Vic Greens senator Janet Rice says new state convenor's position is 'untenable' over 'harmful' views

Linda Gale was elected earlier this month to fill a casual vacancy.

Greens senator Janet Rice has said it is "untenable" for Linda Gale to continue as Convenor of the Victorian Greens, as she "co-authored a paper which I believe to be transphobic."

Ms Gale was appointed earlier this month as convenor to fill a casual vacancy.

"Until Linda distances herself from this 2019 paper, people will read her statement from today as being hollow," Senator Rice tweeted.

"I call on Linda to explicitly reject the views she outlined in the 2019 paper, and apologise for the harm her statements have caused."

"Until she does this, I believe it is untenable for her to continue as Convenor. "

According to the Herald Sun, the document stated: “If the purpose of this workshop is to develop a proposal for a State Council decree that statements such as ‘There are two sexes,’ ‘The science is not conclusive,’ ‘This is an active debate in feminism, ‘Shutting down debate is censorship,’ or ‘Trans women aren’t the same as biological women,’ are banned within the Greens and would constitute behaviour worthy of censure, suspension or expulsion, this is totally contrary to a Greens ethos which encourages robust debate and the development of policy based on real evidence.”

Tim Baxter, the Port Phillip council deputy mayor who is politically aligned with the Greens, has said there are a number of "institutionally powerful people" in the party who hold transphobic views.

He says they "have been fighting to silence trans members and allies in the party."

Ms Gale today responded to claims she is transphobic, saying in a statement she will "fight for the right of trans and gender diverse people."

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