 

The complaints themselves took aim at the council’s lack of “‘exclusive use’ of any area” for those part of the trans and gender-diverse community. 

There were several allegations that “trans people were stared and gawked at in disgust,” by members of the public in attendance.

One complaint boiled down the issue as a lack of safety, which is usually provided by Dykes on Bikes during past events.  “The whole point of this event is providing safety in a usually unsafe space. This is truly disappointing, as events in the past have involved Dykes on Bikes as security at the door and a clear understanding that it is a trans and gender-diverse event,” the complainant said.

In response, the IWC has sent out an email vowing to mark toilets and change rooms as “all gender” and to “ensure there is also safe changing room space reserved for trans and gender-diverse people only.”

Motion To Condemn Transphobia And Homophobia

In the latest council meeting, Greens Councillor for Damun Ward, Liz Atkins filed a motion that looked at the rise of homophobic and transphobic behaviour.

The motion outlined the council’s need to “condemn recent transphobic and homophobic behaviour and physical violence against LGBTIQA+ people in the Inner West and beyond.”

Cr Atkins spoke with the Star Observer and stressed how important this motion was, and was thankful that it passed unanimously at the meeting. 

“We have seen violent transphobic and homophobic behaviour in the streets of the Inner West and across Sydney and anti-trans rhetoric more broadly around Australia, and in the UK and the US, and across social media,” Cr Atkins said.

“Now is the time for us to stand up as a council and support the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly trans and gender diverse people, and for the NSW Government to do so as well.”

Cr Atkins hopes that the new Chris Minns government will continue its commitment to developing anti-bullying programs that address transphobic and homophobic behaviours in schools.

“The Safe Schools Program already exists and could be reinstated so I am hopeful that the new NSW Government will support this proposal, particularly if the Labor-dominated Inner West Council advocates for it,” Atkins said.