An Australian tribunal has upheld the rights of a Canadian free speech advocate whose social media post last year referring to a biological woman by her birth sex was blocked in Australia.
The country’s Administrative Review Tribunal ruled in favor of Chris Elton, commonly known as Billboard Chris, after controversy arose over his post on X in February 2024.
In the post, Elston criticized the appointment of Teddy Cook, a woman who identifies as a man, to the World Health Organization. He used Cook’s biologically appropriate pronouns, and Australia’s eSafety Commissioner accused him of cyber abuse. Australian authorities ordered X to remove the content, but the company initially refused. Later, X used geo-blocking to prevent the post from being viewed in Australia.
The Alliance Defending Freedom International coordinated with Australia’s Human Rights Alliance to challenge the eSafety Commissioner’s decision, arguing that censoring the post threatens the fundamental human right of free speech. The Administrative Review Tribunal ultimately ruled in favor of Elston and set aside the decision to remove the post.
“This is a decisive win for free speech and sets an important precedent in the growing global debate over online censorship,” said Paul Coleman, the executive director of ADF International. “In this case, the Australian government alarmingly censored the peaceful expression of a Canadian citizen on an American-owned platform, evidence of the expansive reach of censorial forces, even beyond national borders. Today, free speech has prevailed.”
Billboard Chris campaigns against transgender ideology across North America and on the internet, specifically calling out the dangers of puberty blockers for minors.
“Gender ideology is a pseudo-religious movement which claims that children can be born in the wrong body,” he writes on his website. “It claims that we all have a ‘gender identity’ which takes precedence over our biological sex. It is entirely based on stereotypes. Children are taught that it is their interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes which determine their gender.”
Photo: ADF International