Int’l Women’s Day Event “For & By” Trans Women To Go Ahead Despite Hate Campaign
Image: Joshua Morris
Organisers have brushed aside online hate opposing a trans-inclusive International Women’s Day (IWD) event taking place in Sydney this weekend, saying that their plans are firmly inline with the feminist principles of the globally-observed day.
Run by the Inner City Legal Centre in Sydney this Saturday, the IWD event has been designed “for and by trans women”, and is receiving support from UTS and the NSW Government‘s Women’s agency.
The day includes a series of workshops, including an introduction to vocal coaching, as well as legal information sessions on changing information such as names or gender markers, and other community and social activities.
While the full line up released on the day, a panel titled ‘Trans Women and the Fight for Justice’ will feature a discussion between the women spearheading trans rights in Australia and their experiences with the legal system. It will also feature a presentation from Jackie Turner of the Trans Justice Project — which looks to the future of trans liberation — followed by a closing keynote from a Sistergirl from Kamilaroi country.
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Libs of Tiktok page leads hate campaign against trans-led IWD event
A reel from the ICLC promoting the event was shared to the Libs of TikTok social media pages on Wednesday.
Commenters called for the death penalty for trans women, accused them of being child predators, and erasing “real” women.
Prominent anti-trans activist Sall Grover also posted to X claiming she had bought a $10 ticket “a few weeks ago”.
Grover is currently awaiting the verdict of a Federal Court appeal that sought to overturn a landmark 2024 finding that she discriminated against a transgender woman, by removing her from her female-exclusive social media platform, Giggle for Girls, in September 2021.
Full disclosure: a few weeks ago, I bought a ticket for this. https://t.co/yUpEut2NdA pic.twitter.com/oueIGuo3B2
— Sall Grover (@salltweets) March 4, 2026
ICLC CEO Katie Green says the commentary around the event on social media has been highly concerning.
“The anti trans brigade on who proliferate on X have picked up on it, and the things that they’re saying on that platform… reposting our content and reposting the images of trans women who are on the program with the most violent things. One of the things they’ve said is ‘they better show up wearing a bulletproof vest’.”
The location of the event will not be shared with ticket holders until 24 hours before its scheduled start to ensure the safety of the community.
“There’s been a lot of attention about anti LGBTQ hate crimes in the media lately,” Green said. “We have a direct line to the hate crimes unit, and we will not hesitate to use it.”
“It really does send a strong message from the New South Wales Government that trans women are women, and they deserve to be supported. They deserve to be celebrated. They deserve to be uplifted, just like all women in New South Wales.”
“We’re not here to leave anyone behind”, says advocate
ICLC board member Jeremy Moineau said it was disheartening to see anti-trans activists attempt to employ American-style political division in Australia.
“What we know for sure is that trans women are disproportionately the victims of violence and sexual harassment, workplace bias and lower employment opportunities, which is really what this event was designed to remedy,” she said. “I think anyone that has an issue with that really needs to log off and touch grass for a moment.
“The most disappointing thing about this whole ordeal and the backlash online is to see someone that would seek to profit off of what is essentially a really inclusive event designed to support some of our community’s most vulnerable women.
“We don’t rise until we all rise. That’s a founding kind of idea that’s baked into the LGBTQIA+ liberation movement, and we’re not here to leave anyone behind.”
Moineau said that despite the vitriol, most people care more about members of their communities than online trolls.
“The Centre has dedicated solicitors cater to refugee women, women from the sex worker communities, women fleeing domestic violence and gender based violence. This division is really uninteresting to most Australians, and it’s not at the core of the work the Centre provides, which is representing so many women across so many intersectionalities, and however they need help.
“The Centre will always have inclusivity and expansion and helping women at the at the core of their MO and what we do.”
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