The motion to create a Auckland council rainbow panel has passed.
Auckland council’s governing body has just voted in favour of the creation of a new rainbow panel.The irst 18 months of funding for the new panel will come out of the Mayoral budget.
The panel will provide a local government platform from which to address issues of significance to Auckland’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and (GLBT) community.
AUT academic and Trans rights activist Lexie Matheson spoke this morning to the governing body saying the creation of the rainbow advisory board could go some way to addressing problems for the trans community in the areas of housing, employment and education and would “give us a voice at the table”
A report presented at today’s Governing Body meeting highlighted that GLBTI people continue to experience discrimination on an institutional and individual level as well as high levels of addictions, mental health issues and suicide. It also explained that people of diverse gender identity still face legal and social obstacles that impede their ability to lead their lives fully, safely and openly.
During the debate, there was some concern raised around the cost of the panel, however Mayor Len Brown addressed the concerns by saying a budget for the panel’s operating costs will come from his Mayoral budget. The panel will have an annual operating cost of $56,500.
Article | Levi Joule. Photo | Dan Liu
