Sall Grover, founder of the female-only social networking app Giggle for Girls Pty Ltd, has escalated her legal battle to Australia’s High Court following adverse rulings in lower courts regarding allegations of discrimination against transgender woman Roxanne Tickle.

On Monday, Grover and Giggle for Girls confirmed they lodged a special leave application to appeal a federal court decision issued on May 15, 2024. The federal court had found that Grover directly discriminated against Tickle on two occasions by removing her from the app, which was marketed as a “safe, online space exclusively for women.”

The court ordered Grover and Giggle to pay a total of $20,000 in damages to Tickle and cover additional court costs related to both the appeal and Tickle’s cross-appeal, estimated at up to $50,000. These payments were to be made within 60 days of the ruling.

This ruling followed an earlier August 2024 Federal Court decision in which Grover was ordered to pay $10,000 in damages for indirect discrimination after removing Tickle from the platform in 2021. Tickle had originally gained access to the app after passing an AI-based screening intended to exclude male users. Despite efforts to regain access, Grover personally barred Tickle from the app after reviewing her profile.

Grover has publicly framed the legal dispute as emblematic of broader, significant legal questions relating to Australian anti-discrimination law. She argues that the case probes the definition of “sex,” the rights of women to establish and preserve female-only spaces, and the interpretation of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth).

In a statement, Grover emphasized that the case extends beyond the interests of the individuals involved, highlighting its implications for the rights of women in Australia to maintain single-sex spaces based on biological sex. “These issues are of profound national importance. Reality and women’s rights must be properly upheld in law,” she said.

The case has drawn attention to ongoing debates surrounding sex discrimination, transgender rights, and the capacity of women-only spaces under Australian law. Both parties continue to pursue their positions as the matter advances to the nation’s highest court.