Jan Logie, pictured here in Parliament, offered Ministers a trans 101 session - but had no takers. The pressure is once again on the Government to fix the Corrections Department’s policy to house transgender inmates in prisons based on their sex at birth, unless they have had full gender reassignment surgery. It comes as a Northland transgender woman sits in remand in a men’s prison, awaiting sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of wounding with intent to injure. Glen Cooper smashed a bottle of champagne over a man’s head during an argument. She is represented by lawyer and member of the group TransAdvocates Kelly Ellis, who says the judge has indicated he will next month give her a discount in her sentence due to her circumstances, which will allow her to apply for home detention. While unable to comment specifically on a case which remains before the courts, or a judge’s ruling, Greens’ rainbow MP Jan Logie says it’s worrying that Ms Cooper has been on remand in a male prison for nine months. “We have research that has clearly established reasons to be concerned for the safety of transgender prisoners in prisons that do not match their gender identity,” she says. “The safety of prisoners can't be left to judges, we need the Minister to make a policy decision to protect trans prisoners.” Logie was one of the MPs who extensively quizzed Corrections Minister Anne Tolley on the Corrections Department policy to house transgender prisoners based on their sex at birth, unless they have had full gender reassignment surgery, during a question time session in Parliament in February. Tolley denied transgender inmates are vulnerable to sexual abuse and sexual assault in prison. She also stated that she believes “a man who is transgender, but pre-surgery, is still a man”. Logie has tried to take it further: “In response to the Minister's demonstrated lack of understanding in Parliament I wrote to her and every other Minister offering to organise a trans 101 training session for her and her colleagues,” she says. “Sadly only two Ministers acknowledged the offer and none of them have followed up. “Ignorance is one thing but refusing to become informed is something else.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 12th October 2012 - 11:22am