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CPAC US Recap: What Our Explorers Took Away

Guest Post by Global Explorer Joel Jammal The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC); is host to the most well-known names and accredited brains within conservatism globally. With thanks to the CPAC Australia organisation and entrepreneur Steve Baxter, I was fortunate to be a sponsored guest at the 2025 CPAC USA conference in Washington DC. As a political commentator and analyst this gave me the opportunity to step out of the figurative lecture hall and into the arena of US politics. With speakers such as Nigel Farage, Elon Musk, Vice President JD Vance, all the way up to the standing President of the United States; Donald J Trump, any conservative would be blown away by the proximity to this living wisdom, as was I. However, as I left the conference after hearing so many incredible words; an unexpected statement from a speaker rang in my ears.

After an unforgettable week at CPAC US, I’m heading home with our CPAC Australia delegation, and let me tell you—this trip was something else. From the moment we landed, it was non-stop action, networking, and learning, and I couldn’t be prouder of the young Australians who came along as part of our CPAC Global Explorers Program. We kicked things off with a private tour of the US Capitol. Walking the halls of American democracy, seeing where history is made—it was an amazing experience. But that was just the beginning. Before CPAC officially kicked off, United International members of CPAC gathered, including Liz Truss, to discuss the global conservative movement. It was a powerful reminder that we’re part of something much bigger than just Australia—conservatives everywhere are fighting the same battles, and we’re winning ground. Before we knew it, CPAC was in full swing.

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It's Up to Every Parent to Stand Up and Push Back

If you ever needed proof that trans activism has become a tool to silence women, look no further than the Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) issued against Kirralie Smith . Kirralie has been campaigning as a spokesperson for Binary - a grassroots organisation pushing back against harmful gender ideology and promoting “the biological reality that there are two complementary sexes”. Radical! Her activism has involved calling out trans-women in women’s sports as well protecting women’s public spaces including change-rooms and bathrooms. Now, a law designed to protect people from violence has instead been hijacked and weaponised by a biological male to silence a woman fighting for women’s rights. Trans activists routinely engage in vicious attacks on women’s rights activists on social media. The online attacks and abuse people like J.K. Rowling face, is relentless. And it’s not just online. Kellie Jay-Keen has been spat on, doused with soup and verbally abused in public. Somehow these abusive and violent trans activists escape scrutiny. The weaponisation of law inflicted on Kirralie Smith isn’t an isolated case. When women speak out about the importance of single-sex spaces—whether in sports, bathrooms, or changing rooms—they’re met with legal threats, harassment, and censorship. Take Sal Grover, founder of Giggle, a female-only app designed to connect women. She found herself in a legal battle after refusing to allow a trans-identified male to access her platform. The courts ruled against her, raising serious questions about whether Australian law is now actively working against women’s rights. The Sex Discrimination Act was enacted protect women’s rights. In the current climate, could this same law be twisted to punish people for using terms like “trans woman” or “woman” in a way that doesn’t align with activists’ demands? These questions aren’t hypothetical anymore. Some people dismiss the debates around men in women’s sports and bathrooms as just a “culture war” issue, but the reality is that women-only public bathrooms were a major feminist win. Before the 19th century public bathrooms were restricted to men, limiting the types of jobs women could take. Women’s bathrooms played a crucial role in breaking social and political barriers allowing women to step into public life. How ironic that women in the public sphere, who are seeking to preserve these hard-won rights, are now being punished for doing so. The simple act of saying “women need their own bathrooms” is somehow controversial. There is some hope, though. We’re seeing pushback against trans ideology - in the United States, Donald Trump has drawn a line in the sand, recently declaring that there are two genders—male and female. Whether that stance influences policy shifts here in Australia remains to be seen, however there are some early signs that for children at least, our current policies on gender treatments will come under scrutiny. Most Australians probably don’t care that a man wants to wear a dress and live as a woman. But that doesn’t mean it’s OK to erode women’s hard won rights and freedoms. They shouldn’t have to fight these battles all over again. What do you think? Are we seeing an erasure of women’s rights in real time? Is it time to push back? Join the conversation in the comments. Yours in liberty, Andrew Cooper Founder & National Director CPAC . network

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