In a time when women already feel unsafe, the news about Mona is yet another blow.
Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) has been ordered to allow "persons who do not identify as ladies" entry to its Ladies Lounge art installation after losing a legal battle.
The judgment, handed down by the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal this week, found Mona was in contravention of the state's Anti-Discrimination Act and ordered Mona to allow men to access the installation within 28 days.
A male patron, New South Wales man Jason Lau, took legal action against Mona and claimed that his denied entry into the lounge constituted discrimination. The judge sided with him.
The Ladies Lounge, which opened in 2020, is a space in the museum designed for those who identify as women, where they can be pampered, feel safe and enjoy a selection of artwork on display.
It's purposely meant to be exclusionary to cis men. The lounge is protest artwork and discriminatory by nature, with its mission being to offer equal opportunity and a safe space to a disadvantaged group.
Kirsha Kaechele, the artist behind the installation, argued as part of the court case that the Ladies Lounge was "a response to the lived experiences of women forbidden from entering certain spaces throughout history".
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