In August, New South Wales Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund convicted Kirralie Smith of unlawfully vilifying two transgender soccer players who compete in women’s teams. The ruling found that Smith referred to the players as males and suggested they posed a threat to actual women on the playing field.
Smith, a spokeswoman for Binary Australia, had raised public awareness after learning about injuries sustained by female players. Under Football New South Wales’ Gender Diversity Policy, “Gender Diverse Players who are registered to play Football in the gender competition which best suits the Player’s Gender Identity shall be supported to play in a safe and inclusive environment.”
This policy has led to transgender athletes competing in women’s divisions, including incidents such as one male player breaking a female opponent’s leg in two places. The Flying Bats, a team that nominally competes in women’s soccer, has at least five men on its roster.
Smith was accused of using social media to refer to Nicholas “Stephanie” Blanch as a “bloke in a frock,” referencing a photo of Blanch wearing a dress while receiving a participation trophy. She also alleged that Justin “Riley” Dennis injured female players and posted in March 2023 about male appropriators injuring women.
The court ordered Smith to pay $95,000 as part of the penalty, requiring her to issue a public apology that specifically names the men and their teams while never mentioning them again. Smith has 28 days to appeal the sentence.