A transgender woman has won a landmark legal case in Australia against the women-only dating app Giggle for Girls, which blocked her account after deeming her appearance ‘male’. On May 15, 2026, the Federal Court of Australia upheld and strengthened a historic 2024 ruling, confirming that the exclusion constituted direct discrimination on the basis of gender identity.
Compensation Doubled, Discrimination Confirmed
The court doubled the compensation payable by the app and its founder and CEO, Sal Grover, ordering them to pay approximately €12,170 to Roxanne Tickl — a trans woman whose birth certificate was updated following gender-affirming surgery. The judges ruled that blocking Tickl’s account amounted to direct discrimination, rejecting the app’s argument that it fell under an exemption for ‘special measures’ designed to advance gender equality.
A Broader Legal Precedent
The decision marks a significant affirmation of legal protections for transgender and gender-diverse people under Australian anti-discrimination law. Associate Professor Alice Taylor, a legal scholar at Bond University, described the ruling as a crucial clarification: the law ‘aims to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender identity’, and this protection must be applied as broadly as possible.
Tickl, who was excluded after Grover reviewed her mandatory profile photo during registration and concluded she appeared male, welcomed the outcome. ‘I’m deeply satisfied with the result of my case,’ she told journalists. ‘I hope it helps trans and gender-diverse people — and their loved ones — move forward. I went to court to show trans people that they can be brave and assert their rights. In the process, I surprised myself with how courageous I could be.’
The Federal Court had previously affirmed in 2024 that ‘gender is fluid’, reinforcing that legal definitions of sex and gender must reflect lived identity — not just biology or appearance. The ruling also confirmed that apps marketed as ‘safe online spaces for women’ cannot lawfully exclude trans women without violating federal anti-discrimination statutes.