In early 2021, Wellington Pride Festival cancelled an application for a stall at Out In The City for the group Lesbian Action for Visibility Aotearoa (LAVA). Now their right to refuse LAVA’s stall will be debated at a Human Rights Review Tribunal next year.
Wellington Pride Co-Chairs Tasmin Prichard and Taylor Curd have to be careful what they say regarding their upcoming court case but insist that it will ‘absolutely not’ lead to the festival’s end.
“We’re looking forward to continuing the mahi of previous boards and are starting to prepare for Wellington Pride Festival 2025,” they tell YOUR EX.
In a statement, the festival say the decision to refuse LAVA’s stall at the festival’s flagship ‘Out In The City’ event was to “protect trans, non-binary, intersex, and all gender minority attendees who we wanted to feel safe, accepted, and supported to be themselves…”
Wellington Pride Festival states that LAVA’s trans-exclusionary attitudes would stop some attendees from feeling safe at the Out In The City.
LAVA complained to the Human Rights Commission and following two mediation sessions between them and Wellington Pride Festival, escalated their complaint to the Human Rights Review Tribunal (HRRT) alleging unlawful discrimination.
Wellington Pride Festival has started a Givealittle page to help the voluntary board with the legal costs of defending LAVA’s case, but remain short of their $5000 goal.
“The hearing will likely take place in 2025…It’s really important that the rainbow community does not engage with [claimants] Ms Oxley, Ms Curnow or LAVA about this case due to rules about intimidation between parties in the HRRT,” Wellington Pride have stated.
YOUR EX approached Lesbian Action for Visibility Aotearoa for comment on the case, asking among other questions, “If this court case leads to Wellington Pride Incorporated closing down would you be happy with that?”
A representative for LAVA replied stating, ”Margaret and Hilary have considered your enquiry and have decided that at present they have no comment to make in response to your questions… LAVA will update its website with information about the case in due course.”
Wellington Pride say they believe, “At the core of it, our organisation believes trans people exist, deserve the same rights as others, and have a place in Pride celebrations. We work hard to put on a bright, colourful festival every March that welcomes thousands of people, whether they’re part of the rainbow community or are whānau and friends.”
In a statement on LAVA’s website, they say the hearing will be a “positive step for LAVA and all women and lesbians in Aotearoa and around the world who are battling to maintain our sex-based right to organise without including men.”
