Online users twist Albanese's comments on women-only spaces

Christine Lee June 17, 2026
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Anthony Albanese was being asked about a coalition proposal to define biological women in law. Image by Darren England/AAP PHOTOS

WHAT WAS CLAIMED

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said women's spaces should be available for everyone.

OUR VERDICT

False. He said women's spaces should be available for women.

AAP FACTCHECK - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not say women's spaces should be "available for everyone", contrary to claims circulating online. 

Mr Albanese was asked about the coalition's proposed changes to the Sex Discrimination Act during an appearance on ABC's Afternoon Briefing on May 28, 2026.

Broadcast audio and an official interview transcript confirm Mr Albanese responded by saying women's spaces should be "available for women".

The claim originates from a May 29 X post that details Mr Albanese's response to the coalition's proposal to change the Sex Discrimination Act to redefine women as "biological women".

The caption claims Mr Albanese responds by saying, "I'm not engaging in culture wars" before adding, "It's important that women's spaces be available for everyone."

A screenshot of an X post.
The X post misquoting the prime minister has been viewed more than 230,000 times. (AAP/X)

The X post also includes a video of the relevant interview with the original audio. 

At the 1 minute 28 second mark of the clip, Mr Albanese clearly states: "It's important that women's spaces be available for women."

An official transcript published by the Prime Minister's Office also shows he said women's spaces should be available "for women".

The false claim about the prime minister's response has spread on Facebook and Instagram, where some posts omit the original footage, making it harder for users to verify what was actually said.

A screenshot of a Facebook page.
Some false posts omit the interview clip, making it difficult to verify what was really said. (AAP/Facebook)

One Instagram post states: "Albo says women spaces are for everyone and calls it a culture war omg labor had [sic] to go."

The question was in reference to Opposition Leader Angus Taylor's vow to amend Australia's Sex Discrimination Act to include a definition of biological sex, as reported by ABC News.

His pledge comes after the Federal Court upheld a ruling that the exclusion of a transgender woman from a "female-only" social media app was discriminatory.

The Sex Discrimination Act eliminates, "so far as is possible", discrimination on the grounds of sex, marital status, pregnancy or potential pregnancy across various areas of life, including work and education.

The act does not include a definition of a man or woman.

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Sources

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