Dr Jackie Blue A call for action on convincing Statistics New Zealand to include a sexuality question in the next census has been reinforced by a statement included in a new Human Rights Commission online National Plan of Action launched yesterday afternoon. As a member nation of the United Nations the NZ Government's human rights record is periodically reviewed by the UN. The online National Plan of Action, the first of its kind in the world, enables "anyone to go online, see what the UN recommended we do and monitor what our Government agreed to do. We are expanding and highlighting the conversation about the human rights of everyday New Zealanders,” says Human Rights Commissioner Dr Jackie Blue. In its commentary on sexual orientation and gender identity the HRC says "New Zealand does not collect population-based data on self-identified sex, sexual or gender diversity. Only male and female options are available for sex/gender. However the New Zealand Health Survey has collected sexual identity data since July 2014. "The lack of population based data compounds the invisibility of sexuality, sex and gender diverse people and/or the discrimination they experience. These experiences are often based on ignorance or fear (including homophobia, biphobia, transphobia) and remain anecdotal, which creates difficulties in building effective policy responses. "While it is known social and health outcomes are often worse than for others (including self-harm, bullying, violence, suicidality, unwanted sexual experiences, intimate partner violence) these experiences are under-reported to and/or poorly recorded by state organisations such as the New Zealand Police and the education and health sectors. "This becomes a self-perpetuating cycle as absence of data makes it difficult to develop effective policies to address the discrimination, marginalisation and disadvantage experienced by these communities." A specific call for glbti people to make a submission to Statistics New Zealand for inclusion of a sexuality question in the next census has been made by Dr Peter Saxton of the Gay Men's Health research group at Auckland University. Submissions on the 2018 census close on July 3rd and can be made here.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 1st July 2015 - 12:09pm