Roxanne Tickle, the transgender woman at the centre of Australia's high-profile "what is a woman" sex discrimination case, has spoken out after the High Court refused Sall Grover's bid to appeal a ruling in her favour. Grover, founder of the female-only networking app Giggle for Girls, had discriminated against Tickle by banning her from the platform in 2021; the Federal Court upheld that finding in May and increased Tickle's damages, and the High Court's rejection of special leave to appeal on Thursday marks the end of the legal road for Grover. The case has become a flashpoint in Australia's debate over transgender rights and single-sex spaces, drawing strong reactions on both sides.

Tickle, who lodged her complaint nearly five years ago, described the process as "relentlessly exhausting" both physically and emotionally, and said she hoped the ruling would bring legal clarity for transgender and gender-diverse people in Australia and beyond. Grover, ordered to pay Tickle's costs on top of doubled damages of $20,000 and up to $100,000 in legal fees, said she had no further legal options, was "angry and sad" but not giving up the wider fight, and revealed plans to leave Australia to run her business overseas, criticising the government and judiciary. Public reaction has been sharply divided, with critics arguing the decision undermines women's rights and definitions of womanhood, while supporters praised the outcome as upholding long-standing legal protections for transgender women.