Video link below. Last week, I watched a media interview outside a court in Hobart, where I heard this bald statement:
“The verdict demonstrates a simple truth. Women are better than men.”
The speaker was Kirsha Kaechele, the creator of the Ladies Lounge at MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) in Hobart. The issue at hand involved a challenge to the women-only policy of the lounge, which some had claimed was discriminatory for excluding men. However, the verdict overturned the challenge, allowing the lounge to continue as a women-only space — if you weren’t aware of the case
What stood out to me about Kaechele’s remark (which may, of course, have been framed sensationally for the media or lacking context in the interview) was how it related to an idea I often discuss with clients:
Be careful of “your truth” and “universal truth.”
People sometimes conflate the two when speaking or presenting, which can potentially lead to pushback or challenge. Or audience members completely dismissing anything they’ve previously said. It’s so common to throw out a casual line which disconnects immediately.
In the case of MONA, I was interested in the trial…but as soon as I heard that comment – which I don’t agree with – I was immediately dismissive of the rest of the interview and the point the speaker was trying to make.
More examples on this topic I wrote about in this article.
[The discrimination court challenge involving Kirsha Kaechele and MONA’s “Ladies Lounge” revolves around a legal dispute regarding gender-based access to an exhibit at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart. The “Ladies Lounge,” created by Kaechele, was designed as a women-only space featuring art and male attendants. A male visitor, Jason Lau, filed a discrimination complaint after being denied entry to the lounge in 2023, claiming gender discrimination.
Initially, a tribunal ruled in Lau’s favor, finding that MONA had violated anti-discrimination laws. However, MONA appealed the decision, and the Tasmanian Supreme Court overturned the tribunal’s ruling. The court found that the “Ladies Lounge” was an arrangement designed to highlight societal gender biases and promote equal opportunity for women, thus allowing for lawful exclusion under Tasmanian law. The case has been sent back to the tribunal for reconsideration. (Pulse Tasmania)]