Thu 11 Aug 2016 In: Our Communities View at Wayback View at NDHA
I have just read the transcript of Justice Muir’s speech at a Rainbow Law gathering last night to mark the 30th anniversary of Homosexual Law Reform. The speech was strong and detailed, addressing the wrongs of the past and the view that there might be greater understanding on the issue, for that my congratulations to his strength and degree of understanding. He rightly suggested the need to foster a change of ideals to our neighbouring Pacific countries, in fact all the remaining countries that choose to deny LGBT rights. There is however something else that need our attention and relates to the rights of the most marginalised of that acronym LGBT, the Transgender peoples in this country and elsewhere. Transgender people are still denied the same rights that the LGB people are celebrating; ok the suggestion by the Attorney General that our rights are included on the grounds of sex is but a failure of the NZ Government to address the issue, the question might be asked is why. Is it simply the Transgender community is an almost inconsequential one that they can ignore our expectations as we carry so few votes unlike the LGB community? I would remind our LGB allies and say the Trans community were there for you in your time of need 30 years ago, I for one was even though my only survival in this World meant total secrecy. Today at least I can be proud of my Gender Identity but remember there is still no inclusion of Gender Identity within the Human Rights Act. Just perhaps now that you are able to celebrate your victories, you might think about what you can do to help that last letter of the acronym which includes us all; the “T”. What would we give to have such a valued speaker as Justice Muir speaking for us? Sadly by virtue of past discrimination, religious bigotry and violence to our very being, the reality for many people who reside under the Transgender umbrella is one where education has fallen short, taken over for many by the need to survive a world where even your family is your enemy. For the older members of the LGB community I wonder if that rings any bells, for so many in the Transgender community we are still where you were 30 years ago. Ok, it has got better, at least the issue is being talked about now, but transgender women are still being murdered every day just for being who they are. Denied; in some places the basic human right of using a toilet that matches their gender. Even worse is the plight of women of colour, remember that includes our Māori and Pacific Island people in NZ, many of whom fall prey to the ideals of the religious right and those who promote Family values but do not practice them. One of our Pacific neighbours is so entrenched in those religious ideals they recently chose to publish on the front page of a Sunday paper a photo of a young Trans woman hanging from a beam of the church she worshiped in. Now months later her dignity is still questioned even after the suggestion that her death may not have been suicide. Very definitely as NZ people we should be questioning why these countries we support still continue to deny their people LGBT rights. A simple fact seems to exist in this wonderful society you celebrate which is quietly ignored if you are transgender and that is far too many do not understand our issue. Definitely more has yet to happen before we can all be united equally in that acronym LGBT we share. So I call upon once again those of you that celebrate 30 years of change, some of us LGBT are still struggling, who in the senior legal profession will stand up and fight for our rights, I personally have tried many times but I need to continually remind myself that like so many others who are transgender; we count for nothing, I am nobody unworthy of the protection of the Human Rights Act . Your help is needed so much more now. Diane Sparkes - 11th August 2016