As part of Project Uplift (the refurbishment of the Rainbow Room) a documentary was produced by the Office of the Clerk/Parliamentary Service to tell the story of the room. The individual interviews were also published online under a Creative Commons licence CC-BY 4.0. A special thank you to the Office of the Clerk/Parliamentary Service for allowing Louisa's interview to be reproduced. The mp3 files on this page contain just the audio element of the video interview.
Summary
This abstract summarizes an audio recording from March 20, 2019, featuring Louisa Wall in the Rainbow Room at the New Zealand Parliament in Wellington. The recording captures Wall's presentation on the legislative achievements and cultural shifts regarding the rights and recognition of the LGBTQIA+ community in Aotearoa New Zealand over the decade of the 2010s.
The Rainbow Room holds symbolic significance for Wall, as it represents both the history of Rainbow members in Parliament and the collective efforts towards legislative progress for the LGBTQIA+ community. Wall reflects on the evolution of such efforts, starting with the decriminalization of homosexuality, progressing to the recognition of civil unions, and ultimately achieving marriage equality.
Wall specifically speaks about their role in advancing marriage equality legislation as an amendment to the Marriage Act, which redefined marriage as a union between two people regardless of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The catalyst for this amendment included the case of two women, Jules Jocelyn and Jenny Rowan, who were denied a marriage license in 1996, propelling the issue through national and international courts as a breach of human rights.
A cross-party working group was formed to support the marriage equality bill in New Zealand. This group comprised both LGBTQIA+ members and allies alike, such as Kevin Haig of the Green Party and Tau Henare, a member of the IPU (Inter Parliamentary Union). Wall shares insights from their time representing the movement for marriage equality, particularly the poignant experience of being sent to Uganda, a nation considering severe anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation at the time.
Throughout the presentation, Wall underscores the importance of visibility, pride events, and community engagement in combating deep-rooted homophobia, transphobia, and racism. Wall expresses gratitude for the inclusive culture of the New Zealand Parliament and the lack of homophobia experienced within it, contrasting this with the confrontations faced in international settings where the topic of LGBTQIA+ rights has been met with hostility and outright aggression.
The speech also heralds the shifting societal attitudes, with Wall recounting beautiful events in Tauranga and Whanganui that celebrated LGBTQIA+ communities, marking a sharp contrast to past decades of concealment and criminalization.
In the culmination of the recording, Wall honors those who paved the way for the Rainbow community's legal and social advancements, including Tim Barnett and Speaker Margaret Wilson, who dedicated the Rainbow Room, and reflects on the room's recent renovation as a space for continued celebration and storytelling of the community's history and rights.
This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.
Voices
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