Wed 30 Mar 2016 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Tomorrow marks International Transgender Day of Visibility and Rainbow Wellington are calling for the LGBTI community to take five minutes out of their day to show their support for the transgender communities. Chairperson of Rainbow Wellington, Rawa Karetai says that International Transgender Day of Visibility is a day for people to remember that there are trans people in their community and to consider what challenges they make experience in everyday life. “Probably around one in eighty Kiwis are trans and many more are unsure about their gender identity,” he says. “That’s going by the results of the University of Auckland’s nationwide survey of secondary schools. “One of the main challenges that trans people face is healthcare. In 2006 the Human Rights Commission began an inquiry that found that trans people experience discrimination when they access health services. He adds, “It’s ten years later and trans people are telling us that access to healthcare hasn’t improved, and if anything the situation has gone backwards. Karate says International Transgender Day of Visibility is a very important day to acknowledge the current situation and how much work there is still to be done. “We need ordinary Kiwis to show that they really care about trans people. Only then will public agencies begin to sit up and take notice.” Rainbow Wellington are calling for everyone to take five minutes out of their day tomorrow to show they care and say this is as simple as posting a message on social media with the hashtag #TransDayOfVisibility
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 30th March 2016 - 2:36pm