A Federal Court appeal has upheld a landmark ruling that excluding a transgender woman from a female-only social app amounts to unlawful gender identity discrimination, while increasing her compensation to $20,000.

Background of the Case

Roxanne Tickle faced restricted access to the Giggle for Girls app in 2021. The platform, founded by Sall Grover, targets female users exclusively. An initial Federal Court decision determined this constituted indirect discrimination based on gender identity, resulting in a $10,000 award. This marked the first such claim under amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act introduced in 2013.

Appeal Proceedings

Sall Grover appealed to reverse the original judgment. Roxanne Tickle countered with a cross-appeal, seeking recognition of direct discrimination and elevated damages.

Final Court Decision

On Friday, the full Federal Court identified two instances of direct discrimination against Ms. Tickle. Judges accordingly raised the damages award to $20,000, solidifying the initial findings.