The High Court of Australia has refused to hear an appeal in the Giggle v Tickle case, effectively ending a five-year legal dispute over gender recognition and women’s spaces on social media. The decision leaves in place a Full Court ruling that found app founder Sall Grover and her company liable for discrimination against Roxanne Tickle, a transgender woman.
High Court Refuses Special Leave to Appeal
The High Court declined to grant special leave for an appeal in a brief statement, noting that the Full Court correctly interpreted sections of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. According to the High Court’s ruling, “There is no reason to doubt the Full Court’s construction of s. 7D (1) and (2) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth).” The court added that any appeal challenging that construction had insufficient prospects of success.
The legal battle began after Sall Grover, founder of the now-defunct social media app Giggle for Girls, removed Roxanne Tickle from the platform in 2020. The app had been marketed as a space for women to connect. Tickle subsequently filed a discrimination complaint, arguing she suffered unlawful exclusion based on gender identity.
Federal Court History and Damages
The case moved through the federal judiciary over several years. In August 2024, the Federal Court initially found that Tickle had experienced indirect discrimination under the Sex Discrimination Act and ordered Grover to pay $10,000 in compensation alongside legal costs.
Both parties subsequently appealed aspects of that initial ruling. In August 2025, the Full Court upheld the finding of indirect discrimination and expanded the judgment to include direct discrimination, which increased the total damages award to $20,000. With the High Court’s latest refusal to hear the case, no further appeal avenues remain for Grover.
Reactions From App Founder and Advocacy Groups
Following the High Court’s decision, Sall Grover criticized the outcome in an interview with The Australian, arguing that the judiciary is influenced by a specific ideology and asserting that legislative action from politicians is now required. “Everybody is now at the mercy of Australian Human Rights Commission complaints if you don’t go along with this,” Grover told The Australian.
Conversely, advocacy organization Equality Australia welcomed the conclusion of the litigation. According to a statement, Equality Australia stated that the resolution marks a major win after five years of proceedings, emphasizing that Australian law long recognizes legal sex beyond assignment at birth. “Trans women, like all women, deserve to live safely, participate fully in society, and be treated with dignity and respect,” the group said.
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