Liberal Australian MP Speaks Common Sense About Women's Rights

Finally — an adult in the room.

Beverley McArthur, a liberal member of Australia's parliament, delivered a passionate defense of women's rights this week. And it was brilliant.

"When I came into this parliament in 2018, the last thing I thought I would have to defend is women's rights," she began. "Those hard fought battles for recognition were, I thought, largely won. But we've gone backwards."

McArthur spoke out against transgender-based policies she says are infringing on biological women's rights in the country.

"I'm a liberal," she said. "And I believe that people can do, be, act believe and speak however they want. That's their business — right up until they infringe the rights of others."

McArthur said she doesn't believe her opinions are controversial.

"Women should have the right to play single-sex sport — to play safely and compete fairly with other women," she said. "They should have the right to use toilets without people with penises. They should have the right to serve jail sentences without men who have committed violent offenses against women."

Women deserve privacy and dignity in their own spaces, McArthur said.

"This is fair. It's basic. It's just common sense," she continued. "And how did we ever move away from this?"

She pointed out the erosion of language, like referring to women "chest feeders" or "people with cervixes."

Before she finished speaking, McArthur reiterated that none of what she said is anti-trans. Rather, it's pro-woman.

"Making rules to stop the bad behavior of individuals does not stigmatize whole groups," McArthur said.

Beverley McArthur defends women's rights in Australia.

McArthur's comments followed Australian media and Victoria Premier Dan Andrews' attempts to frame a recent women's rally as "anti-trans."

"It’s not just sports, shelters, toilets or jails," McArthur said in a statement posted to her website. "It has become apparent that women cannot even hold their own protests without that space being invaded and their safety — and in some cases, their integrity — being compromised."

Trans activists rally in Queensland, Australia. (Photo by Joshua Prieto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The statement on McArthur's website concludes with a call to action to Minister for Women Katy Gallagher.

"As the saying goes 'the rot starts from the top,'" she wrote. "So let the Minister for Women — and her Premier if he dares — say very loudly, very clearly, that women have the right to protest and speak up for women’s rights."

It's hard to imagine we've reverted to a point where speaking up for women's rights is considered brave and controversial.

But kudos to Beverley McArthur for rising above the nonsense.