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Victorian Liberal MP Bev McArthur has targeted former AFL coach Dani Laidley, while slamming a state-funded program for men about gender equality and healthy masculinities.聽

Trigger Warning: This story discusses anti-trans comments, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide 17c起草社区I peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or .

Laidley, former North Melbourne AFL player and coach, had come out as trans in November 2020. Earlier this year in an radio chat in the Triple M commentary box, Laidley had said that she had聽battled years of “fear, shame and embarrassment鈥�, but now was 鈥渁bsolutely at peace鈥� after coming out and being a role model for the transgender community.

In a statement, with anti-trans undertones, McArthur questioned whether Laidley was a “male role-model” and referred to trans men as “female-bodied-masculine-identified-gender-identities”.聽

Council’s Healthy Masculinities Program Draws Liberal MP’s Ire

The Member for Western Victoria and Shadow Assistant Minister for Scrutiny of Government was objecting to Colac Otway Shire Council’s ‘Modelling Respect and Equality Program’. The council is delivering the program in association with the Colac Secondary College and Jesuit Social Services.聽

The council had last week called for participants that included “leaders in business, sport, community groups and education” who would “take their learning back into their workplaces, their clubs, their schools and their families to create a Colac Otway that鈥檚 safe and equal for everyone.”

McArthur claimed it was a “social engineering project” and launched a political attack. “Here we go again. The woke Andrews Labor Government have decided it鈥檚 time to teach healthy masculinities,” McArthur posted on social media along with a media statement.聽

鈥淲ill these schoolboys 鈥� like others in my electorate 鈥� be told to stand up and apologise for being white and male? Who determines what 鈥榟ealthy masculinities鈥� are?” the MP said in the statement.聽

Anti-Trans Rant

The MP then directed her attack at Laidley, Premier Daniel Andrews and even Kanye West.聽

鈥淲ho are the male role-models they鈥檙e after: should they be like Kanye West, or King Charles III, perhaps like the Premier Daniel Andrews, the Greens鈥� Leader Adam Bandt or maybe Dani Laidley 鈥� now a celebrated female?” queried McArthur

鈥淲hich role models are suitably masculine for this social-engineering project? Who gets to decide that?”

The MP then amped up the anti-trans rhetoric. “Given they are advertising for men or masculine-identified people to take part – maybe a gender fluid or trans person can apply as a role model?

鈥淥therwise, how can the Council be truly 鈥渢aking responsibility to create the culture of masculinity we want for Colac Otway鈥� and 鈥済enerating social change from the grassroots level鈥� if they don鈥檛 inclusively involve female-bodied-masculine-identified-gender-identities?鈥� McArthur asked.

The MP objected to the funding from VIC Health for the program and asked “Or maybe they can 鈥榰npack鈥� what it is to be a woman today but described only by body parts such as 鈥榓 person with a cervix鈥�?”