Liberal Senator Alex Antic Asks If ASIO Is Monitoring ‘Violent Trans Activism’

Over the past year, far-right groups and neo-Nazis have targeted the LGBTQI community and queer events, but South Australian Liberal Senator Alex Antic wanted to know about the rise of “radical transgender” activism in Australia. 

Antic has previously courted controversy for using the “grooming” slur against an ABC show featuring drag performer Courtney Act and for calling Ukraine’’ President ‘little fella’. 

On Tuesday at the Senate estimates, Antic wanted to know if the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation was concerned about what he called “violent trans activism” in the country. 

The Liberal Senator was given a reality check and got a response that he was not expecting. 

Rise Of Neo-Nazi Threats

ASIO chief Mike Burgess was before the Senate Estimates to answer questions about the rise of neo-Nazis, and their attempts at recruiting new members.

Burgess said that public demonstrations by neo-Nazis were aimed at attracting more members. In March 2023, Neo-Nazis attended a rally by British anti-trans campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen aka Posie Parker and performed the Nazi salute outside the Victorian Parliament. Neo-Nazis have also targeted drag performances in Melbourne and surrounding suburbs. 

“It’s a sign that those groups are more emboldened to come out publicly, to push what they believe in and recruit to their cause…Does that mean there’s been an increase in the numbers of them? I don’t see that correlation, I think they’re just more emboldened,” said Burgess, adding, “We have seen a rise in people drawn to this ideology, for reasons we don’t fully understand.”

The ASIO chief said that the organisation was concerned about the threat of a terror attack from a lone wolf who subscribes to the neo-Nazi ideology. 

Liberal Senator’s Anti-Trans Query

Senator Antic, however, questioned the ASIO Chief about trans activists. “Is ASIO monitoring violent trans activism in this country?” Antic wanted to know. 

“We’re ideology agnostic. We seek to understand people’s ideology,” Burgess responded. 

The Senator was however not willing to give up. “Are we seeing a noticeable rise in that sort of radical transgenders?” asked Antic.

Burgess replied: “Not from my perspective.”  

In November 2022, in a bizarre attack, Antic accused the ABC of “grooming Australian children ” and objected to a show that featured Act reading from a children’s book on Play School, about a girl who is not comfortable wearing dresses and finds out she loves to wear trousers. 

In February 2023, the Senator wrongly claimed at Senate estimates that a show with “sexualised content and adult themes” hosted by out gay comic Josh Thomas was broadcast on ABC Kids.

A month later, Antic wanted parents, teachers and students to “blow the whistle” on “woke” curriculum being taught in schools.