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So I'm here with the Wellington Community Law Centre and we are at the out in the park, Um, queer Festival Celebrating, Um, our gay and lesbian. So what can the community law Centre do for rainbow LGBT R communities? Well, so we offer free legal advice. We offer service, offer family law services, which includes, um, helping them change the agenda on their birth certificate. So just explaining the process, how it works, what's required. [00:00:30] And it's explained in simple English so that, you know, they can understand. And they know it's not a scary process. Um, and we also help them with, um, other rights. We just we pretty much explain what are the rights they have. So what it's like to identify as a male or female. Um, what that means what that will require of them. Like in terms of which toilets they use medical medical care. Um, helping them correct [00:01:00] their records. Yeah, all sorts of things. It's just explaining what rights they have and and telling them that they do have rights. Yeah. So how big a need is it for? Do do you get a lot of people contacting you? We haven't had a lot of people, but we have had a few people, like I can say I've had I've served a client who's come in to for help explaining, um, court documents, you know, he she wanted to change the gender, Um, and was just confused about filling out some forms. [00:01:30] And so we were able to sit down with him, um, and fill out some forms and explain the process. And then, yeah, it just made things simple for him. Um, but that's that's the one that I've had the experience of of helping. But I'm sure at the community Law Centre, all throughout New Zealand will have had a few as well. Yeah, and in terms of changing birth certificates and that, I mean, is it hard in New Zealand at the moment to to go through that process? [00:02:00] Um, no, it's not hard. It's just that when you've got a piece of legislation in front of you that you are having to understand and you don't have any legal background, it's going to be hard. Um, and also it's a long process. So sometimes the wait can make people unsettled. Can make people question what's happened to the application. But when you go to the community Law centre, you know they will tell you. OK, this is approximately how long you have to wait because other [00:02:30] agencies have to send information to the court. So and by this time you probably hear from them. So we encourage our clients to come back. And if they are worried, if they need further help to write a letter, drop a letter to send somewhere, but yeah, we always make sure that they can come back to us if they need further help. And in your experience, have you found that the other agencies are respectful? Yeah. Definitely. Yeah. Um well, this is the legal rights, and you can't deny anyone their legal rights. So if [00:03:00] those agencies are required to send information, then they need to do it. Um, if they can't do it, then they must give reasons for withholding information. Yeah. So who can visit the community Law centre? Anyone and everyone, um, we look at particularly serve there. Those with very low income who will receive benefit, um, students, Um, those who are unemployed or have Yeah, unemployed. [00:03:30] Um, just community people. Just pretty much anyone will assess whether we can give legal advice to you, but yeah, to a whole lot of people in the community. And so personally, what does it mean to you today to to be at something like out in the park? It's wonderful because, you know, legal rights and legal services are so often denied to people. Um, and with such a community, that's growing. It's so important for them to know that we are a safe place for them to come [00:04:00] to as well, because we do have services that will help them. Um, and we do not deny that sort of right and service to them, Yeah.
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