The law must change to reflect scientific reality

Editor’s note: If you would like to submit a letter for possible publication, please email it to editor@rationalist.com.au. See our Publishing Guideline   Dear Editor, The Federal Court has done what it is supposed to do – apply the law as it stands. It has found that Sal Grover discriminated against a person born as a man but who declared himself a woman. Since amendments in 2013 removed any reference to what a ‘woman’ actually is, the Sex Discrimination Act, deliberately or inadvertently, has allowed this absurd state of affairs.  It's not the fault of the courts. It's the law that is at fault, and the only way to fix this absurdity is to change the law.  Having been a supporter of progressive parties all my life, this is the issue that will change my vote. Not because I have anything against people expressing their gender in diverse ways, but because I uphold scientific – and, in this case, biological – reality.  Sex is biological and binary; gender is sociological and on a spectrum. The Sex Discrimination Act must be changed to reflect this scientific reality. Meredith Doig President Emerita, Rationalist Society of Australia   On Australia's public education system Dear Editor, Religion has no place whatsoever in the public school system in any state in Australia – or in any country, come to that (‘Faith committee demands NSW public schools ask for religious identity of children’, 24 May 2026, Rationalist Society of Australia). Given most religions' long history...