On Saturday 8 May, around 400 protesters rallied with Queer Endurance in Defiance (QED), protesting against a proposed member’s bill by NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft, which aims to legally exclude trans people from definitions of “man” and “woman.”

NZ First leader Winston Peters announced on 22 April that the bill will define a woman as an “adult human biological female” and a man as an “adult human biological male.” The wording of the bill reflects that of a recent ruling from Britain’s Supreme Court, which similarly excluded trans women from the definition of women.

QED activists say both moves seek to facilitate the exclusion of trans people from social services and public life. QED spokesperson Tristan-Cordelia Egarr noted that the government had already indicated moves to restrict access to puberty blockers for trans rangatahi, and erase queer and trans people from Relationships and Sexuality Education in schools.

Egarr also noted that “instead of focusing on the most pressing issues facing New Zealanders - the cost of living crisis, child poverty, the climate crisis, our overburdened healthcare system - Peters and the government are presenting these transparent attempts to distract and divide us by targeting an already marginalised and vulnerable community.”

“Now more than ever, trans communities need support. Join Queer Endurance in Defiance, or your local queer organisation, and help us demonstrate that we will not be defined out of existence. We trans people will continue to exist, and we will continue to resist.”

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