Elijah Luke Michel returns to YOUR ex to voice key concerns from the trans community about what the new government means for their wellbeing.
I voted National once, when I turned 18. I had no idea about politics or political parties, but a family member insisted I voted and that I voted blue. Once I learned more about policies and society, I refrained from voting for years until I settled on Green. It came quite naturally – in my mind, if we don’t have a planet to exist on, there’s no space for discussions around health, education, or the economy. I’m a literal soul on a good day, but logic prevails on this one.
The lead-up to the recent NZ elections was harrowing for many with the prediction of a right-wing conservative government – with more emphasis on economic stability (and gain) and less on the health and wellbeing of people. The next three years look daunting for those already in marginalised communities – including the transgender community.
I sat down with a small group of trans people on Sunday and asked them, over coffee, how they felt about the new National-led coalition – the issues they felt would be most affected, their concerns and their hopes moving forward.
Their first concern was, naturally, access to appropriate healthcare. With still only one surgeon in NZ performing gender-affirming surgeries and a waiting list for decades, one lifesaver in the interim for many is access to HRT, which can help appease debilitating gender dysphoria and reduce the high rate of suicide.
Education followed – with the risk that the new government would try to erode beneficial factors already in place in schools, like rainbow groups, non-gendered toilets, and the current curriculum that is inclusive of LGBTIQ+ students.
Alongside the reinstatement of prescription charges and changes to public transport, transgender people are already discriminated against in terms of gaining employment, so naturally many become low-income earners. Any decrease in benefits, fair pay, or the living wage would have further adverse effects.
However, the overarching element – the reason behind most of these concerns – was the religious ideology seeping out from conservatism, inspiring transphobic policies and the potential for trans-erasure.
ACT’s intention to abolish the Human Rights Commission and repeal hate speech laws speaks for itself in terms of the effects it will have on the trans community in Aotearoa, alongside NZ First’s concerns that trans women have underhanded intentions towards women and children in bathrooms (as opposed to simply emptying their bladders), which is clearly removed from reality and only incites hate and violence.
The new government will need a lot of educating around the science of gender dysphoria – the MRI brain scans that show the brain physiologically matches the gender identified as, the high correlation between neurodivergence and the rainbow community. Born that way. Not a sin.
The group concluded that the best way to gain acceptance in the community is for trans people to be seen. Having representation, especially in schools, matters to children as well as their families.
One brave soul reminded me, “We always find our way – no matter what policies or hate directives are in place.”
It’s true – you can suppress a person’s identity, but you can’t suppress their innate essence. It will always come out of the woodwork and do further damage to families and society if unable to be expressed authentically. Perhaps this government can grab the opportunity to prove that they care for the entire population of this beautiful land they are governing while still attempting to create economic stability and become leaders in reminding the world that we can have the best of both worlds.
Photo | Sydney Mardi Gras Parade 2021.
