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Katherine Deves vs. transgender people

Katherine Deves Morgan is an Australian lawyer and anti-transgender activist. Deves is a prominent opponent of transgender athletes particiapting in sex-segregated competitive sports.

Deves represented Sall Grover in the Tickle v. Giggle discrimination case. Deves has written for anti-trans publications, including Spectator Australia, The Critic, and Reduxx. Deves has appeared on numerous anti-trans shows, including shows hosted by Rita Panahi, Andrew Gold, Claire Fox, Megyn Kelly, Benjamin Boyce, Julian Vigo, and Graham Linehan.

Background

Before entering politics, Deves worked in marketing, as an employee for Treasury Wine Estates. Deves studied law at University of Sydney and qualified as a lawyer in 2021. In July 2022, Deves was injured after skiing at Thredbo, missing a Liberal party meeting.

Deves ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia in Australia’s 2022 federal election.

Deves and partner live in Manly Vale. They have three children.

Anti-trans activism

Deves began campaigning against transgender athletes in around 2015. In 2020, Deves co-founded Save Women’s Sport Australasia.

Deves attempted to scrub a long history of posting anti-trans content on Twitter while running for office.

In 2023, Deves spoke at the Independent Council on Women’s Sports conference.

References

Dumas, Daisy (August 23, 2024). Transgender woman Roxanne Tickle wins discrimination case after being banned from women-only app. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/aug/23/roxanne-tickle-v-giggle-for-girls-transgender-woman-wins-discrimination-case-against-women-female-only-app-ntwnfb

McGowan, Michael (June 23, 2023). ‘Authoritarian’: NSW parliamentarians speak out at forum of anti-trans campaigners. The Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-parliamentarians-criticised-for-speaking-at-forum-of-anti-trans-campaigners-20230623-p5dixr.html

Australian Associated Press (June 1, 2023). Female-only app represented by Katherine Deves fails to throw out transgender discrimination suit”. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jun/01/female-only-app-giggle-for-girls-transgender-discrimination-suit-roxanne-tickle

Evans, Jake; Haydar, Nour (May 10, 2022). ‘Hurling opinions’: Trans groups say PM comments on kids’ surgery are misinformation. ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-10/morrison-responds-to-warringah-deves-trans-apology-walk-back/101051914

McLeod, Catie (May 9, 2022). Katherine Deves walks back apology for social media post about transgender children. News.com.au https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/katherine-deves-walks-back-apology-for-social-media-posts-about-transgender-children/news-story/

Maiden, Samantha (April 23, 2022). Secret docs lift the lid on Katherine Deves’ past. News.com.au https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/secret-docs-lift-the-lid-on-katherine-deves-past/news-story/fc702e46b119fcc54972ae419acbbefb

Elmas, Matthew; Robertson, James (April 29, 2022). “Uproar’: How 6000 of Katherine Deves deleted tweets fractured the Liberal Party. thenewdaily.com.au https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/federal-election-2022/2022/04/29/deves-anti-trans-tweets-liberal

Koziol, Michael (April 22, 2022). ‘This is a joke’: Farcical scenes as media banned from Deves’ pub event. The Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/this-is-a-joke-farcical-scenes-as-deves-ushered-into-pub-event-20220422-p5afix.html

Patrick, Aaron (April 20, 2022). How a gender warrior hijacked the 2022 election. Australian Financial Review https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/how-a-gender-warrior-hijacked-the-2022-election-20220419-p5aehz

Crellin, Zac (April 19, 2022). Father Ted creator rallies global support for Katherine Deves and her anti-trans comments. The New Daily https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/federal-election-2022/2022/04/19/katherine-deves-graham-linehan-trans/

Koziol, Michael (April 18, 2022). Liberal candidate Deves invoked stolen generations in deleted trans tweets. The Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/liberal-candidate-deves-invoked-stolen-generations-in-deleted-trans-tweets-20220418-p5ae3q.html

McGowan, Michael (April 14, 2022). NSW Liberal candidate likens anti-trans activism to opposing the Holocaust. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/14/nsw-liberal-candidate-likens-anti-trans-activism-to-opposing-the-holocaust

McGowan, Michael (April 13, 2022). NSW Liberal candidate described campaign supporting LGBT youth as ‘grooming tactic’ used by ‘gender extremists.’ The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/14/nsw-liberal-candidate-described-campaign-supporting-lgbt-youth-as-grooming-tactic-used-by-gender-extremists

Maiden, Samantha (March 12, 2022). PM’s ‘captain’s pick’ for Warringah Katherine Deves wipes social media accounts after transgender comments. News.com.au https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/pms-captains-pick-for-warringah-katherine-deves-wipes-social-media-accounts-after-transgender-comments/news-story/e1b41b73c646a5494eeee64928bba8f3

Patrick, Aaron (February 8, 2022). Biological-sex campaigner to seek Liberal endorsement for Warringah. Australian Financial Review https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/biological-sex-campaigner-to-seek-liberal-endorsement-for-warringah-20220208-p59upq

Anti-trans coverage

Shelton, Lyle (September 23, 2025). From feminist dream to family first, Katherine Deves’ journey to true fulfilment. Family First https://www.familyfirstparty.org.au/from_feminist_dream_to_family_first_katherine_deves_journey_to_true_fulfilment

Wong, Rachael (April 20, 2022). How the left silence women – starting with Deves. The Spectator Australia https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/04/how-the-left-silence-women-starting-with-deves/

Selected writing by Deves

Deves, Katherine (July 3, 2025). Legislating identity: The erosion of sex-based rights & a free speech victory that fought back. The Spectator Australia https://www.spectator.com.au/2025/07/legislating-identity/

Deves, Katherine (November 7, 2023). Truth and Pronouns in the Australian Judicial System. The Spectator Australia https://www.spectator.com.au/2023/11/truth-and-pronouns-in-the-australian-judicial-system/

Deves, Katherine (August 26, 2023). Alex Greenwich’s bill set to erase sex-based rights in NSW. The Spectator Australia https://www.spectator.com.au/2023/08/alex-greenwichs-bill-set-to-erase-sex-based-rights-in-nsw/

Deves, Katherine (February 10, 2023). AUSTRALIA: “Transgender” Male Allegedly Given Unsupervised Access to Girl Guides During Event. Reduxx https://reduxx.info/australia-transgender-male-allegedly-given-unsupervised-access-to-girl-guides-during-event/

Deves, Katherine (November 9, 2022). The ABC, Playschool, and drag queen story hour. The Spectator Australia https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/11/the-abc-playschool-and-drag-queen-story-hour/

Deves, Katherine (October 22, 2022). Gillard’s guilt: How our first female PM cancelled women. The Spectator Australia https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/10/gillards-guilt/

Deves, Katherine (August 22, 2022). Europe detransitions: Australia left behind as Europe distances itself from extreme gender affirmation. The Spectator Australia https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/09/europe-detransitions/

Deves, Katherine (August 22, 2022). The ‘progressive’ Holy Trinity is far from divine. The Spectator Australia https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/08/the-progressive-holy-trinity-is-far-from-divine/

Deves, Katherine (August 21, 2022). DEVES: Aussie Parents Risk Criminalization If They Don’t “Affirm” Child’s Gender Identity. Reduxx https://reduxx.info/deves-aussie-parents-risk-criminalization-if-they-dont-affirm-childs-gender-identity/

Deves, Katherine (July 9, 2022). Erasing women: Why are feminists destroying feminism? The Spectator Australia https://www.spectator.com.au/2022/07/erasing-women/

Deves, Katherine (August 18, 2021). Trapped in a gilded cage: Women’s rights are far more precarious than we have been led to believe. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/trapped-in-a-gilded-cage/

Deves, Katherine (August 3, 2021). Biological sex in Sydney: The city punishes those who accept the reality of biological sex and the material implications of existing in a female-sexed body. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/biological-sex-in-sydney/

Halasz, G., Holloway, G., Hunter, J., Fraser, J., Deves, K., Kenny, D. T., Taylor, E., Whitehall, J., Parkinson, P., & Morris, P. (2021). Australian Perspectives on Transgendering Children and Adolescents: Implications for Policy and Practice. Unpublished. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12271.97449

Media

heretics with Andrew Gold, Sall Grover, and Katherine Deves (February 27, 2025). Australia’s Biggest Trans Court Case – Sall Grover & Katherine Deves (4K). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7VSHWfQddc

Battle of Ideas with Claire Fox, Sall Grover, and Katherine Deves (February 15, 2025). Sall Grover and Katherine Deves: inside Australia’s landmark gender case | Claire Fox Interview. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njXkV2tJrvg

The Opposition Podcast with Avi Yemini, Rukshan Fernando, and Katherine Deves (November 28, 2024). Women’s rights champion Katherine Deves — The Opposition Podcast No. 26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXLPQ3534gw

The Tammy Peterson Podcast with Tammy Peterson and Katherine Deves (August 27, 2024 [recorded March 26, 2024). Is Transgender Ideology Threatening Women’s Rights? | Katherine Deves | EP 105. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOT4KF5iNEI

ICONS with Katherine Deves (May 8, 2024). A Legal Stand for Women’s Sports Rights with Katherine Deves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANzqFgyVdg0

Megyn Kelly with Sall Grover and Katherine Deves (April 23, 2024). Female-Only Chat App Founder Sued For Not Allowing Biological Man to Join, with CEO Sall Grover. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMariDHBu6U

Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce and Katherine Deves (January 3, 2023). Gender Politics in Australia | with Katherine Deves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DaKEi4-6t0

Sky News Australia / The Kenny Report with with Chris Kenny and Katherine Deves (June 2, 2022). ‘Women’s sport exists for a reason’: Katherine Deves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zw10wFqf4A

Sky News Australia / The Kenny Report with with Chris Kenny and Katherine Deves (October 14, 2022). ABC ‘owes an apology’ to Australians for ‘misleading them’: Katherine Deves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CktxBvIpUio

Sky News Australia with Rowan Dean, Katherine Deves, and Kellie-Jay Keen (September 22, 2022). Katherine Deves and Kellie-Jay Keen on Rowan’s World. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylfimp8-DJE

Sky News Australia / Outsiders with Rita Panahi, James Morrow, and Rowan Dean (July 30, 2022). Katherine Deves targeted by protesters at Young Liberals pub crawl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhRJDxy5bPc

Sky News Australia / The Kenny Report with with Chris Kenny and Katherine Deves (June 20, 2022).
‘This is vindication’: Katherine Deves welcomes FINA’s trans policy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FhT59uh7tU

Sky News Australia / The Kenny Report with with Chris Kenny and Katherine Deves (May 9, 2022). Deves apologises for tweets about trans children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XWpZ4Xnabg

news.com.au with Katherine Deves (April 24, 2022). Katherine Deves in ‘secret location’ after receiving death threats for trans comments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC748hIgI68

SBS News with Janice Petersen and Katherine Deves (April 24, 2022). Katherine Deves SBS exclusive following backlash on transgender athletes stance I SBS News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD-4NazkgHs

The Project (April 17, 2022). Moderate Liberals Want Katherine Deves Disendorsed Over Trans Comments, PM Stands Firm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAKrfsYFDps

10 news (April 16, 2022). Katherine Deves Accused Of Anti-Trans Comments | 10 News First. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jg0rNVTHNs

The Mess We’re In with Graham Linehan, â€œArty Morty,” Helen Staniland, Beth Stelzer, Katherine Deves, and Linda Blade (August 4, 2021). 70: The warriors fighting for women’s sports! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV4sx2lAfnw

Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce and Katherine Deves (December 30, 2020). When Government Regulates “Gender Identity” | with Katherine Deves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhq7xuCQpAM

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Katerine Deves (katherinedeves.com.au)

Spectator Australia (spectator.com.au)

Reduxx (reduxx.info)

The Critic (thecritic.co.uk)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

IMDb (imdb.com)