Mona: Court rules women’s-only exhibit must allow male visitors

An Australian museum has been ordered to allow men into a women’s-only exhibit, following a high-stakes court case over the matter.

The Ladies Lounge at Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) sought to highlight historic misogyny by banning male visitors.

After being denied entry, one filed a gender discrimination lawsuit, which he won on Tuesday.

“We are deeply disappointed by this decision,” a Mona representative said.

The velvet-clad lounge – which contains some of the museum’s most-acclaimed works, from Picasso to Sidney Nolan – has been open since 2020.

It was designed to take the concept of an old Australian pub – a space which largely excluded women until 1965 – and turn it on its head, offering champagne and five-star service to female attendees, while refusing men at the door.

Jason Lau, a New South Wales resident who visited Mona in April of last year, was one such male.

Representing himself throughout the case, he argued that the museum had violated the state’s anti-discrimination act by failing to provide “a fair provision of goods and services in line with the law” to him and other ticket holders who didn’t identify as female.

The museum had responded by claiming the rejection Mr Lau had felt was part of the artwork, and that the law in Tasmania allowed for discrimination if it was “designed to promote equal opportunity” for a group of people who had been historically disadvantaged.

In his ruling, Richard Grueber dismissed the argument – finding that it was “not apparent” how preventing men from experiencing the famous artworks held within the Ladies Lounge achieved that goal.

Throughout the case, the museum’s supporters, including artist Kirsha Kaechele – who created the work – had used the courtroom as a space for performance art, wearing matching navy suits and engaging in synchronised movements.

Mr Grueber said that while the behaviour of the women hadn’t disrupted the hearing, it was “inappropriate, discourteous and disrespectful, and at worst contumelious and contemptuous”.

His decision to allow “persons who do not identify as ladies” to access the exhibit will come into effect in 28 days.

In a statement, Ms Kaechele said she was “deeply saddened” by the ruling, and would be taking time to “absorb the situation, seek council and compose myself”. She added that she was grateful for public support through what has been “one of the most difficult periods of my life”.

Ms Kaechele previously told the BBC the case had felt like her artwork was coming to life and signalled she would fight it all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.

But she also noted that having the Ladies Lounge shut down could help drive home its intended message.

“If you were just looking at it from an aesthetic standpoint, being forced to close would be pretty powerful.”

A spokesperson for Mona said the museum would consider its options, but in court it had previously said the artwork would be untenable if the ruling was not in their favour.