Victorian Liberal MP Targets Former AFL Coach Dani Laidley 

Victorian Liberal MP Bev McArthur has targeted former AFL coach Dani Laidley, while slamming a state-funded program for men about gender equality and healthy masculinities. 

Trigger Warning: This story discusses anti-trans comments, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

Laidley, former North Melbourne AFL player and coach, had come out as trans in November 2020. Earlier this year in an radio chat in the Triple M commentary box, Laidley had said that she had battled years of “fear, shame and embarrassment”, but now was “absolutely at peace” after coming out and being a role model for the transgender community.

In a statement, with anti-trans undertones, McArthur questioned whether Laidley was a “male role-model” and referred to trans men as “female-bodied-masculine-identified-gender-identities”. 

Council’s Healthy Masculinities Program Draws Liberal MP’s Ire

The Member for Western Victoria and Shadow Assistant Minister for Scrutiny of Government was objecting to Colac Otway Shire Council’s ‘Modelling Respect and Equality Program’. The council is delivering the program in association with the Colac Secondary College and Jesuit Social Services. 

The council had last week called for participants that included “leaders in business, sport, community groups and education” who would “take their learning back into their workplaces, their clubs, their schools and their families to create a Colac Otway that’s safe and equal for everyone.”

McArthur claimed it was a “social engineering project” and launched a political attack. “Here we go again. The woke Andrews Labor Government have decided it’s time to teach healthy masculinities,” McArthur posted on social media along with a media statement. 

“Will these schoolboys – like others in my electorate – be told to stand up and apologise for being white and male? Who determines what ‘healthy masculinities’ are?” the MP said in the statement. 

Anti-Trans Rant

The MP then directed her attack at Laidley, Premier Daniel Andrews and even Kanye West. 

“Who are the male role-models they’re after: should they be like Kanye West, or King Charles III, perhaps like the Premier Daniel Andrews, the Greens’ Leader Adam Bandt or maybe Dani Laidley – now a celebrated female?” queried McArthur

“Which role models are suitably masculine for this social-engineering project? Who gets to decide that?”

The MP then amped up the anti-trans rhetoric. “Given they are advertising for men or masculine-identified people to take part – maybe a gender fluid or trans person can apply as a role model?

“Otherwise, how can the Council be truly “taking responsibility to create the culture of masculinity we want for Colac Otway” and “generating social change from the grassroots level” if they don’t inclusively involve female-bodied-masculine-identified-gender-identities?” McArthur asked.

The MP objected to the funding from VIC Health for the program and asked “Or maybe they can ‘unpack’ what it is to be a woman today but described only by body parts such as ‘a person with a cervix’?”