This is an event for anyone of any age who identifies as trans or otherwise gender diverse, including intersex, takatāpui, transgender, transsexual, and non-binary people. We encourage you to bring along an object of personal significance to yourself (regardless of whether you think it “counts” as trans history!). If you need inspiration, check out our inspiration at The Museum of Transology (link is external).
Bring along an object that is significant to you as well as the object’s story (50-200 words). We will photograph your objects and on Sun 17 Nov host a show-and-tell where everyone can gather together and share their stories. Finally, the photographs and objects’ stories will be published on our website.
Copyright
We take copyright very seriously! We will have someone onsite during the photography days to talk about any copyright issues that might arise from this project. Because we are photographing your objects and collecting your written stories, we need to ensure we are meeting our copyright obligations.
If you have your object selected prior to the day, we’d love if you could flick through a photo of that object via email to publicprogrammes@tepapa.govt.nz (link sends e-mail) so we can check on the copyright status beforehand.
For more info, or to attend the photographing session at Te Papa, please see their website here.
GMA says:
Your significant object could be hormones, a binder, a bra, a hairpiece, or it could be the blanket you wrapped yourself in that one time, or that Marina and the Diamonds CD that’s always on at The Gender Centre! It might be your dog’s leash, or the earrings that always feel amazing, or your fave spice that reminds you of home. It could be Anything that’s important to you. You can also write a description of it and why it’s important if you want to. 200 words is about three times as long as this paragraph. Come make history together!
Join Gender Minorities Aotearoa’s Youth Team as we celebrate Trans Awareness Week with a gala and host the Wellington launch of Counting Ourselves.
Filled with food, fun, and stalls featuring everything from handmade goods to zines to trans flag bunting, this event at the Newtown Community and Cultural Centre is family friendly and mobility accessible. Entry is FREE but donations are welcome.
Come along to have a good time and celebrate Wellington’s trans community.
The Sex and Gender Diverse Health Outcomes Working Group is hosting an information sharing event, on behalf of Capital & Coast District Health Board.
The event will be held on Friday October 18th from 5pm till 7pm, at Newtown Community and Cultural Centre on the corner of Rintoul and Colombo streets in Newtown. The venue is mobility accessible, and refreshments will be provided.
Topics will include hormone replacement therapy, mental health services, binders, referral to the waiting list for genital reconstruction surgeries, voice therapy, mental health services, the 3D health pathway, and community support.
Trans and intersex people, parents of transgender children, whanau, friends, and supportive others are welcome.
SEX AND GENDER DIVERSE HEALTH OUTCOMES WORKING GROUP: COMMUNITY INFO SESSION.
On behalf of Capital & Coast District Health Board.
Find out how to access gender affirming healthcare in Wellington, including:
– Hormone Replacement Therapy.
– Referral for Genital Reconstruction Surgeries.
– Voice Therapy.
– Physiotherapy.
– Mental Health Support.
– Binders.
– IPL Hair Removal.
– Community Support Services.
October 18th, 5pm till 7pm.
Newtown Community and Cultural Centre, corner of Colombo and Rintoul street, Newtown.
Mobility accessible venue.
Refreshments provided.
Trans & Intersex people, parents of trans children, whanau, and supportive others welcome.
The anti-trans campaign group ‘Speak up for Women’ is holding an event at Massey University, which promotes and advocates for the removal of human rights and legal protections from trans people. Trans people are a severely stigmatised, disadvantaged, and discriminated against population, that experiences some of the highest rates of violence including sexual violence in Aotearoa NZ. This is unacceptable.
Massey University is Rainbow Tick certified. This achievement confirms our commitment to the Rainbow community, and to provide a safe and inclusive environment for its members.
All staff and students need to feel comfortable being their whole-self, and to work and study without fear of harassment or discrimination. We’re committed to equal opportunities for all, regardless of your:
gender identity
marital status
religious belief
colour
race
ethnic or national origin
disability
age
political opinion
employment or family status
sexual orientation.
Hosting a known anti-trans extremist group is in direct opposition to this commitment.
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The activism of Speak up for Women is entirely based on removal of human rights for trans people, who suffer from extremely high rates of stigma, sexual violence, and discrimination across housing, healthcare, education, employment, access to goods and services, and all other areas of public life. This stigma, discrimination, and harassment results in minority stress and suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and deaths, at greatly elevated levels compared with the general population [Counting Ourselves, 2019].
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Massey University must take action to prevent harm toward trans students, staff members, and members of society.
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This week the High Court backed the Auckland Council’s decision to cancel a booking for far-right speakers Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux, with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff saying that the right to free speech did not include the right to a platform, and that “These individuals who want to incite hatred against others are, in my view, not welcome here.”
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Rainbow Tick Acting President Martin King said Massey University’s Rainbow Tick status would likely be reviewed if it allowed the anti-trans conference to go ahead.
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Massey Wellington Students Association is calling for the event to be cancelled. It has penned a petition, saying ”By providing a platform for a hate group to speak on our campus, Massey University is putting ‘freedom of speech’ over the safety of its staff and students. This petition has gained over 1,300 signatures in just 5 hours. You can sign the petition here.
Counting Ourselves, a national report on transgender health, has just been released.
The survey had 1,178 participants, from all regions of Aotearoa, ranging from 14 to 83 years old.
The research, funded by the Health Research Council and with support from University of Waikato and Rule Foundation, found that trans people experience discrimination at more than double the rate of the general population, almost half of trans people had someone attempt to have sex with them against their will since age 13, and almost a third reported someone did have sex with them against their will since age 13. Participants reported high or very high levels of psychological distress at a rate nine times that of the general population. In the last 12 months, more than half had seriously considered suicide, and 12% had attempted suicide.
key findings
Medical
In the last 12 months, 13% of participants were asked unnecessary or invasive questions during a health visit
17% reported they had experienced reparative therapy (a professional had tried to stop them from being trans)[note: sometimes called “conversion therapy”]
36% avoided seeing a doctor to avoid being disrespected
Stigma, Discrimination, and Violence
67% had experienced discrimination at some point
44% had experienced discrimination in the last 12 months – this was more than double the rate for the general population (17%)
21% were bullied at school at least once a week, much higher than the general population (5%)
83% did not have the correct gender marker on their New Zealand birth certificate
32% reported someone had had sex with them against their will since they were 13
47% reported someone had attempted to have sex with them against their will since they were 13
Compared to the general population, participants were almost three times more likely to have put up with feeling cold (64%) and gone without fresh fruit or vegetables (51%) in order to reduce costs.
Distress and Suicide
71% reported high or very high psychological distress, compared with only 8% of the general population in Aotearoa New Zealand
56% had seriously thought about attempting suicide in the last 12 months
37% had attempted suicide at some point
12% had made a suicide attempt in the last 12 months
Participants who reported that someone had had sex with them against their will were twice as likely to have attempted suicide in the past year (18%) than participants who did not report this (9%)
Participants who had experienced discrimination for being trans or non-binary were twice as likely to have attempted suicide in the past year (16%) than participants who did not report this discrimination (8%)
Participants’ rate of cannabis use in the last year (38%) was more than three times higher than the general population (12%)
Protective Factors
57% reported that most or all of their family supported them. Respondents supported by at least half of their family were almost half as likely to attempt suicide (9%).
62% were proud to be trans, 58% provided support to other trans people, and 56% felt connected with trans community.
