Gender Minorities Aotearoa Auckland marched today, with local trans folks and friends and whanau marching in the Auckland Pride March.
Photo credit: Henry Laws
Over 7,000 people turned up to Albert Park, with banners and signs, dress ups and rainbows.
The trans float sported an enormous transgender flag, lots of placards, and an abundance of energy celebrating our wins and calling for housing, healthcare, and human rights to be enacted.
Photo credit: Henry Laws
Messages included calls to prioritise trans housing, to stop surgeries on intersex infants, to give trans people equitible access to health care including surgeries, respect Indigenous genders, fund trans led services, pass the BDMRR, decolonise the health and legal system.
Suicide prevention was on the list, alongside increasing regional services for trans people, and allowing legal gender recognition for trans asylum seekers.
Photo credit: Peter Jennings
”The highlight for me was just seeing so many trans kids and their friends in the front holding up trans flags and non-binary flags, and they were so excited, and their parents were with them supporting them and wearing t-shirts like ”I love my trans child”
– Annalucia Stasis, GMA Auckland . .
Photo credit: Henry Laws
“After starting up a chant calling for Trans Rights I could hear it echoing down the march as more people joined in, even after putting the megaphone down. I felt connected to everyone and strong in my community, and it’s so important to be able to feel like that”
– Molly Black, GMA Wellington . .
Photo credit: Henry Laws
“Who’s streets? Our streets”
– Chanting Rainbow Crowd . .
Photo credit: Henry Laws
”Trans communities have always formed themselves, as trans folks come together to awhi each other. We fight isolation with community spirit, and that’s what we saw at Our March today; people coming together out of empathy for each other’s struggles, and out of fierce love and passion. Queer solidarity is a beautiful thing.
– Ahi Wi-Hongi, National Coordinator, Gender Minorities Aotearoa . .
Photo credit: Henry Laws
Thank you to Auckland Pride Board and supporters for organising #OurMarch 2020, special thanks to val smith, Molly Black, Annalucia Stasis, Jack Byrne, and everyone else who helped to organise the transgender float with GMA, and huge thanks to everyone who came along and walked together! What an incredible turn out.
Join us for kai and social chats with lovely people, bring yourself, whanau and friends, and some kai to share if you want to. Kai and chats go for the first two hours, and then we watch a film for the last two hours. The film is often rated R16 or R18, but the kai and chats are suitable for all ages. Doors close at the halfway point, so please arrive by then so someone can let you in.
When and where:
Raw Sugar Wellington is held on the second Saturday each month, from 4 till 8pm during summer, and from 2 till 6pm during winter, at the GMA Wellington office and community drop in (The Gender Centre Wellington).
The Gender Centre Wellington is on the first floor above Aunty Dana’s Op Shop – come through the store and out the back and then upstairs, or ask at the shop counter.
Accessibility:
It is not mobility accessible at the moment. There are all-genders toilets, and the lighting is non-fluorescent. It is a low allergen space, so no sprays or air-freshers, and please don’t wear perfume or cologne. Disability assist animals are welcome, however due to allergies and phobias please do not bring any other animals.
Summer times:
March – 14th, 4pm kai, 6pm film, 8pm finish.
April – 11th, 4pm kai, 6pm film, 8pm finish.
Winter times:
May – 2pm kai, 4pm film, 6pm finish.
June – 13th, 2pm kai, 4pm film, 6pm finish.
July – 11th, 2pm kai, 4pm film, 6pm finish.
August – 8th, 2pm kai, 4pm film, 6pm finish.
September – 12th, 2pm kai, 4pm film, 6pm finish.
Summer times:
October – 10th, 4pm kai, 6pm film, 8pm finish.
November – 14th, 4pm kai, 6pm film, 8pm finish.
End of 2020:
December – 12th – no Raw Sugar.
December – 29th – join us for a community water fight at Vinegar Hill gay camp, Putai Ngahere reserve, near Hunterville. It is free to come for a day trip, just pay $5 each to the Queen at The Palace marquee. Details and prices for overnight camping are available here.
Our database is now searchable by region as well as type of provider, and has a search function where you can type in a name or other search terms.
In 2020 we are working on offering online training and info to all clinics in NZ. They will then be added to the database, and you will be able to search for providers who have had the training and are using the national guidelines.
Where: Albert Park, Rangipuke, at the band rotunda.
The march starts at 4pm (details here), we will gather first at 3.30 at the band rotunda to pick which placard to carry and get a sweet group photo, before we move up with the placards to the Queen Victoria statue (focus of queer and trans colonial critique) for the opening speeches at 4pm.
This year we have a float in #OurMarch in Auckland (not the Rainbow Parade) and one in the community run Pride Parade in Wellington (not WIPP). We may also have one in WIPP, depending on the outcome of the current discussions between community orgs and WIPP organisers. Follow our blog in the footer or watch our Facebook page for updates and to get involved in our upcoming PRIDE events!
We welcome bequests of all kinds, and have put together this simple guide on how to write your bequest. A bequest is a simple, short paragraph, but it is essential that it contains the following 4 elements, and that it is lodged with your will executor or solicitor.
Writing your bequest
1) Determine what you are seeking to bequest
– To bequest specific items, stocks, dollar amounts, begin with “I give [list the items/amount]…“
– To bequest the remainder of your estate after settling all other payments, gifts, etc, begin with “I give 100% per cent of the residue of my estate…“
– To bequest a percentage of the remainder of your estate after settling all other payments, gifts, etc, begin with “I give [xx]% per cent of the residue of my estate...”
2) State who the bequest is benefiting
“… to Gender Minorities Aotearoa (Charity Registration: CC57053) for…”
3) State what the bequest is to go towards
– To bequest for it to be used for our general purposes “… its general purposes.”
– To bequest for it to be used in any way we see fit (ie, perhaps not our own operations) “… for any purposes they see fit.”
– To bequest for it to be used for a specific initiative, project, event, purchase “… for the purpose of [initiative/project/event/purchase].”
4) Finish the bequest clause with
“I declare that the receipt of the secretary, treasurer or other proper officer of the nominated beneficiary will be a full discharge for my trustees who will not be bound to see its application.”
Examples
I want to bequest $10,000 for the binder project.
“I give $10,000 to Gender Minorities Aotearoa (Charity Registration CC57053) for the purpose of the binder project. I declare that the receipt of the secretary, treasurer or other proper officer of the nominated beneficiary will be a full discharge for my trustees who will not be bound to see its application.”
I want to bequest 50% of what’s left after other payments for general purpose.
“I give 50% per cent of the residue of my estate to Gender Minorities Aotearoa (Charity Registration CC57053) for it’s general purposes. I declare that the receipt of the secretary, treasurer or other proper officer of the nominated beneficiary will be a full discharge for my trustees who will not be bound to see its application.”
Lodging your bequest
After writing a bequest, lodge this with your solicitor, will executor, or other appropriate legal authority.
