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I'm Lily Ultra. I'm a trans woman living, living in Nui Art Tara. I'm here with Q E D and Poky Antifascist Coalition. We are here to run a trans rights and reproductive rights rally. Originally we were planning to counter-protest Posy Parks rally, but since she's not coming, we're just gonna have a great big, joyous celebration of trans rights and women's rights. Have a great big queer old party, and I saw online that you are wanting this to be the biggest rally in New [00:00:30] Zealand's history yet Yes, the more the merrier. We've got a lot. I, while Posy not coming as excellent, we do still have a lot of issues that need working on in New Zealand, so everyone that wants to be involved come on down and have fun. When you saw that event in Auckland, uh, yesterday, online and on tv, what did you think? I was really impressed to see how large a crowd was there and how well restrained they were. Um, what do you expect when you get a crowd that big, that angry in one place? [00:01:00] And yeah, we're just glad Poey Parker has left the country. Would you have any words to say to Poey, given that she's not here today? Fuck off and stay fucked off. You do not speak for all women. I think Auckland made that very clear. What, what do you, do you have any, um, comments say in terms of the state's response? So things like Michael Wood, uh, allowing her to come into New Zealand and, and also, uh, justice Del who, uh, didn't stop her coming in the, uh, or didn't stop her speaking.[00:01:30] I think that represents cowardice on the face of immigration New Zealand, it's very clear that her speech posed a threat to the public. However, it also demonstrates the power of queer people and allies working in solidarity to do what the government did not have the balls to do. How many people are you expecting here today? We don't have a completely firm grip on the numbers, but we're expecting thousands over 2000 easily. And. When you think about that and you [00:02:00] think about the, the such a positive response for rainbow trans rights in Wellington, how does that make you feel? It's just awesome, and that's one of the many things that makes me feel real joy in being a trans woman. Uh, so I'm Hannah Blake or ex fund feminists from Twitter. Uh, we are in the bridge area of Wellington. I'm sorry, I'm from Palmy. And, um, we are here to support trans rights and stand up against hate. So did you travel down specifically from Palmerston for this? [00:02:30] Yeah, I sure did. So why was it important for you to be here today? Well, I think it's really important, uh, to show people that actually our country is inclusive and we don't accept bigotry or hatred here. So, uh, this is in response to the Poy Parker visit, which was, um, called off yesterday in Auckland. Um, I, I, I wasn't there and I saw the footage online, but, um, can you describe what it was like? I mean, if you'd seen the footage? Yeah. Like you have only seen the footage. Um, but honestly I saw a [00:03:00] whole bunch of people there to celebrate honestly, community joy and to show people who hold exclusion views that they're not welcome. Uh, given that Posy is not here today, who are supposed to be, uh, speaking to a different, uh, group here in Civic Square, is there anything that you would want to say to Posy? There's nothing I would like to say to Poey in particular. I would actually prefer to address the people who hold views like Poy does in our Tero and say that they're not acceptable and why does society [00:03:30] won't stand for it. What about, do you have anything to say to people like, say Michael Woods, who, who uh, agreed that she should come into New Zealand? I. I don't know the ins and outs of parliamentary process. I do think from what I read about the judicial decision, that he could have made a better decision. And I hope that Ireland takes, um, takes a look at our example and goes, actually we won't let her in. Cuz I think that's what he should have [00:04:00] decided. What's the feeling being in Palmerston North about this whole this, this whole thing with Posy Parker? Look, uh, I don't, can't speak for all of Palmy from, but the people that I've talked to, the members of the public that, uh, commented on my rainbow atti here have generally been very supportive. Okay. I, I'm Bill, bill Logan, and I'm here, uh, right at the beginning of a demonstration in favor of t transgender rights. Uh, and that's, uh, in the [00:04:30] city square in, in, in Wellington. Uh, and it had been called for by, um, posy Parker, who's a anti-trans, nasty sort of person. But she's not showing apparently. No, I have a feeling she's on a plane or she might have even got off the plane in, in the UK back there. Uh, because yesterday in Auckland there was some, uh, quite, uh, heated scenes in the, in the park. Yeah, I mean, if you're going to do, say the [00:05:00] kinds of things that Posy Parker says, you've got to expect that the people who are most affected are going to feel very, very strongly about it. And she's not a savory character. She's been a associated with, uh, with fascist. She might not be a fascist personally, but she certainly give said, approving things about fascists. She certainly, uh, refused to reject the support of fascists. Um, this is a, a nasty person. [00:05:30] You've been an activist for, uh, many decades now, and you were right at the forefront of homosexual law reform in 85 and 86. When you see protests like yesterday or, or speaking engagement where poy kind of just rocks people up, I mean, what do you think? Well, it's interesting. The issues seem to have moved on a little. Um, and perhaps things that we did 30, 40 years ago have created a climate in which, uh, it's possible to take [00:06:00] on issues, which would've been impossible back then. And it, so that's good. And it's also nice to see young people get a sense of their power and their capacity to change their world. Um, yeah. So in some ways it's quite gratifying, but it's also worrying because it, it shows how, uh, the reforms and the progress we've made, uh, is so fragile and reversible. Given that Posey is not here today, is there anything that you would want to say to her? I [00:06:30] don't have anything at all to say to Poey Parker, what about the, uh, the, the institutions, the state mechanisms that allowed Poey into New Zealand? Do you have any comment about, say Michael Wood or Justice Kendall? Not really. Uh, I don't think that it makes any sense for us to depend on the state to deal with our problems. Uh, I think that we have got to deal with the opponents, that we have ourselves with our own power. And I think it's good when we can [00:07:00] do that for ourselves rather than, uh, uh, depending on the patronage of Big Brother. Uh, yeah, not my way. My name's Amundi. I, you know, go to university. I work in the city and I just think that the rhetoric that this woman is spewing is. Egregious and irresponsible and so harmful, and I don't want anyone to think that I'd ever be okay with anyone saying anything like that in my city. Yeah. Did you see, uh, the footage from last night [00:07:30] on TV or on the internet? Yeah, I did. Yeah, I saw it, yeah. Online quite a bit. Yeah. And, and what did you feel. Um, I mean, I felt a lot of pride. I think that the community up in Auckland did a great job of showing what, um, you know, what our community thinks. I think that tfs, like Posy Parker and all these others, they love to trade in fear and to present themselves as a silent majority. But what we've shown in Auckland and hopefully in Wellington today is that the, what the real majority thinks, and which is that we love our trans van, [00:08:00] given that Poy can't be here today or is not here today. I mean, she could be, but she's not. Thank God. Um, is, is there anything that you would like to say to her? Yeah, well, I think that she calls herself a feminist and says that she represents women, but really what she's talking about is reducing the idea of womanhood right down to our sort of reproductive capability, which is, I would think, the antithesis of feminism at all. So yeah, I tell her to fuck off. So I'm a communication specialist and I live here in Wellington, and the main reason I'm here is that there's just no room for any [00:08:30] kind of discrimination of any kind. I mean, I'm an introvert. I don't have a lot to do with most people, but the one thing I will stand up for and I will protest about is everybody has a right to decide how they live their lives. And I've never had or seen any trans person causing anybody else any issues or any trouble. But growing up in the uk, the kinds of people who do cause trouble are people like Poy Parker, who think that they've got a right to go around, identify with members of the alt-right, Nazis and white supremacists, and think that they. Can come here and tell people how they should live their [00:09:00] lives, when actually, you know, that kind of to intolerance and hatred has no place in this country and it's not welcome when you see Posy Parker and in response to her, um, both in Australia and New Zealand. Um, and what, what goes through your mind? Look, I think unfortunately our government had the opportunity, you know, the minister had the discretion to stand up and say, we're not gonna let her in. Look, you know, you look at her tweets, um, promoting people like Tommy Robinson and that kind of Islamophobia, you know, marching through [00:09:30] Melbourne with Nazis. We know what she stands for. We know who she is and we know what she's about. That's really, really clear. So the minister had all of the ammunition he needed to be able to say, actually we're not gonna let a dangerous Nazi trans phobe into the country like that. He chose not to. So unfortunately, as is the case, a lot of the time it's up to ordinary New Zealand just to stand up and go, no, that's not okay. Posy Parker says she stands for women. We'll look at all the women yesterday who were there saying actually she doesn't stand for them. She doesn't stand for women. She stands for hatred and bigotry and transphobia and white [00:10:00] supremacy, and that has no place here. So Poey was due to give her an event here today in Wellington, but is no longer, uh, here. I think she's actually back in the uk. Uh, is there anything you'd like to say to Poey? Don't come back. Don't ever come back here again. You know, like she said on Twitter, New Zealand is the most dangerous place I've ever seen. Well, look at this protest today. We've got people of all genders, all creeds, all colors, happy together, united. Your kind of hatred. It's clear from this gathering here today and yesterday. Your kind of [00:10:30] hatred is not welcome here. So if you think New Zealand's the most dangerous country you've ever been to, okay, well that's fine. You are wrong. But don't come back here. You stay in the uk, you keep your hatred overseas. We don't need you to come back here again. Hi, I am El Shui. I'm a member of Queer Endurance Defiance. We are standing on the steps above Civic Square, uh, where we are holding a valley for trans acceptance and reproductive rights today on Sunday, the 26th of March. Can you just paint a picture for me of, of what you can see?[00:11:00] Yeah. So, um, it's about 1:00 PM uh, lovely day, maybe, uh, Hans or so people standing around at the moment, were expecting a lot more, but, um, the Valley is not scheduled to start for half an hour. There is music, people dancing, holding banners and flags. Um, I would say a very, um, celebratory atmosphere right now. So today follows, um, quite heated confrontations in Auckland yesterday. Did you see that online and, and what, what, what do you think of that? Yeah, we've been, um, [00:11:30] following that online, um, I guess I would really, I would really like to stress that, um, obviously the event in Auckland yesterday was in response to, um, uh, UK activist anti trans rights campaigner, anti woman's rights campaigner with links to the far right. Um, Kelly j Keen, aka Poy Parker. Um, the narrative that. She and her group, um, [00:12:00] like to spin is that they have, uh, just huge support around the world that, uh, the trans rights movement is some kind of fringe thing, silencing women's voices, what we have seen in Auckland yesterday, and what we will see here today is that is not true. Uh, Kelly j Keenan's speaking event drew about, uh, 70 attendees from what we heard. Um, many of them were representatives of the local faul, right? There were fascists present. Meanwhile, uh, the pro Trans rights, pro woman's rights, [00:12:30] Side, which organized in Auckland drew a crowd of thousands. And that is really what I would like to stress, that thousands of Aucklands showed up on the day to stand for queer rights, trans rights, and women's rights. When you saw that footage online, how did it make you feel? So proud. Very proud of, um, of our comrad Up in Auckland. Yeah. Yep. And so today, posy was supposed to speak here in Wellington. She's not here, she's actually left the country. Uh, is there anything you you'd like to say to Poey? Um, I can't think of much to be honest. Good [00:13:00] riddance, maybe. Um, hope you enjoyed your day. Hope you, um, uh, enjoyed some nice tomato soup. Yeah. So today was supposed to be in response to that, uh, that, that, that rally, but it's, it's turned into something different, hasn't it? Yeah. Um, it will be a different event here today from what we planned. Uh, we had been, uh, expecting to oppose, uh, Kelly j Keen's planned speaking event in Wellington, but Auckland did that so well. We don't need to. So we will be [00:13:30] having a celebration, uh, of that win and a valley, uh, for trans rights for women's rights, uh, in New Zealand, which are by no means one and by no means secure. So yeah, we will be celebrating our wins and starting to fight for more. Um, I'm Nim, I'm from the Wellington region as well, and we are here in Wellington to support our trans community and support women's abortion rights. Um, just spread the love for some [00:14:00] particularly nasty folks who have come to New Zealand to spread words that we do not agree with. And you've, you've got some, um, signs today. What, what do the signs say? Um, j trans writer, human rights and support your sisters, not just your sisters. Sisters being c i s t e r S. So why was it important for you to be here today? Um, my partner is actually transgender. I've been with her since the beginning of her journey, and I think it is so, so important to be able to show support. These people [00:14:30] deserve to be able to go about their lives without being affected by nasty opinions or views. There were some nasty opinions and views that I saw on TV and on the internet last night. It was pretty, pretty ghastly. What did, did you see him and what did you think? Yeah, I saw some pretty nasty stuff from the, from the protests. I am glad that she has left. Uh, I'm so excited for that. Go New Zealand. We do not want that here, uh, because Poey can't be here today. Um, is there [00:15:00] anything that you would say to her if you had the chance? We don't welcome your views here. Uh, I'm Z and I'm at the counter protest for the trans rights rally. And what can you see in front of us? Um, All the L G B T people here to support the counter protest. There are quite a few signs and flags. Could you just tell me what some of the signs you've got with you? Um, my one says, uh, the F and TURF stands for fascist. [00:15:30] Um, your, uh, there's also protect trans people and Nazi turfs. Fuck off. And just behind us, we've got stuff written on the W walls. Are you, are you able to read us some of, some of what's here? Yep. Uh, trans lives matter. Why waste your energy hating us? Um, no retreat from the right to choose, protect abortion rights. So why was it important for for you to be here today? Because trans rights are human rights. [00:16:00] End of story. Oh, what you can see in front of you is a collection of, uh, what we are going to be counter protestors to the, uh, trans, uh, bigot, uh, POY Parker. Uh, however, she was humiliated and had to leave the country. So now it is a celebration of, uh, trans pride and a protest for, uh, trans rights as well as bodily autonomy and just a show of solidarity amongst, uh, the entire, um, queer spectrum. There are a lot of flags and signs around. Can you just read some of the signs out? Yeah, of course. So we've got teachers with pride over there, which is great. [00:16:30] Um, defend abortion rights. Very important, especially with the overturning Roe Wade last year. Um, acceptance saves lives and hate kills. I think that's very, very important. Mm-hmm. Um, we've got q e d up on the stairs up there. Uh, militant trade union struggles. As well. I can't read the rest of that sign, but that's cause my vision is terrible. Um, militant trade unions struggle against trans discrimination. So I'll say that one more time. Militant trade unions struggle against trans discrimination. Thank you. Cause trans rights is of course, also worker's rights. And, um, worker [00:17:00] solidarity is needed now more than ever. Can you describe the feeling today? Oh, the feeling today, um, it's incredibly positive. It was, it's been an incredibly tough time. I mean, I'm transgender myself, I'm non-binary. It's been a really tough week. Uh, we saw what was happening in Melbourne, uh, with the neo Nazis coming out in support of Posy Parker and knowing that she was coming here, we were all very, uh, afraid and there was a lot of despair, and especially that she was allowed into the country. But, um, now that she's gone, this is, uh, I, I would say a rare victory for, uh, trans people, for all trans people to come together and realize that and, and see, uh, [00:17:30] bigotry being chased away from our country. So, uh, what we are seeing and feeling here, I say, is a lot of celebration, uh, a feeling of triumph and a real feeling of solidarity, I would say. Yeah, I completely agree with him. Um, as a cis man, I think that's all I'm gonna say on the subjects, but, um, I can't imagine how difficult it's been for the trans community this week. I've seen it in glimpses with Maxwell this week. Mm-hmm. Um, but yeah, just. A very, a very different feeling to what a lot of people were expecting, but I think that's a positive thing. Did, did, did, did either of you see the footage [00:18:00] from Auckland, uh, last night? Oh, yes. No. I, I watched the whole thing. I watched the whole thing. I, because, um, when, when it was happening, um, I remember as soon as it started, I watched place Parker's livestream. I was, I was so nervous. I knew a lot of friends that were gonna be at that protest. Um, and there was a lot of feeling, uh, very similar to the mandate protest that, uh, were, uh, happening last year as well. Um, and so there was a lot of fear about what similar things would happen. And I watched the whole thing. It was so exciting to see thousands of people turning out, uh, to defend trans rights, to defend against obvious bigotry, obvious anti-trans sentiment, and [00:18:30] demonstrate with their free speech. I know some people are saying that someone was robbed a free speech, protest is free speech, can't protest this free speech. It's all free speech. You can't be annoyed that your free speech was protested with free speech. That's all. It's all free speech. It's all together. Um, It was absolutely beautiful to watch. And um, frankly, anyone that aligns themselves with neo-Nazis is willing to, um, try to ghost, um, what's, what's, what's the word for gaslight? Sorry? Gaslight people into thinking that the rat trans sentiment is coached in feminism, uh, deserves that kind of humiliation. Yeah. Yeah. And that's exactly that. And the other thing I'd like to add is that, [00:19:00] um, free speech doesn't necessarily mean we have to listen, so we're just gonna drone you out. And especially if you are preaching that big, that hate like you do. Yeah. Like Posty Parker is also, do we, is it free speech or freedom expression, Jake? Uh, well, the actual right in New Zealand is actually freedom of expression. And anyone who's trying to stand on a platform of only free speech is really just importing that from America. It has no basis in our, um, our legislation because the right is freedom of expression and it really pisses me off. And people don't get that right. Jack knows a lot about the law. [00:19:30] So, uh, poey, I, I have a feeling is on a plane or maybe it's got off a plane back in the UK now. So isn't here today. Yes. Is there something that you would like to say to her? Oh, uh, I guess I would quote the late great Georgina Byer. I'm not afraid to look you in the eye, but apparently you are. Uh, and you had to run away. Um, we, there is no place anywhere for your anti-trans bigotry. The world can see what you are doing. We know that you are trying to hide your genocidal remarks behind a, a smokescreen of feminism. [00:20:00] And you even say yourself, you're not a feminist. Um, you're a garbage person. Goodbye. There's nothing more misogynistic than upholding the gender Binary. Fuck off. Yes. Uh, well, I'm a longtime leftist. Um, one of the things that radicalized me back in the day was the homosexual law reform. I was about 16, um, straight. But, uh, I went to Wellington High School, which has got a very progressive attitude and especially now with the trans kids there. And, um, it did back then as well. I think [00:20:30] I, the homosexual law reform. It was so obvious to me. I mean, I, my parents had gay flatmates when I was a little, little baby. And, um, I mean, it is, it's sometimes hard to put your finger on, you know, the rightness of it. But the wrongness of, uh, the homosexuality being illegal was just outrageous. And, um, the same moral apparent arguments that we have today happened back then. Uh, gays were a danger to children. All that bloody nonsense. [00:21:00] Um, statistics as people keep on emphasizing, uh, completely in the other direction. There are other places to look, that sort of thing. And, um, Yeah, so I'm here because an injury to one is an injury to all, basically. Can you just look out and describe what you can see, uh, in front of us there's about 600 people I think. Um, we're looking down on the civic square, um, and it's, you know, obviously a [00:21:30] rainbow of flags and a rainbow of people. I see a bunch of orange vests because of course we need to be concerned about fascists or, you know, destiny types turning up. Uh, I apparently missed out on some of the headlines from Auckland yesterday. Um, so I'm told that there were fascists, or at least traditional Catholics of the, I presume the Society for Protection of Unborn Children type may have been there. [00:22:00] Um, so, you know, we have to look out. There's a lot of entrances here. Um, and, and there's, there's a lot more people coming in at the moment, isn't there? Uh, there are, yeah. Um, so the Cuba Duper Festival is over there. I'm sure people will just transition from one event to the other. This is scheduled for one 30 and, uh, I think we still have a few minutes. Uh, now the drums start up and all the things that make an old protest or regret lose their voice. It happens to be very easily. I tend to shake my fist rather [00:22:30] than shout. This is Lely Hor Transwoman. She, her pronouns from T Tara. I'm here with Q E D organizing the rally for Trans Rights and Reproductive Rights, and we have got a massive crowd forming up. For the start, people are still streaming in by the hundreds. It's gotta be at least a thousand people, maybe more already here. And I'm starting to worry whether the civic square is gonna be big enough for us all. What an amazing feeling. [00:23:00] Oh, it's fantastic. Such a huge outpouring of support from all across Teang, Tara. It's awesome. The people of all ages, all colors, all walks of life are here. We've got a drum crew doing some really cool stuff right now. You can probably hear on the recording and I've heard there may be a brass band show up. What? Salvation Army? Uh, probably not them. I can't say for sure who it will be or if they're coming, but we're just hoping for a real good party [00:23:30] now. My name is Tristan [00:24:00] Cordelia. I am a trans woman, and I'm not ashamed to say that we're gathered here today in solidarity against hatred. Someone tried to come from outside our community to stir up hatred against trans people, against women, against Muslims, against people of color. The English transphobic agitator. Kelly j Kean calls herself Posy [00:24:30] Parker, and claims to be defending cis woman against trans women while simultaneously undermining the right to abortion. She preaches Islamophobia and hides behind Neo-Nazi militia. Thus proving once and for all that some of the turfs, that workforces are indeed the same. The burn crosses Auckland refused to let her speak, and she ran [00:25:00] home with her tail between her legs, so, So thank you, Tam, because what was going to be quite a confrontational rally here has turned into a party.[00:25:30] This rally for transgender and reproductive rights has been organized by the leftist, queer and trans group. Queer Endurance for Defiance. They set, they set up a similar rally two years ago. The last time transphobic agitators came to our town to try and spread hate. We drown them out then, and we will drown them out now.[00:26:00] So today we're going to make ourselves heard and we are going to drown out hatred with our otha. The Posy Parkers of the world would like nothing more than to divide us. Rich Wright haters wants cis woman to fair trans woman. They want Muslims to fair gaze. They want queers to fair people of color and thus silence us. But they can only keep us down. If they can keep us divided. They fair the love that our unity has ignited. They would [00:26:30] murder one of us and blame it on the other, but we see through the lies that they cower behind. For cover, let us stand shoulder to shoulder and shout. Love, not hate, love, not hate, love.[00:27:00] This color here speaks to the Kopa. We want to establish here uniting in our diversity and building strength together.[00:27:30] We're going to hand over to our speakers. Now we have five scheduled speakers. First up, Ava [00:28:00] Kyo. Coto. Can you all hear me at the back there? Nice. My name is Vera Ashbourne and I am a supporter of the International Bolshevik Tendency, a communist organization fighting for workers power, an roa and the world. As a member of Q E D, I helped set up this rally for trans acceptance and, and reproductive rights, and [00:28:30] it was a great privilege. And I am also a trans woman, and it is with these, it is with these three voices that I speak to you today. When we started organizing this, we thought we'd get maybe a hundred. You have turned up in thousands. Thank you all for sharing your strength and your aroha with us. [00:29:00] I'm particularly heartened by the support from the unions who gave us so much help and promotion. I am, I say again proudly a communist. And as you can imagine, the organized working class is very near and dear to me. It warms my heart to see union banners flying over a trans liberation rally. Some people say that transphobia is not a working class issue, [00:29:30] that working class people don't have time for this gender stuff that workers don't or shouldn't care about. Trans people, and now we can say bollocks to that the workers about ROA are standing up. I'm very glad to see you because you are the best hope for queer people and all oppressed people everywhere. She might be gone driven off by our comrades in Auckland. [00:30:00] But Kelly J. Kane and the global rise of transphobia and the far right are only a symptom of a festering rot in society, not just here, but around the world. That illness is the decay of the capitalist system, and as we head for further and deeper economic crisis, there will be more and worse. Like her only you can stop them keen claims to fight for. For women, this is a lie. She calls for under [00:30:30] sixteens to be denied birth control or abortion. Her tour was funded by cpac, a major coalition of American far right groups that fought long and hard to overturn Roe v. Wade and now demand the elimination of transgenderism in a, in Australia and Auckland. She was joined by a who's who of the misogynist, far right. Pauline [00:31:00] Hanson, ki Smith, Evie Ya. Brian Toke. Yeah, I thought that won't get you up in Melbourne. She let an actual fascist mob join her rally unopposed. The banner those Nazis held was simply a more honest expression of the turf program, smearing trans people, particularly trans women as dangerous perverts who must be [00:31:30] exterminated turfs, stand with fascists, the greatest enemies of women on earth because they share a common goal in driving trans people out of public life. Women who oppose them though get beaten by cops or rammed with motorcycles to applause from Keen's. Crowd turfs don't give a shit about women, they just want to oppress trans people. Q E D was founded on the principle that we [00:32:00] can't rely on the existing state or the center left to keep us safe. That only collective struggle can keep reactionary scum like Keen at bay. We saw that in Auckland yesterday. Give them a cheer. Give Auckland a cheer. Struggle. Struggle works. Take the lesson[00:32:30] on Friday. The news broke that the Ministry of Health deliberately concealed information that puberty blockers are safe and reversible information. It knows to be true because it was afraid of backlash from the turf lobby. Shame. A state that throws us under the bus over angry letters, sure as hell won't keep us safe from fascist mobs. The only [00:33:00] force to ever stop fascism before it can take power is the organized working class in militant struggle only. We collectively, through our own power and our own organizations can keep us safe. But even here, the state, the state ties our hands. New Zealand has some of the harshest antis strike laws in the world. Collective action has been almost entirely banned since the nineties. Each success of government, [00:33:30] national, or labor led has upheld those draconian laws. They don't want us to fight and they won't fight for us. Workers of ROA demand the right to strike so that in 10 years time when the government tries to ban trans kids in our schools, you can shut down the education system until they give in so that if fascists try to seize control, you can close the entire economy to stop them. [00:34:00] You have that power. It can be done. It has been done before. I know that the global rise of hate can seem inevitable, but it is not. You are not powerless. We are not powerless. We can fight and we can win. Workers. The power to defeat hate rests with you. Take it back. [00:34:30] Thank you. Thank you, Vera. That was amazing. Welcome, Caden Kiara. My name is Caden. I am a gender neutral trans-masculine bisexual. [00:35:00] My pronouns are Aziza. He, him, and she her. I'm a member of Q E D. I am a migrant from Western Australia. My family came here to escape a highly controlling Christian fundamentalist cult, known as Jehovah's Witnesses. Since the day I was born, I wasn't allowed my own voice or my own identity. I wasn't allowed control over my own body. Jehovah's Witnesses are incredibly [00:35:30] misogynist, homophobic, and transphobic. They are an anti-abortion, a stance they have in common with Ms. Kelly j Kean Kelly. Having toured Australia with anti-abortion campaigners, Kelly j Kean seeks to ban children under the age of 16 from being able to access abortions and contraceptives without the [00:36:00] need of parents' knowledge or parents' consent. This is dangerous for young people, young girls in particular, who have been raised in similar circumstances to my own in anti-abortion, misogynist fundamentalist communities. Who treat pregnancy as a punishment, regardless of [00:36:30] if it was the result of sexual assault, which runs rampant in these communities. When I began to find my voice and my identity as a five year old, the age at which I began to realize fully that I wasn't a girl, I was met with extreme violence. I was sexually abused by a boy twice my age to assert that I was a girl and he was a boy. When I went to tell people what happened, [00:37:00] nobody believed me. I was a accused of lying. I had no support. I repressed myself and these memories heavily. It wouldn't be until I was 16 that my gender issues would resurface as I tried to push myself to become more feminine, to accept womanhood, but I couldn't. It didn't fit me at all. I had dropped out of high school because I was dealing with both the trauma of escaping OC cult. The trauma of multiple sexual assaults from members of the cult, as well as a lack [00:37:30] of support from the religious leaders of our congregation. And though I didn't realize at the time the trauma of my gender dysphoria as I was being forced to fit a mold that wasn't for me, wasn't until I was 21 where I would begin my medical transition with testosterone and everything came together. I hadn't realized the toll I had been paying up till that point. My mental health [00:38:00] improved. I was more confident. I was happier, I was recovering. It wasn't until I was 21 that I was allowed to truly be myself, to own myself. I was no longer being forced into something I wasn't. My next point is since moving to Nu Tara, to Wellington, I have formed new bonds with people, with other trans people, trans women, especially. The most important bonds [00:38:30] to me was with a beautiful woman named Ian Trans. Gwen is a trans woman, and I love her so completely. I have never met anyone as compassionate, as caring, as funny, as kind, as respectful, as determined as she is. Me being someone who experienced a lot of trauma in my life, I had come to believe I was too much to deal with that my boundaries and needs were too much, [00:39:00] especially when it came to my boundaries around sex as a sexual assault survivor. But Gwen was always receptive to me. She listened to me, genuinely and truly listened to me. She respects me. She respects my boundaries. She never forced me into anything. She treats me with so much love and care of which I have never experienced in my life, and in [00:39:30] return I do the same. As part of that intense care and love I feel for her and for all trans women I know to an extent is intense fury over how they are treated by people like Kelly, J Keen and her supporters. The joy and happiness of my relationship with Gwen has been interrupted endlessly with hostility, outside hostility aimed at Gwen. Specifically for being an out and [00:40:00] proud trans woman. I have been shouted at and threatened in the street for walking next to her, standing by her against this abuse multiple times. I want to make a very clear distinction here that what happened at Kelly's event last week in Melbourne were a contingent of neo-Nazis who call themselves the National Socialist Network, stood up Sieg Haing with their Nazi Roman salutes that banners that said destroy Petto freaks. This was [00:40:30] no mistake since last year in October, Gwen has been stalked by herself proclaimed Ethnonationalist, who idolizes the Christchurch Mosque shooter, the man who murdered 51 people entering 50 more. The shooter who has direct ties to the National Socialist Network, who was reached out to by Tom Sewell, the head director of the National Socialist Network. Gwen Stalker has donated to action [00:41:00] Zandia another neo-Nazi organization that is also the New Zealand wing of the National Socialist Network, which was present at Auckland's event yesterday. Whether there are more direct ties and support for actions, zandia or not from this person, I do not know. I'm not the kind of person who delves into the personal lives of strangers on the internet. I care too much about my own mental health and the mental health of the woman I love to do so are,[00:41:30] but the idolization of the violent, racist terrorist who murdered 51 people at their place of worship is enough. The iDation of a inherently racist and violent ethnonationalist ideology is enough. It's all enough for you to get the picture that this is all related. This is no coincidence. This is not a mistake. Poey Parker herself knows this Poey Parker herself has pushed the same racist conspiracy [00:42:00] theories that got those 51 people murdered in their place of worship in 2019. The Muslim rape gangs Conspiracy Theory, you've. That the event organizer Food for the Let Women Speak Rally Terry Lip Novi repeated on R N Z Tuesday morning, 21st of March. How does it feel to know that you endorsed the views of a mass murderer who killed vulnerable women and children in Christ Church on March [00:42:30] 15th, 2019? You have blood on your hands, but so much is uttering the same rhetoric, those same blood soaped words. In addition to that, the actions of Kelly J King's Group on Thursday where they assaulted an indigenous black woman from jab Waring, gunna and gunna Murra descent, Senator Lydia Thorpe, pushing her to the ground dog, piling her as police watched on some of them joining in.[00:43:00] While the president of One Nation Party, Pauline, he henson a woman who regularly complains about immigrants from Asian countries, about Muslims, about aboriginal people, and campaigns for Australia's withdrawal from the United Nations Refugee Convention to deny the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable families from wartorn countries, vulnerable women, [00:43:30] children, and survivors of abuse, who have faced some of the worst abuse paddles on about how she's apparently been silenced. You, you sit in Parliament Pauline Australia has to listen to your divisive, racist bullshit every fucking week. And in addition to that, in [00:44:00] Auckland, one of our own mps, Marma Davidson. Amari woman was struck and hit by a motorcyclist. Thank you. How dare you claim to care about the wellbeing and rights of women, children, and survivors of abuse? Well use the very same line of thinking that killed 51 people from a vulnerable community made up of [00:44:30] refugees from water drawn countries, immigrants in this country, thousands more around the world. How dare you claim to care about women, children, and survivors of abuse while you walk with neo-Nazis, while you allow racists to talk at your events. While First Nations women are literally silenced for daring to disagree with you, how dare you claim to care careful women or children, survivors of abuse while you paint the woman I love who has shown so much consideration and [00:45:00] sensitivity to my own trauma as a survivor of. Sexual childhood abuse as inherently predatory because of her anatomy. I want to acknowledge the people who change gender, who love those of the same sex, and have always been here in a akata, poi, ERO fit, brother, boys and sister girls, and other indigenous communities. To the elders of these communities, past, present, and future, [00:45:30] and to the immigrant families, the women and children from countries who came here for their safety. There are those who tried desperately to erase you, but you have always been here and your presence matters. I also want to acknowledge our intersex communities. Who face different but similar challenges. I appreciate you and stand by your side as you do mine. Be safe, [00:46:00] be loud, be peaceful. Thank you for your love and solidarity. We won this battle, my friends. We won with peace and joy in our hearts. Let's continue this peace and this joy. Thank you. Thank you so much, Caden, for sharing that with us. We're gonna take a brief two minute break while we sort it, make sure that all our technical [00:46:30] difficulties are sorted out. We need you to help us during those two minutes by making some noise. Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human. Rights, rights, rights Party. We have another important announcement. Nu, can we move back [00:47:00] to the back of Civic Square because we have too many people up on the bridge and we need to move some people from the bridge down into the square. Move back if you can move back to keep each other safe. While we're moving people, this would be a good time to run through some chs. Oh yeah. That we can all say together about Garth. Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human [00:47:30] rights. Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human rights. Fascist turfs. You can't hide. You've got Nazis on your side. You can hide. You've got Nazis on your side. Fascia, stufs, you can't hide. You've got Nazis on your side. Fascia stirs. You can't hide. You've got Nazis on your side. My body, my choice, my body, my choice, my body, my choice, my body, my choice.[00:48:00] We're here. We're here, we're we're where? Get used to it. Get used to it. We're here. We're here. We're we're. Get used to it. Get used to it, man. [00:48:30] Manton, manton, trans rights, human rights, trans rights, human rights, trans rights and human rights, trans rights and human rights. You're all fucking amazing.[00:49:00] We're now going to get our third speaker on the mic. Welcome. Racha has also been saving us all from a lack of selves. Good. Everyone. My name's Reacher and I am a, I am a proud trans woman. I am a proud Indian.[00:49:30] Growing up, I quickly learned that I wasn't like the other kids around me. Yeah. As much as I, I just wanted to be, you know, another Kiwi kid that you would, um, hear about in class. Nobody else would see me that way. I was brown. I ate what other people thought was weird food. There we go. I was too feminine for my all boys school. I was, quite frankly, I different.[00:50:00] I was treated awfully from your typical name calling and social exclusion to being the target of violence, many instances. Two. Graphic to share here today. I decided to myself at an incredibly young age that I would do everything in my power to make change so no other kid would have to go through what I was going through. I constantly saw those who lied at the margins, [00:50:30] the outcasts, and I still buy them, whether this be by including and accepting them into my friend circle or standing as an advocate for them with those who had authority in any situation. I can thank the incredibly staunch women in my family for this. My, my grandmother on my mother's side was a women's rights advocate in rural Punjab, putting her body on the line to support women who were the victims of violence. My grandmother on my [00:51:00] father's side was a survivor of religious violence. She witnessed her own parents' massacre, and the British caused violence of the Indian partition. Growing up in a government, government orphanage, and despite these challenges, she has always instilled the values of acceptance and equality in me, regardless of anybody's background. These are the people who have made me who I am today.[00:51:30] I realized I was trans when I was only 15 years old. I always knew I was different to the other boys at school, but it wasn't until I'd, um, finished high school at age 17 that I built off the courage to come out as trans. My parents weren't at all accepting at first, even forcing me to leave my home and face the world on my own. Being in the world alone taught me a lot, but being able to be openly myself if only among trusted people, absolutely changed my outlook on life. It gave me hope.[00:52:00] Our community, our community, us Everyone here today taught me the true meaning of love. I thought I was alone in the world, but I see out in the car today, my found family, my.[00:52:30] The traditional saying may go, blood is thicker than water, but I think today demonstrates that love is thicker than water. Our community is strong because of this love. This love is why we're out here today. In the face of unfathomable hatred, we turned up for each other, for our whanau, for our friends, for our colleagues, for our neighbors. Community [00:53:00] is at the heart of our movement, and what today proves more than anything else is that sometimes against the Lord. Love wins. In the past week, all of all of us here have spoken up against all odds and demonstrated the strength of our community. Frankly, we turned the fuck out. [00:53:30] The other side has had access to unimaginable funding access to the media, and a platform much broader than me or any of the organizers around me have ever had access to. But we fucking did it. We sent Posy Parker packing and signaled that we will not stand for hatred in our communities. We stood with each other, with our, our friends, our colleagues, and our neighbors,[00:54:00] but the fight is far from over. Trans people today are still denied access to life-changing and often life-saving healthcare with the waiting list for gender affirming surgery, sitting at over 40 years in its current set pace. I may be able to access healthcare when I turn 60. That is unacceptable.[00:54:30] [00:55:00] Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.[00:55:30] Everybody, we have a lost kit. The lost kid looks to be two years old. She has stitch on her pink shirt if she's your child, head down underneath the sails, underneath the white [00:56:00] sails. Thank you. And, and again, for those hear, we have a lost child. Oh, nevermind. They've been found anyway before. I was so rudely interrupted, so hopeful that women speak. Um, I was saying that the fight is far from over. I, I mentioned that trans people are still denied access [00:56:30] to lifesaving healthcare. The state and the mainstream political parties have deemed our survival and health. A nice to have is our survival, not a breaded, but a issue. Mr. Kins, the cost of inaction is dear. We are gambling with the lives and safety of our children and the rights to our existence. I promised to myself a long, long ago that I would do anything in my power to make sure no child would go through what I had to go through. And frankly, we aren't there [00:57:00] yet. In an election year, we all have the power to exercise our democratic rights at the polling booth, we. We all need to send a strong message to the parties who have frankly failed our communities. This includes the incumbent labor party when you, when you are looking for who to vote for this election. Um,[00:57:30] back anyway. To wrap [00:58:00] up. To wrap up so we can move on to other speaker. This election, you're genuinely look at which political parties have aspirations for our communities. Don't let labor and the parties. Of the right. Get away with what they've done this week and they've been doing for the past decades. Make your voice heard. If there is anything that today proves is that when we stand together, united, we can move mountains. I love you all. Today is our chance to celebrate, but the work continues tomorrow long live the revolution in.[00:58:30] Thank you. As you may have noticed, we have had one or two lemmings walking through the, a crowd of thousands of people that they're preaching hatred against.[00:59:00] If you are preaching hatred and you walk into a crowd of thousands of the people that you are preaching hatred against, you are quite clearly trying to Marty yourself. This is why I call you a living. We are here gathered. To spread love[00:59:30] as such, however angry we owe, we're going to make sure that those livings make it out alive to die. Sad lowly deaths another day. And you see if you see a dumb fucking in the. Direct that alert, a Marshall and then orange vest,[01:00:00] they will guide the livings out so that they can go on with their sad, pathetic, hateful lives somewhere else. Love that. Love, not hate. Love, not hate. Love. Not hate. Love. Not hate. Love. Not hate. Love. Not hate, love, not hate's Right to rights. [01:00:30] Right to rights, right? For a couple minutes, we will return 12 speakers in a couple minutes, but I think we just deserve to dance and vibe for a little bit.[01:01:00] Shout out to all my fellow. Patty, we have some drums. I had water thrown on me and my sign was ripped up. I had a flat up. Well, I'm just gonna wake here for a while [01:01:30] and see what happens. Yeah. Okay. So I think it's fair enough to have a different view. Right. Woo. Trying to get out of the feedback here. Can you all hear me? Yeah. Raise your hands at [01:02:00] the back if you can hear. Yes. Awesome. We've got our next speaker, Adair. Adair, are you here? Woo. Please welcome Adair to speak to us. It's actually good to be here, dear women's liberationist and communist[01:02:30] to stop. The not the likes of Kenny J King is not through calling on the state who are not our friend. The best way we've got to, we need, what we need to do to stop the likes of her is by using our own strength. We need to undermine the fears that she seeks to inflame Justice was done in Auckland [01:03:00] over the decades. We have made some reversible pro progress in securing somewhat better rights for workers, for women, for ethnicities. I've made that through overcoming divisions in the working class and uniting with the most depressed at Victoria University in 19. Early in 1970, [01:03:30] I joined one of the first women's liberation groups in the country and, and I also joined a Marxist group with a perspective of socialist revolution in which women's liberation wasn't essential part. My politics have remained much. The saying, I'm a partisan of the trade union movement, a [01:04:00] woman's liberationist and a communist. I stand against all oppression and I see the only decent outcome for US species as arriving from the. Military socialist ation. Today, 55 years after developing this constellation of years, there [01:04:30] has been slow progress, so it was. To see the Council of Trade Union's announcement that they would be joining us here today to stand against Kelly J Homophobic transphobic messages. She. Acknowledge that trans people are meant to be feared, and [01:05:00] they acknowledge not only that women's rights and workers rights are intertwined, but also that queer rights and workers' rights are intertwined. As workers, we must join together against all attacks on all the oppressed. But back in 1970, women's Liberation was not concerned with [01:05:30] claiming exclusive spaces. We were concerned with breaking into exclusive spaces. Wed. Town. The public was for men. Women had to go to the ladies.[01:06:00] This was an important change in New Zealand culture. Another problem back in 1970 involved jobs. The meat workers. Meat works were male, was a male bastion, and they were hiring. So some of us supplied, the employers told us that the work was too demanding. We couldn't do it. [01:06:30] We checked this out with Ken, friendly of the meat workers union and went back. We, the bosses then gave us a different answer. The issue was bathrooms. The toilet doors did not reach the floor, and the showers only had curtain. Not a problem. We said Any [01:07:00] man that stuck his head under the door or around the curtain would be dealt was by us. In those days, the issue was to get women in the jobs that many men had monopolized. Our battle was not for exclusive spaces, but for abortion rights. Childcare, equal [01:07:30] pay, and so on. And the best of us did it. Without demonizing men. We knew that if we did not work with men, our prayers, our hopes of building a society without oppression and exploitation was doomed to fail. Jelly Kelly, she is jelly.[01:08:00] Kelly j Keenan are followers here, spread prejudice and bigotry, which are the tools of oppression and exploitation and they are dangerous. A few weeks ago a Newcastle upon time, a representative of her organization quoted Approvingly. Hes wrecked rhetoric in mind camp about the big lie. She against wearing [01:08:30] hijabs as not British. She tried to whip. She has tried to whip up Islamia in Bradford where fascism is right. She has publicly praise Tommy Robert, English. And, and most recently when Open Fascists supported her in Melbourne, she did not [01:09:00] denounce or reject their support. We need to reflect on the long term consequences of the vitriol and lies targeted at gays and lesbians during the homosexual law reform struggle. People like Peter Alice, a gay childcare worker, who in 1993 faced vile false stories in hysteria [01:09:30] about sexual abuse children. And Jeff Wittington, a 14 year old student who was kicked to death in 1999 up the road from here, why he looked gay. Prejudice and bigotry kill. They drive people to suicide and they incite people to murder and [01:10:00] prejudice and bigotry kill trans people at an even greater rate than kills gay people. I want to end with a little story, which I think is quite amusing in 1970 in the student union's building at Victoria University. The women's toilets were several floors up from the common room and the camp, and we've got a bit sick of having to climb the stairs, so we [01:10:30] decided that right by the, walked to the cubicles and did our business and then left. What is interesting is that relatively recently in the [01:11:00] staff room or the school that I taught at, We were telling stories and I told that story and this male teacher turned around and said was, were you one of them? I was there. So we can do whatever we need to do. Thank you.[01:11:30] You are legend. Woo. I'd like to welcome our next speaker who is a representative from the Fight Up Stilettos an organization. An [01:12:00] organization that we have the utmost respect for, and we are proud to share the stage with Kiara. Uh, we have the honor of representing the 19 fired up stilettos today. We are [01:12:30] a group of 19, uh, strippers who got fired for trying to collectively bargain. Louder. Louder. All right. We are a group of 19 strippers who got fired for trying to collectively bargain, uh, to get fair pay and to get our tax invoices from a strip club in Wellington. Uh, since that [01:13:00] time, we, we've spent about a month and a half together, uh, collectively, uh, getting together across the motu, uh, strippers from venues all around New Zealand who are struggling with punitive fines. Uh, with bonds, um, with sexual assault in these clubs. And not only, not only are we a collective made up of [01:13:30] women, we are collective made up of gender diverse people. We'll not be silenced. We stand on the shoulders of giants such as Georgina Bayer, who we, dearly dearly. Miss Georgina [01:14:00] stood for not only trans rights. For queer rights, but for sex worker rights too. Although strippers are not considered legally sex workers, we are very much tied into the same community. We are innately connected with the trans community and many of our comrades crossover. We are a Venn diagram, [01:14:30] so therefore, sex worker and stripper rights are innately trans rights. We need action and public support right now as the conditions and venues worsen across the motu. It is imperative that we have your support moving forward. We will not let the voices of bigots scare us into [01:15:00] hiding. We are here and we are, um, I'm from the same group, so I won't go over that again. Thank you very much for your support, um, and for inviting us to speak here at this beautiful event that [01:15:30] is just so fucking cool. Like sws and turfs tend to come in like the same package. Um, and I want to acknowledge how stupid that frame of thought is. Um, in terms of the feminist argument, because it comes from this idea that women need to be protected from themselves and from other [01:16:00] people who are also women. Um, and that really doesn't make a lot of sense to me. So I just think that this is beautiful. Everyone is here together supporting trans rights. Which they should. Woo. And I want everyone to look around and see the numbers that are here and recognize what we can do when we stand together. Because there are a lot of fights needing to be fought right now. Yours is one of them. Ours is one of them. [01:16:30] They're all the same fight, really. So let's just do a lot of, a lot of this. Yes. And uh, on that note, if you wanna do more protesting, we are gonna be at Parliament on the 16th of April and we would love, thank you. [01:17:00] Woo. Big round of Applauses for the fight up the letters. Also want a shout out to the Maori wardens who've turned up. You guys are awesome. Shout out to all the volunteers who made this happen.[01:17:30] Would you like to speak? Our final speaker today is our amazing Chief Warden Leal. Thank you very much to everyone who's here. It's an amazing crowd, and the first time I've spoken to a crowd this large, and thank [01:18:00] you so much to the job done in Auckland. We've heard all about the past now, so let's talk about the future. A future that I hope has way more room for queer joy, for trans joy, for us to just have fun as people. Ah, since the turfs did not show up in force today, I'd like to talk [01:18:30] a bit about what we at Q E D are demanding, Ofra and the healthcare system. For those of you who are trans or have transplant, I'm sure you know exactly how fucking awful it actually is for those that don't. We've got transphobic doctors. We've got 12 plus year wait lists. It's all a complete shit show. And we want to fight the water to sort this out. We wanna,[01:19:00] we want properly funded with properly chained doctors. And we want an informed consent model now, oh, people are saying we're spreading hate. I say, we are here spreading queer joy, queer love. So let's just paddle.[01:19:30] We have gathered here today and what we have very good reason to believe. It's the largest queer right trans rights rally in the history of history of art.[01:20:00] You're all amazing. I'm feeling good as hell, and I, if you are also feeling good as hell as I hope you are, but it's okay if you're not. I wanna hear you say it. After I sing a little song, I got my head check [01:20:30] my nails, baby, how you mys, how you, that basically wraps up the part of this where we speak to you and with you, but we all wanna have some noise and some joy together for a little bit. So we're gonna have a bit of a party, maybe go on for half an hour, half an hour, half an hour, [01:21:00] make some noise, sing some songs, all generally like have a giant love fest. If there is anything concerning that we need to bring to people's attention, we will jump back on the mic and let you know. I'm reasonably confident that it's just gonna be a good time though man.[01:21:30] Trans rights are human rights, trans right to human rights. Trans rights are human rights. Trans rights are human rights. We're still here. We're still here. We're still fucking, we're still fucking, so you're better have got used to it by now. Yeah. So, um, we are [01:22:00] both volunteering with, uh, queer Endurance and Defiance today at the, um, rally for Trans Rights and Existence in Poka, Wellington. Um, originally we were gonna be here opposing the, uh, well known international turf Poey Parker. But, uh, she fled the country last night like a coward. So, um, it was just a huge celebration of trans joy and there was one turf who showed up and who was very outnumbered. Um, we packed civic square from wall to [01:22:30] wall and over the entire bridge too. So by far the biggest support of trans rights I've ever seen. Can you describe the feeling of seeing all those people in Civic Square? Uh, it's, it's pretty magnificent. Uh, I was stationed at the back for a long time, so I didn't really. Get to see it much. Uh, but then I came up onto the steps. I turned around and I thought, oh, nice. There we go. And can you describe the atmosphere? Uh, it's very joyous. It's very, [01:23:00] uh, it's very united. It's very united. There's a lot of, um, people who are here because they believe in a singular cause. Uh, and you can see that whenever you have people trying to speak out or coming in or just whenever they're supporting a message, uh, almost every five to 10 seconds the speakers have to pause because it's just overwhelming applause from the audience. And it's beautiful to see so many people united on, um, something like this. As you were saying that Poy wasn't here [01:23:30] today. Um, do you have a message for Poy? Yeah. Good riddance. Don't come back. Oh. Hi. Did I? Yeah. Dickhead. Yeah. I'm glad she didn't show up. I'm glad because, um, there was a high chance of having, you know, lava actions, landia, um, destiny Church, but without her to polarize them. It was a much safer environment for us in our party. I will say one thing, uh, I think we should all remember that this is a misguided and [01:24:00] hateful old woman, but an old woman. Nonetheless, I hope she's able to relax with a nice bowl of tomato soup. Kiara, I'm richer. Um, I, I, today I was out here helping organize this rally where we showed our numbers against hate and we really got out the message that love is stronger than hate. And that's something that I'm really proud of. How many people do you think are here today? I, if I had to guess from past, uh, protest organizing experience, I would say about two to [01:24:30] 3000. And I would say this is probably one of the biggest rallies, if not the biggest rally in aro. Yeah, absolutely. Especially on, um, any issues of, uh, trans rights or queer rights. It's fucking huge. As an organizer, how does it make you feel when you see so many people? Um, it makes me feel joyous because frankly, this is, this is our whanau, these are our friends, our colleagues. These are people standing up for our rights, cis, trans, gay, straight, whatever the case. We are loved and I really feel that today. Can you describe what the atmosphere is like? Um, it's an atmosphere, [01:25:00] again, of love, of, um, caring of radicalism, which is something that we really need in our community. And, um, we, you know, we don't feel silenced today. We've, we've gotten out there on our, on the loudspeakers and we've. Made our voices heard. Now, posy Parker wasn't here today. I think she was out of the country at the time. Um, do you have any words for her? Any words for Poy? Um, good riddance. Uh, goodbye. Um,[01:25:30] clear guys. Clear. Clear. Please See ya.[01:26:00] I have just attended the trans, um, rally against turfs, or turds is, we're hauling it lately. Can you describe the feeling? Oh, it was just a feeling of love and happiness and, you know, anger, you know, some of the speech has brought anger and sadness, but it also brought a lot of love and happiness and togetherness. Had you ever been in a kind of, uh, crowd that size [01:26:30] talking about trans and queer rights? No. No, I hadn't. I, I used to. Be involved in, um, pride in Hamilton and it was pretty small scene. Yeah. And, um, for you personally, why was it important for you to be here today? Uh, I've got a daughter who's trans. I've got, uh, I'm non-binary myself. I've got lots of friends who are trans. Um, and yeah, I've always just wanted to stand up for human rights as well. There were just a very small amount [01:27:00] of people that were, were kind of, um, protesting our, our rally. Um, what do you think of somebody turning up to like a, a rally of a thousand, 2000 people and, uh, I mean, gosh, I think the, the speaker at the time was correct in saying they're trying to be a martyr. Um, you know, I think they're trying to provoke us. Um, And, you know, that is hard to sit by and, and see that, but they didn't get to speak. And that's the main thing. And even when they left, I made sure they [01:27:30] didn't get to speak. Well, you were well, well prepared, weren't you? Yes. I had my bowel school vow. Is that the first time it's been used in a, in an activist kind of way? Yes, yes. I'm just so glad I've kept it. You know, I was thinking, ah, maybe I'm downsizing. Do I need this big brass school bell? But yes, I, and there you go. I do, I do. Well, it was very loud and very appropriate. Yeah. Thank you. I, I really, I just thought I can't do anything violent, but I'm really annoyed that this woman's still here. And so when she was [01:28:00] leaving, I made sure I escorted her out with my loud bell. If somebody couldn't be here today, uh, how would you describe it? What would you say to them? Oh, it was really fun and you missed out on a really good time and there was enough room for people as well, so, you know, if people were scared about the crowd, there was actually enough room and it was just full of love and, and it was really good fun. So, I'm. I'm Pepper. I'm a, um, Wellingtonian for many [01:28:30] years. Um, I came here to support, um, the trans community. I've trans friends and colleagues. Um, I hate to see the level of bigotry and intolerance and in fact, I regret using the word hate to see because I don't like the kind of, um, negativity that is inspired by women like Parker Posey. Um, and so yeah, I've come out in support. Can [01:29:00] you describe the crowd? Ah, it was a huge, joyous, colorful, um, diverse crowd of people. The, the energy was really positive. It was really lovely. Um, Wellington has. As you, I'm sure you know the highest population of rainbow community, and we really, I think we really saw that today. Then there's rainbow flags flying on the bridge over there. Yay. Wellington. It seems to me, [01:29:30] uh, just from talking to a lot of people that actually there, there's a real rise in kind of either, uh, in, in both anti-trans antique sentiment. Wh why do you think that is? I wonder if it's because it's just. That it's been revealed. I think it probably has always been there, but there hasn't been the same platform. It hasn't been the same stage. I think as probably our trans community and our Roseburg community are [01:30:00] more visible, people are reacting against that. Um, it's a similar thing that happens with, um, you know, child Maori and, uh, people feeling the threat of decolonization. People who haven't been aware of their privilege until the other gets the stage and, and they, and they realize they, you know, they can't hold onto that privilege that it is a privilege and the world's changing. So I think, I think it's, you [01:30:30] know, it's all of that. Yeah. Now I think, and please forgive me if I've got this wrong. We, we were both around during homosexual law reform. Yes, definitely. Yeah. Um, so, um, is it, do, do you think there's a different feeling between what was happening then in the eighties and, and what's happening now? I wonder. It's, I wonder if it's become more complex now and that also scares people. You know, I think, um, you know, just the kind of arguments that are coming up on social media, [01:31:00] they're, they're, some of them are, Are so irrational and they're trying to hold onto a black and white world, you know, a binary world. And, and again, it's kind of scary that it's not binary. I think. Um, and you know, the difference I guess in the eighties is that as far as I know, I'm not part of the community, but as far as I know, it wasn't trans wasn't part of that dialogue or that, that fight. Um, [01:31:30] so it was, although that's still raised, you know, a lot of bigotry and a lot of, um, you know, conservatism, it, it seems to me the difference is it wasn't as complicated. But like I said, you know, I'm not part of the community. I'm sure you know, and I realize it's always complicated, but I think, um, that, you know, the fluidity of. Gender, the, the fluidity, the spectrum wasn't as much part of the conversation then. So can you describe [01:32:00] from the crowd today? What, like, give me a, gimme a sense of what the crowd was like if somebody couldn't be here, what would the, what would you say? I would say there was a strong, um, rainbow presence. I'd say there's a strong presence of allies, I would say. Um, that, although mostly the crowd was kind of young-ish. I mean, I'm not young, so a lot of people seem young to me. But, um, uh, it was, yeah, yeah, positive. Um, lots of [01:32:30] signs, very funny signs. What would Georgina do? I love that transphobia in this economy, you know, so it was, you know, there was a lightheartedness, but there was also a real, a real serious. And a, and a commitment. Um, and yeah, people are just wandering away now, um, talking, chatting, it seems, um, pretty positive. Yeah. Now, posy Parker, I think, flew out last night from, from Auckland.[01:33:00] Uh, so couldn't be here today. Uh, well, well, actually, well, that was your choice, I think. Um, is there anything that you would say to her, uh, flippantly? I'd say get a life, um, more seriously, I'd say there, you know, stay out of other people's business. How does this hurt you? You know, um, she's not, I'm a. I'm a cis woman. I'm offended. And that she purports to stand up for women. Um, she's anti-abortion as far as I [01:33:30] know. She's quite very conservative. Um, I don't, I don't want her speaking for me. I'm glad that she's gone. Um, I'd say, yeah, New Zealand ro I didn't want you here. Don't come back. Uh, so my name's Spencer. Um, I use he, him pronouns. Um, it felt amazing to see all, uh, trans whanau and everyone supporting them. Um, it's been since, since hearing like the stuff about Posy Parker come [01:34:00] to New Zealand, I've been feeling quite, um, I guess kind of alone, even though I live with my, my beautiful trans partner. Um, but coming here was, uh, definitely made me feel better about just the whole situation in general. Yeah. Uh, Kiara, I'm Emmett tha them, um, I'm said beautiful trans partner slash fiance. Um, yeah, it's, we don't live in Wellington, so it can be kind of isolating sometimes. Um, and so just being connected to everyone, [01:34:30] remembering we're not alone, being at the back with the banner and having to just keep moving further and further and further back. Cause the crowd just kept on growing and growing and we couldn't hear a lot of the speeches, but we could still feel a lot of the energy and everything. Yeah. Hi, I'm Gre. Uh, it was really great to see people come out at, in celebration of trans and queer lives in general, uh, having lots of trans friends and family. Um, it can get really scary. Uh, you get really scared for them when you hear messages, uh, like what Pohi Parker has been stealing. [01:35:00] Um, but seeing all the lovely people gathered today makes you feel, you know, a little bit more hopeful for them and, um, just wanna protect them a lot. Yeah. I love you guys. Sorry. It's an amazing turnout. I don't think I've ever been in a crowd so large for trans queer rights. Yeah. How did that feel? Um, pretty, pretty amazing. Just, um, knowing that everyone there supports me, um, and like, lets, wants us to like actually live our lives and just exist. Um, like that, that's kind of [01:35:30] like the, the bottom, the bar is pretty low, but, um, that's, yeah. Kind of what I got out of it ex It was exciting but not surprising. I think like, you know, deep down I was like, yeah, actually there are that many people who were there for us. And watching everyone pour in was incredible. Even though we couldn't see the full size of the crowd, we could definitely hear the full size of the crowd. Yeah, uh, definitely over a bit of overwhelming with all the, all the people. Um, lots of love. It was great seeing so much diversity come out. And um, [01:36:00] I am from Wellington and I love seeing how many great people we have in the city and Yeah. And from outside obviously, or everyone coming from outside Wellington. So one person that wasn't here today was Posy Parker who left New Zealand yesterday. Um, do you have any words for Posy? None that you can publish. Bye. Yeah. Seconded. Yeah. Uh, my name is Ki Pollock and I am an out and proud lesbian, and my sign says, [01:36:30] Lesbians for our transo. Um, and I decided to make this sign because I know that, uh, There are lesbians who support the likes of Posy Parker, who are transphobic. And I find that extremely troubling and sad and also embarrassing to be honest. Um, and so I just wanted our transo to know that there are so many lesbians out there who absolutely [01:37:00] 101% support them. Why was it important for you to be here today? I think it's really important to, uh, take a stand. Um, the power of numbers is real. We saw that today. Uh, the more people at this sort of thing, the more feeling of solidarity, but also of joy. There was a lot of talk about joy and I absolutely saw that today. And you just, you need a lot of people for this. So these are the times where everyone has to stand up and make an effort if they possibly can and come [01:37:30] down to things like this. Speaking of numbers, how many people do you think were here? Oh, I would say, I don't know, 3000 like thou. It felt like thousands. You know, it, it absolutely filled, um, to Naco Civic Square, and it's so great to see, you know, what has historically been Wellington's most important public space actually being used again, you know, it has such a history of, um, protests and demonstrations and rallies, and that's. Kind of stopped for a bit because of all the closed [01:38:00] buildings. And so it's just fabulous to come back here and, you know, resurrect Civic Square again for such a great, great cause. And, and, and just making it, making it a, a queer space. Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, I remember one of the, I to come down here when out in the city was out in the square at the time, I can't remember what it was called when that was held at, um, civic Square. And that was one of my earliest forays into queer life in Wellington before I was out. And so I have really fond memories of coming here [01:38:30] and coming to that wonderful day. Uh, so. You know, I remember that. Um, and it's nice to be back again now in 2023. Um, gonna do a closing. Now, it doesn't mean you all have to immediately leave. You are free to vibe. This is your space. When you do go try to go together with other people, keep your vibes strong, you'll probably feel a bit of a crash at some point, just cuz we've had such an intense day together. [01:39:00] Look after each other, love one another. You're all amazing. [01:39:30] Woo.
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