The Ladies Lounge in Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) has been in the news since last year and has caused a lot of public debate over its admission entry policies. The lounge has been in court over anti-discrimination claims over the last year, due to it not allowing men in.
So what is the Ladies Lounge and why has it been so controversial? Here is a breakdown of the of lounge.
What is the Ladies Lounge?
Established in 2020, it’s a space located in the MONA where only women were allowed entry and refuses male admission. There is a section on the MONA website where it invites women to buy tickets to go to the Ladies Lounge and have high tea.
“Ladies, you are cordially invited for high tea and high-society hobnobbing in the opulent surrounds of the Ladies Lounge,” it said.
As part of the experience the patrons at the venue are served by a male butler, who is the only male allowed into the Ladies Lounge.
What was the court case about?
In March of this year, New South Welshman Jason Lau took the museum to court over anti-discrimination claims after he was denied entry into the lounge. Lau claimed that as someone who purchased a ticket, he should expect to be able to enjoy all of the goods and services.
The case was initially heard by Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner in November 2023, before it was referred to Tasmania’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT). TASCAT heard the case in April 2024 and ruled in favour of Lau, saying the lounge was “intentionally discriminatory”.
MONA losing the case meant that the museum had to allow everyone entry, even those who did not identify as women. As a result, after the TASCAT hearing the lounge closed.
In May this year, MONA announced that they were appealing the decision to the Supreme Court of Tasmania. The appeal was heard in September,fa which ruled in the gallery’s favour and sent the case back to the tribunal for reconsideration. Artist Kirsha Kaechele said it was a great result for women.
“I’m very inspired by the occurrences in the courtroom today. In 30 seconds the patriarchy was smashed,” she said.
“Today’s verdict demonstrates a simple truth: women are better than men.”
Will the Ladies Lounge be re-opening?
In an ABC radio interview on Sunday morning, Kaechele said she was happy with the Supreme Court’s ruling but thought the lounge may be close to finishing.
“Now I’m very happy with the Supreme Court ruling, but I feel the work has run its course and I’d be glad if this is the end,” she said.
“So there’ll be a big celebration, I’ll open it for a period of time and then really we’ll just go all out and then close the artwork.”
After the interview Kaechele went onto clarify her statement in an Instagram post after media outlets said it would be closing.
“Don’t believe everything you hear. I said something on the radio and somehow ended up with a headline: ‘Mona Ladies Lounge to Close,'” the post said.
“I’m trying to be on vacation, but now with this dumb headline circling around I guess I should clarify: The Ladies Lounge is closed to men. Forever.”
“It may change locations, you know, go on tour, we all love an adventure.”
The Ladies Lounge is reportedly re-opening in November.
Photo: MONA by Russell James Smith is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons License. This image has not been modified.
