Fri 24 Feb 2012 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Wellington's Queer Avengers are about to hold a protest march against an article in the Dominion Post by Rosemary McLeod which they are labelling transphobic. The rally is taking place outside the Dominion Post/Fairfax offices at 40 Boulcott St, from 12.30PM. They are outraged at McLeod's piece “Why I feel for the kids of ego trippers", in which she states that trans men are in fact women, repeatedly using the pronoun “he/she.” McLeod criticises transmen who are parents not for any mistreatment of their children but simply because they had a different biological history. Outrage has erupted online, on Twitter and elsewhere. The Queer Avengers event is circulating widely on Facebook, with over 100 down to attend in the space of an hour. While a Dominion Post spokesperson says the article was merely Rosemary McLeod's 'opinion,' protesters point out that the Dominion Post provides a platform for such opinions. “They're just profiting off bigotry,” says Queer Avengers activist Emily Haskell. “It happens throughout the media, and we won't stand for it.” The group says McLeod asserts that she is worried for the kids of transmen, however in another article printed on the same day, a US study noted that children who express themselves in ways contrary to their perceived gender are often targeted for abuse, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder. “Transphobia hurts children and parents,” says Queer Avengers activist Stephen Jackson. The Queer Avengers formed out of a 'Queer the Night' march with around 600 attendants in 2011. They have called a press conference on Thursday the 15 March to discuss press coverage of gender variance. You can discuss this New Zealand gay community news story in the GayNZ.com Forum.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 24th February 2012 - 12:21pm