Mon 14 Mar 2016 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Family First have spoken out about gender neutral facilities such as bathrooms and will be sending out documents to all New Zealand schools that advises them against adopting trans friendly policies. Family First NZ has released a “legal opinion” for schools that will be sent out to all schools around the country, saying that under the law, schools are “are not required under the law to have to allow transgender students access to shared toilets, showers and changing rooms, or allow transgender students to participate in sports teams that do not match their biological sex.” The conservative lobby group say they believe schools are being “bullied by government and advocacy groups into adopting ‘gender identity’ policies around uniforms, toilets, changing rooms, and sports teams.” “The legal opinion examines the Education Act, Bill of Rights Act, Human Rights Act and case law, and says that limiting access to toilets and changing rooms based on sex has long been considered appropriate given the need to provide a safe physical and emotional environment for all students. Limiting participation in sports teams on the basis of sex has also been about providing a safe physical environment particularly in the contexts of sports that involve physical contact and a physical contest of strength.” They say these are legitimate concerns and this morning National Director of Family First, Bob McCroskrie told TV One’s Breakfast that a supportive school environment for trans and gender diverse students is a harmful and dangerous message for “young and vulnerable people”. The lobby group will also be sending out Student Physical Privacy Policy that schools can choose to put into place. Two Wellington Schools have already taken steps towards gender neutral facilities for gender diverse students. Wellington High School has transformed old gendered bathroom stalls into gender neutral bathrooms, with Onslow College in the process of making changes. You can read the ‘legal opinion’ here and the draft Student Physical Privacy Policy here. These two documents will be sent out to all New Zealand schools.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 14th March 2016 - 11:24am