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Body "unable" to take further action over booklet

Mon 27 Aug 2012 In: New Zealand Daily News

File photo The Human Rights Commission says it's unable to take further action over an Auckland Council booklet which uses the term “transvestite” to describe transgender sex workers. After receiving complaints about the document, Auckland Council put out a statement saying it did not mean to cause offence and the booklet would not be reprinted in that form. The Human Rights Commission has received three complaints the booklet is discriminatory towards the transgender community, including one complaint from Auckland City Councillor Cathy Casey and another from AUT lecturer Lexie Matheson. The Commission says it advises Government agencies to avoid using the word 'transvestite' as it is "considered derogatory by many transgender people". However Senior Policy Analyst Jack Byrne says it’s unable to progress the complaint of unlawful discrimination, but hopes the reply will be useful in addressing the human rights issues which have been raised. Byrne says the word 'transvestite' was the only descriptive term used in the booklet to describe sex workers. "This may give the impression that all of the street sex workers in South Auckland are transgender or transsexual. In doing so it has the potential to reinforce limiting stereotypes that have very real impact on the lives of young trans women. "This raises some questions about whether personal accounts are the most effective means to bridge the current level of division on these issues. Instead they may solidify misconceptions and stereotypes."    

Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff

First published: Monday, 27th August 2012 - 4:55pm

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