Queer The Night

Wellington's Queer Avengers are launching their second annual Queer The Night march, this Friday the 11th of May. The first march, attracting around 600 people, opposed homophobic and transphobic street violence.

This year they're supporting Pink Shirt Day, an international event designed to challenge bullying in schools. This event started with a mass action of people wearing pink shirts to support a boy targeted in homophobic bullying in school, for wearing a pink shirt.

“We're opposing all forms of oppression, but in particular we're challenging homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying,” says Queer Avengers spokesperson Kassie Hartendorp. Hartendorp also works as a youth advocate, and says its unacceptable what queer youth have to go through, pointing out that twenty percent of LGBT kids attempt suicide – compared to four percent of their straight counter-parts.

There is very little statistical information on the problems affecting trans youth in NZ schools. However a recent US study, Childhood Gender Nonconformity Linked To Higher Abuse Risk (Roberts et al, 2012) found something the trans and gender variant community know perfectly well: children who do not conform to gender norms are targeted for psychological, physical and emotional abuse which has lifelong consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Queer Avengers support the formation of Queer-Straight Alliances in all schools, education on sex and gender, and recognition of all gender and sexual identities. “We're here to say that in schools and everywhere else, it doesn't get better until we make it better,” Hartendorp concludes.

The march will be departing from Waitangi Park at 7pm, on Friday the 11th of May, and ending with speeches and performances in Cuba Mall.

ENDS

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