Today marks another International Transgender Day of Visibility, and following the recent trans rights protests and ongoing inequities, it’s a fitting time to hear directly from some members of the community — people that Viva collaborates with, respects and is inspired by — about where things are at, how we can support them, and what there is to be hopeful for.
We’ve come a long way, but not far enough
Shaneel Lal made history yesterday, being named Young New Zealander of the Year for 2023, and becoming the first trans person to win any award at the New Zealander of the Year awards. For the activist and New Zealand Herald contributor, their community has achieved some significant strides in recent years. “We did ban conversion therapy last year in February, and I think that sends a message to trans people that we are now living in an Aotearoa that will not tolerate the erasure of their identity,” Shaneel tells Viva.
“I think trans people are tired of being debated about. What I’m seeing is that we’re no longer debating how to move forward, and how to make sure that trans people are part of our community. The debate is now whether trans people are valid or not. I think one of the biggest challenges we are facing is that trans people are being treated like we are a group of people that can be invalidated, and that’s not a good position to be in. Every single day we don’t know what we’re going to wake up to,” says Shaneel.
There is, however, much to feel hopeful for. “Last weekend, what we saw was that thousands of people across Aotearoa came together in solidarity with trans people, so although sometimes it feels like our lives and livelihoods are up for debate, there are moments, like last weekend, that show us that we are a part of Aotearoa, this is our home, we belong.”
Gender is a social construct, and viewing it as such is liberating
Director, writer, actor and model Te Awarangi (Awa) Te Roera Puna (Ngāti Kahungunu Ki Wairoa, Tuhoe) explains how she views the concept of gender. “In te reo, we address people by the amounts of people we’re talking to. ‘Tēnā koe’ is ‘hello, you’, ‘tēnā kōrua’ is ‘hello, you both’ and ‘tēnā koutou’ is ‘hello, you all.’ We never address people by gender pronouns. I think it goes to show how ingrained the idea of gender is in the western world. That’s why it’s such a big problem for some people who can’t wrap their brains around the idea of others being anything other than gender-conforming.
“Although it could make it harder for the gender nonconforming folk to decide whether to wear pink or blue, I really think it’s up to the individual how they want to identify themselves in society, because at the end of the day, we’re all just human and we all just want to get on with our lives,” says Awa. “Bringing in indigenous ways of thinking is never a bad way to go if you don’t understand gender, all around the world it has been accepted for millennia. Just open your hearts, don’t lead from fear, educate yourself, and most importantly, don’t be a dick.”
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.At the end of the day, we’re all just human and we all just want to get on with our lives.
There are myriad ways to exist and identify
Fashion designer Cecilia Kang says there are a variety of gender identities in the trans community. “I want people to know that the trans community is incredibly diverse, with many intelligent individuals where the community of people come from all walks of life, including all races, ethnic groups, sexual orientations and different gender identities. Trans people can be identified as trans men or trans women. Also, there are many others who may describe themselves as non-binary or gender-queer. Trans women like myself (FTM, female to male), we take hormones to become feminine and it is part of our transition, while some other trans women may undergo various surgeries to look more feminine in their outer appearances,” she says
“However, transitioning is really a personal choice, not all trans people decide to undergo transitioning and really there is no right or wrong answer for this. It’s all about being yourself and your self-confidence. How you feel most comfortable within and doing what makes you happy in life is the best thing to do. Don’t think about what others have to say about you, just always believe in yourself. Among trans people, using the correct pronouns is an important factor. For trans women, pronouns are ‘she/her’ and for trans men pronouns are ‘he/him’. But, you could always ask which pronouns they prefer to be used. It is important to note that trans people are also human beings, just like everyone else, who are very passionate, loving, caring and deserve much respect and dignity.”
Trans people are people
“We are everywhere,” says Aych McArdle, a non-binary activist and human rights campaigner. “We are in your family, your workplace, your community. If you don’t know us, I encourage you to reflect on why that might be. Are you a person who is safe for us to disclose our identity to? Are there steps you could take to show us? Fly that flag for those who you don’t yet know and for those not yet out!”
They, like everyone, just want to live freely. “My friends and I joke that we fight hard to have the option of a really boring life. It all comes back to dignity. I want to live a life where I can live in my values and serve my communities. And I want to be able to do it with dignity and respect,” they say. “My wins from the last few years have been seeing the way my friends are parenting their kids. Showing them the full spectrum possibilities of what life looks like, rather than rigid rules that earlier generations have grown up with.”
We can all be allies
For those looking to support the trans community, Celia shares some wisdom. “The advice I want to give the readers who want to be an ally is to educate yourself and build your knowledge in regards to trans people, which I think is the most important thing. This may include understanding the diverse culture within the trans community, gender identities, challenges and issues that we may face in everyday life. I personally love listening to other people’s stories/perspectives and what others have got to say about individuals themselves because it gives me more learning curves, understanding different people’s experiences and room for more opportunities to develop my knowledge further,” she says.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.Being an ally with the trans community is a big learning step.
“As an ally, it is always important to stand up for the trans community and for its people whatever injustice they may experience from time to time. For example, hate speeches, calling out transphobic languages and behaviour which could easily hurt trans people significantly. Being an ally with the trans community is a big learning step and a complicated process. But, we value people’s friendship and relationships, as long as they are genuine, personally, in my experience. Always be humble, stay curious and engaged with us then we will love you dearly.”
“It is important to support our trans whānau in Aotearoa because we still face significant obstacles and challenges every day in life which affects us both mentally and physically. I am also currently facing significant mental health challenges and depression problems every day too,” reveals Cecilia.
“It is an essential part of our society to create a more inclusive ambience and be more welcoming to those individuals who are thriving to live their true authentic selves each day. Therefore, supporting our trans whānau means we are supporting the true value of diversity within our society and being inclusive in our society means we are creating more vibrant-ness; celebrating our individual cultural identities in Aotearoa, New Zealand so that their voices and stories could be heard.”
We need to move forward together
Awa wants to see respect and acceptance. “It’s just a fact that we exist. We have always been here, and we’re here to stay. We were here to fight the gay rights liberation, women’s liberation, and now we’re here to fight for our own. To fight for trans rights is to fight for human rights. We aren’t trying to take away anyone’s voice, or space, we just want be acknowledged as human and don’t want our rights taken away. This isn’t a fight to be tolerated, it’s a fight to be accepted. So many people have let their fear turn into hatred, but people only get scared of the dark because they don’t understand what’s beyond it. In Aotearoa, sexual abuse towards trans people is four times more likely than that of cis people. Why do I bring this up? Because at the counter-protest that the trans community and allies held against Posie Parker I was pushed to the ground, had my hair pulled, called a freak, a paedophile, I had a lady gesture pulling a grenade pin with her teeth and throwing it into the queer crowd. I was also spat on, but I think that one was because my boyfriend was holding a sign that blared, ‘If you read this you’re gay’; that one definitely pissed them off. Destiny’s Church pride themselves on being about love and peace, but it wasn’t quite giving that energy for me.
“This is a big maimai for our community,” she tells Viva. “There is a lot of work to be done. Besides the hateful things that occurred, it was so heartwarming to see that people were also there to fight for us, it sent me wistfully crying all the way back up K Road.”
Cecilia is optimistic too. “Hopefully in the future, people will accept and understand more trans people in our society and be able to work together to achieve greater things in life. As a trans fashion designer in Aotearoa and Cecilia Kang Couture creative director, I want to continue to aspire, inspire our youth and educate people through couture fashion to show the world that trans people are some of the most creative and talented people out there. Moreover, I always believed in equal rights within our community and protections,” she says.
“Every day, many of us are still constantly facing discrimination in employment, social isolation, and rejection in the healthcare sector, education sector, public places and other areas of life. I am well aware of the fact that there have been significant improvements in Aotearoa in recent years, regarding the rights and protections of trans people which I am so grateful and thankful for. But, I believe there is still much work to be done to make sure that our society protects trans people and we are fully accepted and supported within our circle of community throughout New Zealand.”
There’s hope for the future
“As long as there’s power, there will always be oppression,” says Awa. “I don’t believe there will ever be one right and only way to solve this, but we must always fight for minorities, those who are repressed, underrepresented, and don’t have a voice in society, because I do believe that it will make the world a better place.”
She wants people to use democracy to create change. “There are political leaders who are taking a strong stance when it comes to allyship with trans people. This is an election year, and I want people to put their vote where their mouth is, and vote for people who will support queer people, who will support trans people”
We exist. We have always been here, and we’re here to stay.
Shaneel’s vision is simple. “I want trans people to stop just surviving, and start thriving really. My hopes for queer people don’t sound very revolutionary, because it’s as simple as: I want queer people to just be.”
