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It's my great privilege to introduce Bella Simpson and Alex Kerr, um, to talk about our youth pre conference that we had. Um, Alex and Bella have been working on a great survey. Uh, and, uh, they'll be talking about that soon. Um, but I've actually had a look at some of the data. The data is really moving in the sense that actually, there's still a lot to do for our community [00:00:30] in particular for our youth and even saying that there's so many positive comments about the survey and saying, thank you just for asking the question. It's really empowering. And, um, some of our youth who can't be here today we really would have loved to for them to be here. But we did have the, um, the pre youth conference to make sure that we could engage with them and as well as our survey. So I hand over to Bell Simpson. [00:01:00] Um, Alex. Hi, everyone. Um, my name is Bella, and my name's Alex. Hello. Um, so over the last couple of months we've done we did a workshop in Wellington. Um, we had about a handful of a lot of young people around 20 or so in Wellington that evolve. Um, health service. Yeah. And then, um, we [00:01:30] took the same workshop to Auckland. We were up there. There was a conference with the crowd to play. And so we did the survey again up there with a group of about 10 young people. And then we had a survey online for the last couple of months. So, um, our aim was to bring youth issues to light and to present them. So then everyone understands that we may be celebrating something like 30 years of homosexual law reform, but actually, there's still a hell of a lot of work to do, and a lot of young people are not [00:02:00] feeling safe. So I think we'd like to acknowledge that this is a small percentage of our community youth. So we're not claiming that we're representing all the voices, but I would say that it's safe to say that if we did ask every single person, um, in the country would would get similar results. So I think this is a general, um, representation of what needs to be done in the biggest issues face, but definitely not everyone. So we might be missing out on stuff, but I think [00:02:30] we've the youth have covered a lot in the answers. Um, so the questions that we've got, uh um do you feel your identity is being represented in our community? So, within, like, the LGBTI Q a plus community. Um, do you know of any support that may be able to help you if you aren't safe at home? Do you feel safe at home? Do you find adequate healthcare easily accessible? Uh, what challenges do you face in school? Do you feel accepted in society, [00:03:00] school or home? Does your school do anything? Well, because we have to ask. Like, you know, we all know the answers. What are important? Issues that aren't being discussed? Um, how do you feel? Our community is represented in the media. And do you have support? So as you can see, like the range of questions, It was a broad range. We weren't just sticking to something as simple as school. Are you OK? Ok, um, we [00:03:30] were wanting to see the wider issues. Um, OK, these work, this one Does this one work? OK, so, um, as you can see, the questions are very broad. Um And so what we'll do is to sort of go over the questions. Some of the most common answers, a couple of questions. We managed to put the information into pie charts, which Alex will explain. Um, [00:04:00] so, yeah. First question. Do you feel your identity is being represented within our community? Bisexuality isn't well recognised in society. So I don't feel entirely recognised. These are just sort of a selection of, um the responses in their own words. Um, intersex with question marks, Bisexual exposure by queer people is yuk no, bisexual people hardly get mentioned by queer people. Literally. No representation of non-binary people in media or society. Um, gay is the face [00:04:30] of the community. The rest feels erased. Unrecognised or invalid? Um, yes, as a gay guy, which I think is important to mention, um, that the people who are saying that they feel great and they've got support assists. And they usually were, like, just gay or a lesbian. So that was something we thought was quite interesting. Yeah. Biphobia is very prevalent in the answers and also the Asia of minorities within our community, specifically [00:05:00] non binary identified people. Um, there's very few good role models within our community. Um, you never see any of the other LGBT a Q a plus flags except the rainbow. Which is why we've worked hard to make sure we have other flags here. Um, no. Um, as a romantic and non-binary asexuality and a romanticism are very rarely touched on, and trans people are really represented. Media sucks. Yes, but [00:05:30] I do feel like trans representation is overly focused on fully transitioned passing individuals who fit a narrow beauty standard. Do you know of any support that may be able to help you if you aren't safe at home? School counsellors aren't very good with protecting students confidentiality from parents. Nothing that can help immediately. Only thing that comes to mind is police, but they aren't adequately trained to help. Um, while support exists, it's desperately underfunded. [00:06:00] Staff and resources are extremely limited. Uh, not within reach. What if I'm unsafe outside office hours? It can be hard to go out on your own. So, like leaving home. Um, do you want to talk the next time? Yeah, sure. So do you feel safe at home? Conservative families? I'm safer away from home. Usually no parents need education to support queer Children? No, not at my parents' house. I can't be out to them. Gender [00:06:30] and sexuality are the taboo subjects at my home. Safety is not merely physical but also depends on living in an environment of respect. My grandparents tried to understand My family still thinks being trans is a joke, so I don't feel safe to come out. Do you find adequate healthcare? Sorry. Do you find adequate? Adequate healthcare? Easily accessible Takes too long to get support. Especially hormones. No wait for Endo was over three months [00:07:00] and for suicide. Suicide, vulnerable people. That is unacceptable. Health professionals need better training and they asked, Are you sexually active and assumed? I need contraception. Mental health care is problematic. Due to the long wait times, I had to wait several months for anxiety treatment, which wasn't fun. No, there is one month wait to see a qualified doctor for gender dysphoria at Evolve Youth Centre. There are long waits that can lead people to never seeking help out of hopelessness. So I think the biggest thing that came out of that was [00:07:30] the fact that the waiting times, um and people not health professionals not taking doctors seriously. So health professionals not taking us seriously and dismissing things that may be actually really detrimental to our mental and physical well being. Um, so supply chart here is to sort of put it, Yeah, 43 responses out of all the responses were negative. So it's a majority, and some of them were mixed. Um, yeah, [00:08:00] it's just not good enough. Really. Um, what challenges do you face in school? There's a lack of education about queer stuff. Sex Ed is very one sided. Disrespectful. How queer people are used as examples for straight kids to learn from teachers treating you differently because of your identity. Transphobia not always from students but teachers and adults as well. Everyone is ignorant to information concerning LGBTI Q a plus teachers outing students and misgender [00:08:30] teachers expressing personal views in class. They phobic people asking ignorant offensive questions. So I think the one thing that we can see from this is, um, that it isn't just coming from students. It's teachers as well and like counsellors. So then there's gender, binary bathrooms, gender, new uniforms and not being allowed to participate because of mental health. So we have another pie chart here. [00:09:00] Um, the two biggest responses were surrounding lack of health and education and also the attitudes. Not only, um, you know, homophobia biphobia transphobia from, um, their peers, but actually quite an equal proportion. Um, to do with teachers and counsellors. Yeah. Um, do you feel accepted in society, school or home? Open minded people make things easier. I feel accepted at home and with my friends. [00:09:30] No aspect of society makes me feel accepted. Not in society or at home. School is a large part of the reason I repressed my own identity. I feel like it's OK, but I feel like my future career might suffer if I truly be myself. Is my CIS gender cover? Yes. But as a trans woman, No. I fear that I will never meet societal standards of passing. So I couldn't feel comfortable going out in public Now the chart just pointing out that most of the responses [00:10:00] were either mixed or negative. Um, I think also at this, um, most of the responses showed that people felt safe, sort of within the smallest aspect of so maybe, for example, at home. And they felt sometimes maybe safe at school, but they didn't feel accepted in society. So it sort of went from small feeling, you know, accepted by the people that knew them to people that maybe didn't know them, but feeling not accepted or safe. [00:10:30] Uh, does your school do anything well, because it's important to give schools an opportunity to act like they're doing well. There were things that people that schools were doing well, it's not all negative. We have a large and active QS. A. So that's student led, uh, teachers that kept personal views to themselves and not a religious school, no uniform. And students are generally accepting and willing to learn. Our school was involved in a day of silence. So if we look at, like, [00:11:00] how many things people were doing well compared to the pages of things when schools weren't doing things well, I think, um also that Q SAS and support groups within schools. So, queer straight alliances, um, they were, um, lots of people mentioned that they were really helpful. Um, and I mean, those are student lead most of the time. In fact, probably all of the time. It's, um yeah, student lead groups. So it says something about the student body, but maybe not [00:11:30] about the staff. Um what are important? Important issues that aren't being discussed? Uh, sexual health in the trans community Mental health the lack of adequate specialist trans care available in New Zealand funding of LGBT organisations, people and its effects assuming genders uh C white gay men dominating queer spaces, Pink washing How to keep safe when coming out doesn't go well intersex [00:12:00] issues Uh, queer community and eating disorders, sexual fluidity and trans women and men's prisons and support. Yeah. So I guess health and issues within our community were the two big things that came up. Um how do you feel? That community is represented in the media treating trends as a fetish. Allen a ra of trans identity by casting [00:12:30] sis actors deaths of trans people only treating trends as a disease. They kill her characters. Hypersexual queer woman always die. Not every Trans woman is like Caitlyn Jenner. Why are queer jokes acceptable on TV? Most characters are stereotypical and we are the people of colour and the pi. Is it all pretty much Um yeah. Do you have [00:13:00] support? Yes, my friends are all supportive. Yes, I do. I've surrounded myself with supportive and caring people. They help me to feel safe and secure within myself. Yes. Evolve. Yes. Most of the time. Yes. My friends and family are supportive. It took me a long time to find it. I'm lacking genuine mental support. Some queer groups feel exclusive. Yes, My close circle of friends are very supportive. So if we look at this, all the support is stuff that they have found [00:13:30] themselves. They don't have that support themselves when they first come out. So I thought that was something interesting. Um, and then any other points, Like the government junkie where people exist? Um, it feels like talking about biphobia gets treated like we're just making a fuss about nothing. And that was all the information that we've got. So as you can see, there's a lot of issues in our community. Um, [00:14:00] yeah. If you would like to read all the responses, we have about 40 pages of notes. Um, yeah, if anyone would like to read more, and then the time we've got about 10 minutes. If anyone's got any questions we thought we had put some time in. If you wanted any more information? Yes. I, um I actually work. I'm Trans and I work in mental health. And I'm probably the only trans person that works as a clinician [00:14:30] in Auckland Central. I work to the health board, and I was really interested to understand a bit better about the needs that you were saying that the healthcare professionals don't understand our needs. Um, if you've got any ideas or information about the actual needs that healthcare professional don't understand, I think that, um, there's a lack of training. Um, a lot of the doctors and health professions have no idea what trains even means. [00:15:00] And the information that they go off to care for the patients is notes that were written, like 10 years ago from studies overseas. There's like a huge lack of understanding, and the young people are feeling like they're invalid because these professionals don't actually know how to help them. Yet they're supposed to know how to help them, and then when there is someone to help, it's like a six month waiting list. And that's pretty ridiculous, I think, because I mean, there are some fantastic people who do work in mental health or just health [00:15:30] professionals in general. Who, um, do know a lot about these issues. And I think what makes them so great is that they listen to us and they sort of they let us speak on our behalf and and maybe listen to what we exactly want or what's. You know what we feel we need other than, um telling us, you know, and and trying to get us to prove our identities or or things like that. So just helping us along the way rather than sort of being this gate [00:16:00] that we have to try to, you know, unlock. I mean, uh, with some positive news. I mean, there's a, um a recent, um Endeavour by the Auckland District Health Board was Time count man and Northland Health to improve trans services. Um and, um and they've signed off a couple of new role. So certainly in Auckland, they're investigating a new roadmap for improving services, which they're [00:16:30] hoping that if it works, they might be able to spread out to the whole country. I mean, I'm really hoping so. So cost of the services, even within Auckland require they're all over the place. Basically and um and, um, and lots of the different departments have specialities, but there doesn't seem to be any speciality throughout the whole kind of trans health delivery sector, which doesn't really exist, actually, so hopefully it's going to improve. [00:17:00] And one of the other things is that certainly mental health workers in Auckland are being trained in diversity issues, which is really good. So certainly the people at my mental health centre are being skilled by great community members who are here today, which is really nice. So hopefully things are going to improve a little bit just in terms of that, just in terms of that, one of the issues that was shared by members of the Trans Group in Wellington was that the clinicians [00:17:30] and the health professional experts were usually great, but that sometimes reception staff, other nurses and others were misgender and were disrespectful that the training need is not just the the top of the pyramid. If you like, it's everybody in the system so that people, when they're in the waiting room aren't being called a mister where they are. In fact, um, you know and those type of issues, yes, that's true and certainly where we work. It's mandatory [00:18:00] training for absolutely everyone. So I mean, I think possibly the cleaners aren't getting it, which they probably should, but everyone else is getting it. So admin staff, everyone. So, yeah, that Alex and I thank you so much for for the work that went into that and for making sure that young people's horses are here. I really enjoyed it. Um, yes, I want to look at your report, and I also wonder if you'll be publishing it. Um, it's one of [00:18:30] our aims is to get some funding to broaden this, um nationwide to really, um, publish it basically and then start working with the right people to actually make an action plan. Because at the moment, it's all just words from a handful of young people who aren't feeling supported. So, um, if we can actually get something out of it, that would be really helpful. But the lack of funding in this community is drastic. And then when you talk about young people as well, it's even worse so [00:19:00] but yeah, it's a it's a I think it would be a valuable document. Hopefully. So if we can get anything to make it more official or just to to get broaden it, sophisticated it a little bit more. It would be great. Yeah. Hi. Um, thanks for that comment from Eli. It's good to hear that there's some places that are doing it well in Auckland and hopefully other places as well. Um, but some of the stories that were [00:19:30] told yesterday at the the, um, conference was that it often comes down to to the the clients to actually educate their their health professionals. And that's just really, really unprofessional. Um, we've had stories of people who who actually said, Oh, I've never done this, uh, met someone with this condition before [00:20:00] or yeah, just really bad comments. And so I'm wanting to know how can we pull our resources to actually, um, kind of make these good services more well known within our community? Well, um, a great question. And I think the other thing, too, is that this isn't specific [00:20:30] to trans issues. That's the key point of this is that this is a range of issues. And, um so when we say that we wanna, like, use this and, like, get the right resources to the right people. At the moment, there aren't actually a lot of resources. There isn't a lot of the help out there, So this is a start, and I'm sure that there's other starts all over the country. We're not the only ones that have tried to start, but, yeah, [00:21:00] it was scary. Um, I just wanted to break a subject about and takes identity being represented in the community. And, um, some of you know, I've only been out for a short period of time, and, um, when I've graced the subject, I've intersex people have no idea what intersects are. And even here in this community, um could come up to me and say, Wow, [00:21:30] I never knew that there was an ex woman, you know, you're the first person I've ever met. Um, and, um, I just find that there's a lack of education about intersex, and I know there's a wide variety of intersects. You know, there's about 30 different variations, but the general community and the people that I've mentioned it to, I had no idea. And then I had to start talking from the beginning as it becomes a long [00:22:00] process that actually about and text, but the trans community have a higher profile. Um, I find that Trans people know about Trans, but they don't seem to know about intersex and, um, the experience of being intersex. Um, because it's quite it's similarities. But there's quite a big difference differences between six and training, which I which we're finding iana and I are finding, um, we belong to the same community, [00:22:30] but there are differences here. But, um, that that's my main man and and something that I was pointing out yesterday in the meeting that we have is that there is some intersex people, that they are also trans or experience of life. And I love them. I'm a trans woman and I would know for being a trans woman. But I, I didn't came out with my intersex condition. Um, I. I have a condition called 46 [00:23:00] 65, 46 66 and and a lot of doctors that you say you are just the only one in New Zealand such a condition or and then it's like being aware that we intersex people represent 1% of the population of of you know, uh, and every single person every single intersex is a world of you know every person has, like she has a XY condition. She's a white woman. I have all this conditions are you know, we [00:23:30] we all have different conditions. But we all struggle from the same struggle that trans people are all gender identities, you know, because our our identity, our biological identity, might be a little bit affecting our social role that we respect society. So I think, very crucial to teach. I mean, I know we represent the smallest of the standard part of the community. But by learning that our existing order, like, you know, people understanding that we exist, we can actually open [00:24:00] bridges to understand each other because all this narrative, like God create a and that there is just black and white and then there is then we can actually say it. Wait a second. There is people that is involved. You know, there's people that they can be both like like a is not this term. But I hate him so much. But you know, in order to let them understand, then we can open their understanding that the diversity that nature naturally displays can help them [00:24:30] to accept all what? What? We are as a community, you know, all the colours that are in our community. And we just need to find out how to make sure that we are here to learn about each other's experiences. And and that is something that that it is really like, sad to see that, uh, we are just so invisible. And we are so invisible that we, we we intersex people, we don't even know that we are intersex. And some of us have, like, she has to come out. She came [00:25:00] out like, three months ago and and sort of things like that. It was like I came out because I was afraid. I came here in New Zealand as a refugee for being Trans, and I was afraid of coming out because you might confuse everyone. How come if you are trans or if a choose one you know, to kill people or you are this or this or so it's really, like, difficult and, you know, so that's why I feel represented in the two communities. But I just feel that the more the more we learn about [00:25:30] the gender issues and sex and How diverse is the human identity, The more you voices that show, I just want to point out that, um, we're both trend. But at the same time, we also have multiple other identities that are also always silenced. Um, and it's the point of the survey is to get a range [00:26:00] of the silenced voices within our community. So that is the aim. It's not that, like, we know that like gay, white men are the ones that are always getting all the treatment. And apparently our community is great because they are great. But actually there's a huge range of sexual and non sexual identities that are also excluded from this community that we never hear about. And so the aim of this was to shed light to all of that. It's not to like silence anyone or anything along those lines. Um, and we know that there's a huge lack of education, and that shows [00:26:30] in this. So yeah, I just want to say congratulations on some fantastic research. I think it's fantastic that we've had the opportunity to ask the questions and hear his answers. And my question to you is what were you surprised by in the responses that you received. Was there anything that was new that you didn't expect to see come through? I think for me personally, it was that there was more than just myself [00:27:00] that felt silenced, um, and invalidated by teachers. Um, I think that that's quite nice to have that in writing and also a few of the other things that I'm always pushing like, um, the flags and stuff and, like how we only ever show the community as lesbian and gay, and every now and again, we'll get some trains. And then I feel really lucky we'll get by or intersex. But that's very, very rare. And so it was nice to have that in writing. And but yeah, it was the teachers. I think that really surprised me. [00:27:30] Yeah, I guess reading about, um, like, asexuality and a romanticism. Um, those things surprised me because I'm I identify as asexuals. So that's something that, um I'm interested to see that I feel I feel completely isolated. Um, even within our community sometimes. So just hearing about, um, the fact that other people are identifying, and I think that the thing with the younger generation is that maybe they are identifying more with, um, more [00:28:00] fluid identities. Um, and that's sort of becoming an OK thing, you know, Like that's, um People were just figuring out that they're not in boxes and and that's great. Um, also the thing with the media like I. I realised that we have negative representation in our media, but I didn't realise it was like people found it. That that intensely negative. Yeah. Do we have How did you go up to [00:28:30] 25? So, yeah, there were some, like, tertiary people and also people who maybe weren't at school, but working there were There were a lot of responses from people. People were saying that they weren't still in school or they had left school. So, um, there was a range of voices heard. But like I said, if we had funding, I think we would add in a couple more questions. Like, have you left school [00:29:00] or something along the lines of how do you find your workplace? You know, But, um, for now, in the time that we had, like, we've only had two months to do this. So we haven't had a lot of time to push it and go in depth as we would like. I think, um I'm just gonna It's a really interesting conversation. I'm a bit reluctant to cut it short, but I'm just gonna give Jim one more question and then I can do that because I'm speaking next and I've got time, So I have. So Hi, this is a great initiative because [00:29:30] speaking as a government bureaucrat, that's the evidence. Is there the ammunition and making change? Um, housing and homelessness has come up for youth people overseas. That's what I see that as an issue here in New Zealand, there were a handful of people that were mentioning that home wasn't safe and there was a question in there. Um, the responses didn't come up as much as I think we would have expected. But I think that that's mainly because we didn't have a specific [00:30:00] question towards that identity. Um, or like that issue, I mean, and that is more a time issue than anything. I can just quickly say that, um out of when we talked about the invisible issues that 9.4% of the responses were surrounding, um, abuse, violence, rape, and also homelessness, unemployment, those sorts of issues. So about 10% of of those issues. So, yeah, it was covered a little bit. But as Bella said, not as much as maybe if we initiated [00:30:30] a question or something around that, then we'd we'd get more response out of that. We And while they've done the survey, they've also helped a lot with organising our conference, the youth conference, and also with our help today. So, um, please give them a big clap. [00:31:00] They are doing this on top of their work, of inside out, just being young people and, um, and all of the other work that they are also doing in the community. And then we asked them to do the conference as well. So there's a lot going on. Um, And now I would like to introduce Sarah who, um, helped organise our pre conference for women. And [00:31:30] Sarah has also on the committee, so he has been able to do their conference and our conference at the same time. So thank you. And a big round. Good morning, Anna. Customs as I am, you're speaking to large crowds. Um, I actually just want to pick up on that youth report stuff. Um, I have some of you may know, completed a master's degree in looking at homophobia in tertiary accommodation. And many of those responses were surprisingly [00:32:00] exactly the same. So clearly there is a lot of work to be done in the wider communities. A lot of work to be done with youth, whether they be at school or at tertiary education. OK, so, um, I had the privilege of, um as said during the women's pre conference, who on the 13th of February, we invited women from across Wellington to come and engage with us with the idea to feed into this conference. So I'm just gonna I'm gonna be I really am going to be very brief. Um, [00:32:30] I had something prepared earlier, but I didn't print it out. Luckily for me, I work here, so I was able to go upstairs to my office and print it out. That's why I disappeared just before we came up with a Copa, which we'd like to I'd like to read now, which we would like to hold out for the conference, Um, as well as the that is in the, um, conference programme. We Wellington. Women want the conference to make links and connections between mainstream queers, C, white, lesbian [00:33:00] and gay men with jobs and health and the indigenous, the bisexual, the trans the intersex communities and those without money with health issues and without housing. We want to avoid ghettoising discussions into the respective communities EG trans on trans issues, Maori on Maori issues. We want to keep explicitly drawing the links between us all the time. We want this conference to be an opportunity for us all to take responsibility, to educate ourselves on other situations, issues health and well-being [00:33:30] and to not expect others to do it for us. Um, I'm running a workshop. I think later on today it'll be in your programme. I'm not this unorganised. I promise it will be great workshop. So I'm just gonna give you some of the stuff that we'll be discussing. And I hope hopefully that will pique your interest and make you want to come along. Um, what can we do to make people safer? How can LGBTI Q and Mup FA FF communities ensure some space for all people [00:34:00] disabled and LGBTI Q? What is need for in what is needed for inclusion. How would queer folks with disabilities like to be supported? What are the implications of Australian immigration law changes for New Zealand and Pacific L GB RT Q supporting the support for LGBT Q refugees coming to New Zealand. This is a growing issue that we are all very aware of, I'm sure, and one that we'll be facing as a country as more and more refugees come to visit [00:34:30] us and stay and we welcome them to our homes and include them in our country. Um, separate spaces and groups combined ones. What are the barriers lesbians have we assimilated? That's always a good word, isn't it? Racism and structural barriers to inclusion in the LGBTI Q community. Another big issue. Trans intersex health. Not just H RT and surgeries. And as I could, [00:35:00] I go, I could go on. But I'm not going to because otherwise it'll take up my whole workshop and then you won't know it. You would have done it. So I'd like you to encourage you to come along. Marie will be there with me. Um and we we're gonna try and keep it organic. We want it just to be a conversation amongst whoever wants to come along, and we'll just try and take the movement forward, create some activism, make some changes. Start to make some changes because clearly, we're not going to be able to resolve everything [00:35:30] in these two days. As much as we are superhuman and we want to, we're not going to be able to. But we just want to start the conversations rolling and start healing because there's been a lot of pain and a lot of hurt in lots of communities. So we need to start that healing as well as part of that activism. So thank you all for listening to me, and I hope to see you at my workshop. Otherwise, I'll see you around. I'll be on the Hub or other places. Thank you. [00:36:00] So we are ahead of schedule. So, um, maybe we can take the opportunity to ask more questions. Um, I see you in the audience. So while Rose is just quietly walking down the stairs, Ros Noonan is the current patron of Tan, and many of you will know that Rose was New Zealand's former human rights commissioner. Rose, it's [00:36:30] wonderful to have you here and Ross is playing several roles here in the conference. He's going to talk about human rights and and preparation for our session. So but Rose is here. We're calling Roz and Joy who will be joining us later. Joy here, Um, our conference, we So she's going to be listening to what's going on and sort of picking up the the larger vibe, and then we'll be involved significantly [00:37:00] as we pull everything together tomorrow afternoon. Evening. So, guys, we are truly delighted to have you here. Um, we know that it's been an effort for you to get down to Wellington, so we feel blessed that you're able to make it so sparkly people introducing Rosine and [00:37:30] Kevin and all of the organisers. I just want to say what a privilege it is to be here with you. And, um, the sense of energy and commitment and challenge and inspiration at the opening last night made it really worthwhile, despite, um, [00:38:00] a few challenges that I had about leaving Auckland. Uh, just at this particular time, for family reasons, Uh, II, I was thinking that, um first of all, we were thinking that this was, you know, happening at the time 30 years celebration of the, uh, first human rights law Reform, the homosexual law Reform. And, um And then this week, we got the Human Rights Review Tribunal's [00:38:30] decision on the Adoption Act. And somehow those two things highlight. I think for me, um, the importance and the recognition that we need to celebrate victories and we and we need to treasure them because they can easily be lost particularly, um, in the in the human rights area if we're not, if we don't recognise and treasure them. Um, but there are always more challenges [00:39:00] and that it is persistence. And it's celebrating. Maybe having a bit of a rest and then finding the energy, um to identify, recognise what still needs to be done. And we've just heard this morning. I think you know an extraordinary survey, uh, to really focus us on the next steps. Um, and what needs to change? And for me, I mean, what is important [00:39:30] is that my grandchildren, of whom there are 42 boys and two girls, that they can grow up in a world where they can absolutely be who they are without fear, without trauma. Um, with confidence and actually you sitting here today are absolutely necessary to make that possible for them. [00:40:00] And so I really thank you for for being here and shortly We're going to, um, have a human rights commission. Um, and politicians panel Last night we heard, you know, and I wanted to tell to in the strongest possible terms, uh, we heard the message from Renato, but also from others. And the evidence is overwhelming that if we want [00:40:30] a community, a society, a neighbourhood where human rights are actually respected and a part of the lived reality of people every day, then that comes down, in the jargon to an active civil society. Which means it comes down to each one of us both individually in how we, um if we want our rights to be respected, how we [00:41:00] in turn, have a duty to respect the rights of others and to remember that in our daily lives, within our families, within our schools, within our workplaces, um, within our clubs and and and neighbourhoods and on the street. Um, but it's not just us individually, because if we look at the victories and in fact, if we look at the history of this country of ours of A and New Zealand. Then what [00:41:30] we see is that at every point I mean, we have human rights in our founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi. That in itself is an extraordinary thing. But for a long time, aspects of those human rights were disregarded, were dishonoured. And had it not been for Maori insisting right through, we wouldn't be where we are today. If we look at the battle, uh, for women's suffrage [00:42:00] again, there is no human right that has been handed to us on a silver platter. And when I was a trade union official, I used to say to my members, The bosses didn't even give us morning tea, you know, that had to be fought for, so that we have to find the energy. We have to find the new ways of of energising and working together collectively [00:42:30] for change. And I think what's so important about the communities represented here is that in many respects, just as just as the Maori, uh, campaign for sovereignty and recognition as have taught us so much about what it really means to respect people's human rights, their language, their culture. So this these [00:43:00] very diverse communities which make up a community are teaching us about the importance of recognising and acknowledging individual difference great differences but ways of working together to achieve agreed and common goals. And I think that that, um, is going to be one of the lasting legacies of this community. So there's no doubt to me that [00:43:30] the most important thing if we want to, um ensure that New Zealand really is a country, and it's not just a myth that we, um, respect human rights activity at the grassroots is critical. Organisation at every level is critical. But there are some other elements as well, and a society that respects [00:44:00] human rights needs democracy. It needs people to be able to participate in the democratic process. And so, as Jan Logie said last night, you know whether we love them or loathe them. Politicians are an essential part of making change, and I think one of for me one of the frightening things about the developments I see at the moment is the declining percentage of people who vote because if we don't vote, [00:44:30] we cannot be surprised if our elected representatives don't hear our voices. We need to make our voices heard. And so we need democracy. We need, um, we need parliaments. We need the rule of law. So and And that's in a sense, what we see delivering, though it often doesn't. But delivering the Adoption Act decision. [00:45:00] We need accountability mechanisms, and that's where the Human Rights Commission comes in. So because in any complex modern society, no matter how well intentioned and we've seen, you know, some well intentioned governments start off in New Zealand at various times, Um, but at the end of the day, the competing pressures on them mean that human rights often get slipped to the bottom. And that's whether it's about child [00:45:30] poverty. Um, you know, or any of the other pressing issues, um, that still face our our society today. And so over the last 25 30 years around the world, national human rights institutions have been established as institutions of the state but independent of government, and they're supposed to be open to everyone accessible to [00:46:00] all, and their mandate is to ensure that the state and all of its various agencies and elements know what the human rights issues are in any situation and that they advocate for human rights, that they are the conscience of the state and that they are the bridge between the international human rights standards and what's and making those real on the ground. [00:46:30] And they're they're the the door through which people can walk when all other doors have been shut to them. So it's really great to know that the Human Rights Commission is here today, um, with us, and I'd like to acknowledge, um, two commissioners Richard somewhere I In fact, I climbed over him to get into a seat and and he'll, um I think be chairing the panel and Jackie Blue. I see [00:47:00] out there who's, um uh, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner. And employment, obviously, is a big issue for, um for this community and these communities. So the Human Rights Commission is an agency of the state. But I just want to repeat that it's not part of government, but it's a critical agency. But like all agencies and I say this as a former chief human rights commissioner, [00:47:30] it was always a message to myself, just like politicians, the commission needs to hear from us. We need to knock on its door. We need to challenge it, Um, and and we also need to, um we need to make sure that we also tell it when it's, you know, achieving what we want it to achieve and when it's when it's making a difference for us. So it's the Human Rights Commission really is yours. It should be accessible to everybody. [00:48:00] And, um and I hope that with the panel that's coming up, uh, you'll find ways of making connections both with the commission and with the politicians who will be on that panel because those politicians and their colleagues need to be hearing from you. You know, as much as they're hearing from the big businesses that have so much influence here, there's more of us. There's more of us on the electoral roll than there are [00:48:30] big business owners. And so that's, you know, something to keep in mind. Uh, so again, Marie, thank you very much for inviting me and having me here. It's a real privilege, and I'm looking forward to working with joy and to be, and I and I hope, um, that it's all that you'll feel comfortable, feel OK or tell us if you don't If Joy and I are slipping into workshops and just sitting, you know, listening and hopefully hearing the key messages [00:49:00] that we can help bring together at the end if you thank you so much.
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