Election Watch: Key issues for Rainbow community
In the Election Watch column, The Post shines a light on how public money is spent, and the people and organisations making those decisions.
Basic human rights in health, education and housing were among the key issues which were highlighted by the Rainbow community in the lead up to the election.
But National and ACT, which are set to form a coalition after the election results are declared – with a potential coalition partner in NZ First - either do not have specific Rainbow-related policies, or have some that raise concerns.
The Rainbow Support Collective, made up of national and regional organisations supporting Rainbow people, highlighted how the community was disproportionately affected by inequities in health, education, housing and legislative rights.
Rainbow young people, in particular transgender students, faced systematic barriers to fully participate in education and feel safe, it said.
It called for funding and a requirement for all schools to have gender neutral toilets, mandatory professional development for school staff regarding Rainbow people and to implement anti-discrimination policies and guidelines including around sexual orientation and gender identity.
It comes as online hate crime targeting the Rainbow community rose in intensity this year following the visit by British anti-transgender activist Posie Parker to Aotearoa in March.
The Disinformation Project, which released a report in May based on data it had collected related to Covid-19 misinformation and disinformation, noted it was the “most violent targeting of any community” after Parker’s Melbourne rally.
National does not have a Rainbow-specific policy, while ACT opposes laws against hate speech.
Meanwhile, NZ First wants to remove education about gender and sexuality from the curriculum, require public organisations to install both single sex and unisex toilets and defund sports organisations that do not have a category for people assigned female at birth.
The Green Party, with a record three electorates, has a Rainbow-specific policy, supporting some of the collective’s asks including to establish a Ministry for Rainbow People.
Labour’s policies included funding eight primary healthcare providers around the country to provide gender affirming healthcare – another significant issue which the collective highlighted.