Over 16,000 Sign Petition Against Self-Sex ID and Commercial Surrogacy

‘These regressive reforms endanger, discriminate against, and/or commodify and exploit women and children.’

A gender-neutral sign is posted outside a bathroom, in a file photo. Sara D. Davis/Getty Images

A petition calling for the rejection of a New South Wales (NSW) bill that would legalise commercial surrogacy and self-sex ID has gathered over 16,000 signatures.

Rachael Wong, CEO of Women’s Forum Australia, recently launched a petition to call on parliamentarians to reject the equality legislation amendment (LGBTIQA+) 2023 bill, which would allow biological males to legally identify as women and access women-only spaces, fully deregulate prostitution, and overseas commercial surrogacy.

The bill, introduced by Independent MP Alex Greenwich, would prohibit faith-based schools from refusing employment, education, and service based on their “race, sex, sexuality, transgender status, sex worker status or age.”

The bill would open doors for transgender people to compete in sports activities “where strength, stamina or physique is relevant.” It would also allow anyone, including children, to change their legal sex.

LGBT+ organisation Equality Australia, which endorsed the bill, said the move aimed to prevent incidents such as churches refusing to provide services to same-sex marriage.

Under the new law, a person living in NSW does not commit an offence if the commercial surrogacy arrangement occurs outside NSW.”

Mr. Greenwich argued that the bill would “remove all remaining discrimination of LGBTIQA+ communities and achieve holistic equality.”

“I plan to incorporate in the one bill legislation to ensure access to gender affirming state documentation, a model for consent in medical procedures on people with intersex variations, removal of targeted discrimination including in schools, and a ban conversion practices, in addition to any other important reforms that arise during consultation,” he said.

The Bill Would Further Entrench The Commodification Of Women, Women’s Activist Group Says

But a petition launched by the women’s rights activist group criticised the bill as “out of step with evolving research and developments taking place overseas.”

The petition, which had over 16,000 signatures by Feb. 8, said the bill included further liberalised prostitution, which “will remove protections for prostituted persons, and further entrench the sexual objectification and exploitation of women and girls.”

The proposal to remove bans on commercial surrogacy would “encourage the commodification of vulnerable women as wombs for rent and children as products for sale.”

“These regressive reforms endanger, discriminate against, and/or commodify and exploit women and children, and in some cases, put at risk the rights and freedoms of NSW citizens, and subvert best medical practice,” the petition stated.

“They are out of step with evolving research and developments taking place overseas.”

“We urge you to listen to the concerns of women’s and children’s advocates and the broader community being raised about these harmful reforms, and to protect the rights and welfare of all NSW citizens.”

Ms. Wong argued that the equality bill is one of the most “anti-women,” “anti-children” reforms that has been proposed in the state.

“I’ve seen a lot of shameful laws passed through various Australian states and this is truly one of the most anti woman anti children set of reforms is introduced at one time,” she said in late January.

“None of these things sound like equality to me. In fact, they sound like the exact opposite.”

“Politicians like Greenwich and those who support him continue to get away with Madden slavers because they don’t suffer any consequences.”

The bill is due to be debated in parliament on Feb. 8.