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Um my name is Kirsten Stewart. I'm with the Rainbow Youth Board. I'm Secretary as well as being transgender rep. And I'm here with the rain beef people are supporting them and learning as much as I can while I'm here and, um, came down for the transgender Who yesterday, um, meeting people from all over the world. I've never met that many other trans guys from all over the world before, and it was amazing. Absolutely amazing. So what was discussed at the, um, a lot of things are mostly, yeah, human [00:00:30] rights, Basically, because that's still a very big deal for trans people and many countries. You can't get your gender recognised. You can't get access to, uh, hormones and transitioning and that you can't get that, you know, support even. And also not to mention huge amounts of violence being afflicted on trans people. Still, um, people being killed in some countries still over their gender expression, you know, and it's a very big issue for a lot of people. Still, So what [00:01:00] comparisons did you draw from the kind of transgender experience in New Zealand to that from overseas countries? And what countries were they represented in my own personal experience, I've had, um, very little issues with being a trans person. Um, I've had more issues for being an atheist personally, um, from other people. But, um, even though New Zealand is not perfect, you know, it's still, um you know, um, there's still a lot of people experiencing discrimination here, Um, and harassment. [00:01:30] But it's it's pretty good here still. Um, but, you know, that's also again, like it's a person by person basis. You know, um, you know, it's a lot different for someone who maybe doesn't pass. Well, you know, they experience things a lot differently. Um, but, you know, with our human rights laws that we have here, you know, we have Oh, it's still not. And actually in the, um there is protection in the human rights about over not being discriminated against for your sexuality [00:02:00] or sex, but it doesn't clearly state gender identity. And that's something that we've been that we're still fighting for. Um, but yeah, it's there is a lot of good things about being in New Zealand and being trans. That's perfect. So what were some of the things that, uh either, uh, took you back from from other experiences overseas, Um, stuff that I had already known about, um just, you know, you kind of network with a lot of people around the world just online. Um, [00:02:30] but it's still just it's heartbreaking to hear people's personal stories and what they've been through, um, you know, just people, you know, heard of people being sexually assaulted. Um, abused, um um, killed. You know, people I've met people who have friends have been killed for being transgender. You know, um, a big issue again is, um, not being able to go to law enforcement when those horrible things happen. Because sometimes it's the authorities [00:03:00] who are actually doing it, you know? And so, yeah, there are There are areas where it's going backwards. And that's, um that's that's a disturbing trend, you know, in some areas. Um, but yeah, I mean, one of the big one of the big problems is visibility and visibility for trans men, because, I mean, in the in a lot of I mean in many cultures, it's not even people don't even know there's a word for it. So, yeah, is, um a lot of there was a lot of [00:03:30] discussion around where you know can improve things. And and what were some of the outcomes in terms of, you know, what could be done? What? What what were some of the actions? Um, I wouldn't say there was necessarily, I guess, distinct outcomes. Because it was It's not. I can't really, I guess, um I don't think I'm in the right kind of place to be able to say that. I mean, I wasn't a leader of it or anything like that. I was just a participant, I guess, For you personally. What? What did you what? What are the big things [00:04:00] that you've taken away from the, Um, I just think that there's definitely that that very strong sense of community that's developing on an international level, like the connections that have been forged between various, um um, networks And, um is the the FTM. The trans men from, um around all the Asia Pacific who are feeling very isolated as activists because there is such that, um, that [00:04:30] that invisibility, um, there's definitely, um there are plans to, um, to create a FTM activist network for the Asia Pacific region. Um, but that's just in the very beginning stage. I mean, we just talked about it yesterday. Basically. So, um, we'll see how things develop. I guess. I imagine the role of technology and things like the Internet must just have a huge impact. It's huge, huge. I mean, I when I was first, um, I guess, um, questioning my gender identity. The first thing I did was google it. You know, [00:05:00] uh uh, that's because you don't see anything in in the media and in just daily life, you don't know what there is. And in New Zealand, I had to look for it, you know? So, yeah, So if we were looking, like 30 years ahead and somebody was listening back to this, is there anything that you would say to them? Or what would you say to them? It gets better, I guess. Going with the recent, um uh uh, video media. Um, [00:05:30] I would hope that it I would like to be able to say it did get better. You know it, um, you know, we have our human rights now, you know that's an issue. Not all Trans people have human rights because of law. You know, we people like I think it was, um, Thailand. Oh, no, no. Um, China, Um, where if you're transgender, you have no hope of getting married. Regardless of whether it's a male or female. You you want to marry because [00:06:00] you're transgender, you know, Whereas in like many cultures in many countries, if you transition to your desired gender, you can marry the opposite sex of what your gender is In a lot of places, you know, you can get your gender changed. Or you can still at least marry What would be considered your opposite sex. Yeah. Um, in 30 years time, I'd like to see this not be an issue at all to not even have to discuss it. You know, it would be some sort of, um oh, that's how it was in the old, you know, in the olden days, Like I was like, Oh, can you believe [00:06:30] that things were like that? You know, I guess. Yeah.
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