AI Chat Search Browse Media On This Day Map Quotations Timeline Research Free Datasets Remembered About Contact
☶ Go up a page

Huhana Hickey [AI Text]

This page features computer generated text of the source audio. It may contain errors or omissions, so always listen back to the original media to confirm content. You can search the text using Ctrl-F, and you can also play the audio by clicking on a desired timestamp.

Which is in the Waikato. Um, I am here because I was invited to the Human Rights Commission, and, um, it was to ensure that there was a or a disability perspective. So a group of us decided that, um, the G LBTT I community needed to also understand that it's not just about sexual identity. It's also about other identities and, uh, disabled don't generally get included. [00:00:30] So we decided it was time to start, uh, presenting our ideas and who we are and, uh, sort of let people know a little bit more about the fact that we are here, that even though they don't see us, we exist. And, uh, we are in bigger number than many realise. So what were some of the ideas you've presented at the conference? Well, yesterday that was more around, um, access to, you know, to access to health and well being. And it was also around transgender identity. So I was a token real [00:01:00] female, I guess, among the bunch, if that's if there's any such thing as a real thing these days. But, um, I was and the others were, um, identifying from their own sexual identity. But, um it was around the access to, um, being able to access health what that meant. And, um regardless of our identity. And we were all of the same conclusion that discriminated existed, discrimination existed based on the fact our disabilities meant we were often discriminated. So our sexuality, regardless of what that was, would be a discriminatory [00:01:30] factor. Anyway, we would be medicalized at pathology existed. And if you were transgendered, it existed twice over. So once you were identified as disabled, then if you were transgendered and disabled, that was another, um, two part discrimination. So, you know, you had all those issues and then the issues around sexuality were huge as well. And having the fraternity want to medicalize sexuality. So, you know, when did it stop? It was whether you were gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender. Uh, intersex [00:02:00] meant that, uh, you know, and and to have a disability. On top of that, you were so used to medicalization that it it becomes a part and parcel of your life. And yet we were talking about deep pathologize, which, uh, is probably time to now start challenging for that. And how did the delegates respond to that? Very Well, um, it was a very lively debate, and I think the discussion really came out with questioning. I know that Philip, um, Patton will probably have had his own discussion on that, but he he has [00:02:30] a concept of being uniquely different or uniquely diverse and being uniquely functioning in our own bodies. And the fact that to be common is so well is the old term normal is so uncommon and that we are uniquely in every single sense terms. So no two people are alike. So you know, even if you don't have a disability, there's still going to be something about your identity that stands you out as being unique and that we need to celebrate that Not so much our diversity. That should be a given. [00:03:00] Um, but our our uniqueness is a part of that pattern, and we need to make room and accommodations for some uniqueness where accommodation is not easy around disability or around trans identity. Um, if it is that you want to have your meetings above stairs, you've got to make sure there's a lift available. Um, if it is that it's a forum for women mainly and a trans female to male is wanting to come along. Then they should have that accommodation made. Instead of creating the barriers, we should open the doors. [00:03:30] It's interesting. One of the comments I remember Philip making was that in the space of five minutes, he can go from abled to disabled, depending on the environment. Absolutely. I mean, you know, I can be in one minute. I can be in a courtroom completely and utterly in an environment of complete, a complete access. And then I might just go down into the district Court. I can't access the toilets. So all of a sudden I've become a disabled citizen, not one of the lawyers, Um, you know, um, trying to do my job [00:04:00] and it's, you know, we can be in one place even here. You know, I can be here, but there's no obvious, um, signs about where the accessible laws are or where you can go to access the lift to get to the different levels. It's it's, um, you can go into an environment. But unless it accommodates your diverse needs, such as sign language at the conference, I mean, there's a big, deaf community that, um, identifies G LBTT I and, um they're not here. And there's silence and I mean that that's a poignant term [00:04:30] silence because that community did not have any sign language interpreters here. So why would they come? So we don't We can't help it. Even in our own quest for inclusion, we exclude and we do it no matter who we are. If we're Maori, we often do it if we are. If we're, we often do it. If we are women, we do it for men. We do it. If we're disabled, we do it non disabled. We do it. Whatever it is, we tend to exclude somebody. And how do we bring about a fully inclusive society? And we've really got to start [00:05:00] looking about how we make spaces fully inclusive for everyone and not for some. It's interesting in passing right at the start, you mentioned token. Is that something that you feel that you're that you're a token? Oh, yeah. I mean, you know, it was a joke. Um, because I was the only woman on the panel that was obviously female, and, uh, probably because one of the other speakers couldn't make it and her name was Alison, and, uh, she would have been fantastic as a trans, um, female with a disability, she would have been a fantastic [00:05:30] speaker. But, uh, that's the difficulty sometimes is how do we stop the tokenism? I mean, I notice up in the lesbian stories. It's wonderful having them there, but we're the disabled lesbian speaking it. If there's an Aussie, there's a Kiwi or a Jewish American Kiwi lesbian, and there's a Maori, But, uh, there's no Aborigine, there's no disabled and, you know, and it just strikes me that we still inadvertently exclude, and we don't. I know we only have a set amount of time, but we also need to talk about how [00:06:00] we bring all the community together, not just some. I'm just wondering how many, um, disabled people are actually participating in the conference. And have there been things that they could have possibly done better to actually be a more inclusive Well, there's only two wheelers. I notice there's one on sticks. Uh, others will have a hidden impairment. Um, which is mental health. Um, they're not always going to be out. So we're minority within a minority within a minority, so I mean more [00:06:30] could attend if maybe it was made more available. Uh, it's very difficult for disabled to travel. Um, because public transport isn't always the best access. Um, if you've got a couple by air or by train or whatever way you've got to have the funds and so financial is huge because if you're living on the IB or the invalid benefit, then you are, you know, financially hammered. There could be scholarships, you know, possibly as a way forward for different groups that are particularly marginalised. I don't see a lot [00:07:00] of youth here. I'm very young, you know, And that community is huge. And yet I'm not seeing a big the all of them here. I'm seeing a lot of older people, but maybe I'm at the wrong conference because, you know, it would be good to see some of the youth because they think differently. And it would have been really good to see some of the youth on the panels, because I think we would have gotten an entirely different perspective. Whereas I'm getting old and you know, the young ones, like my son who's a young out man, um, has a different perspective to what I have. He's more inclusive on things. His friends [00:07:30] doesn't give a shit what race they are, what their able ableness is what their, um, sexual orientation is. He cares about their friendships and who they are as a person. That's the kind of thinking we need to be learning from. And maybe we need to focus a little more. I mean, often, we were too youth oriented. Um, we do have, you know, um, elders now that fight for their rights. But we're the youth. We've got a balance, and we haven't found that balance yet. So what do you want to take away from this conference? [00:08:00] Well, that's a hard one. I come in as a minority. I'd like to take away that people are listening, and I'd like to take away that people are gonna learn. And I'm kind of hoping that if I manage to make it to another one, that, um I will go, I will come along. And I won't need to be the token, or I won't need to participate other than to be there to participate. Um, that maybe I can come along as a spectator rather than always as a speaker or, um, you know, and it's fully accessible without it being an issue. [00:08:30] It's very interesting. I think one of the things said in your session was about it's very easy to label your organisation or what you're doing. LGBTI um, without actually practising it. Yeah, I mean, it is easy. I mean, do we really turn around and embrace our brothers and sisters? I try. I've got a lot of friends from all sexual orientations, genders, identities, and I try and embrace it myself in my own life because you can only live by example. [00:09:00] But if all of us did that, we'd probably have a better example in life. But we don't all do it, because sometimes we get afraid that all they might out. So, you know, let's not get too close. I don't give a shit, you know. And I think it's about time People realise that in the same way that people, some people here, actually, I've noticed, I I'm as invisible here as I am out in the street, and it's incredible. Some people don't really see you until they're right on top of you, and you're almost reeling them over and That's because they don't want to see [00:09:30] you. Because sometimes with disability there's something that frights about you. It's not me. It's what's within themselves. And, uh, they don't like to face up to that fact that there might be something there that they need to address. And so I'd like them to stop keeping us invisible, make us alive, make us there and present us as a people that they can call us friends rather than, um, want seeing us as an irritant or a skin rash. Really? Hm. [00:10:00] Now, looking ahead, 30 years, if somebody's listening back to this in 30 years time, what would you like to say to them? Well, I'd like to say I hope that it's making you laugh and go. My God, those old people, they were really backwards back then. You know, I, I would like because I came out well over. I'm Well, I'm old now, Um, but I mean, I came out well over 30 odd years ago, so I guess I'd be looking back to forwards back then. It was in hiding. We would get raped. We get beaten, you know, we were too scared. And sometimes, [00:10:30] even though Even if we were brave enough to come out, we would risk the beatings, you know, and that because we would want to be who we are, and you'd have to pass as a straight person wherever you went or get married. I'm hoping in 30 years time that my grandchildren, if my son will bother to get me some. Um, you know, I only ask for that. I don't care that he's gay, but I want I want grandchildren OK that my grandchildren, if any of them are, are gay or transgender or transitioning that they can turn around and say Thanks, Na. At least you were brave [00:11:00] enough to say that it was OK. And at least you are brave enough to say that I'm OK for who I am and that you accepted me and that if I've passed by them, which I probably have that they can look back and have a laugh, because isn't it about the memories of the people that meant something to them? And, you know, I'm hoping that it's antiquated by the time they get there that they have moved forward. I'd be sad that if they are listening to this and going, My God, it's still happening. I'd really be sad to hear that, because that tells me that we're not [00:11:30] that when we're too apathetic in this community. So move it, shake it and change it. That's simple.

This page features computer generated text of the source audio. It may contain errors or omissions, so always listen back to the original media to confirm content.

AI Text:September 2023
URL:https://www.pridenz.com/ait_apog_huhana_hickey.html