Beyer to withdraw transgender rights bill

Georgina Beyer

Labour MP Georgina Beyer will withdraw a bill aimed at protecting the rights of transgender individuals after a legal opinion suggesting they are already legally protected.

Ms Beyer's Human Rights (Gender Identity) Amendment bill has been a potential source of controversy and embarrassment for the Government, which is trying to distance itself from legislation that can be easily labelled politically correct by opponents.

Last term the Prostitution Reform Act and the Civil Union Act became focal points for morally conservative critics of the Government.

The former was a private member's bill, but nevertheless became associated with the Government.

When Ms Beyer's bill was drawn from the ballot in the last term it was initially put on the backburner.

After the election, Labour Whip Tim Barnett said it was likely Ms Beyer's bill would be later withdrawn, continually delayed or defeated.

However, Ms Beyer yesterday announced she would withdraw the bill herself after a legal opinion from the acting Solicitor-General suggesting transgender people were already protected under the Human Rights Act.

Attorney-General Michael Cullen said that opinion suggested transgender people would be covered by clauses aimed at preventing "sex discrimination" under the Human Rights Act.

Ms Beyer said the opinion achieved the aims of her bill.

"Until now there was no authority supporting this view," she said. "Transgendered people do experience discrimination in New Zealand. My bill sought to have transgendered people protected from being kicked out of their houses and jobs just because of their sex, in the same way all other New Zealanders are protected."

Ms Beyer has said that clarifying transgender people's status in law was one of the key things she wanted to achieve before she exited Parliament before the next election.

The Human Rights Commission welcomed the confirmation that transgender people were covered by anti-discrimination laws regardless of whether they had had a sex change or not.

People who have undergone a sex change are termed transsexuals, whereas transgender is an umbrella term for anyone who takes on the identity of a sex different to their birth.

Commissioner Joy Liddicoat said the commission had recently begun an inquiry into discrimination against transgender people and was looking for people to come forward with their experiences.

- NZPA