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[22 January 2008] - A Human Rights Commission report which calls for greater recognition of the rights of transgender people found evidence of discrimination against children especially worrying.
The report, which follows an 18-month inquiry, recommends the Human Rights Act be altered to include "gender" to the grounds of discrimination. The report also suggested amending the procedures for changing sex on passports, birth certificates and other legal documents to make the process easier. The inquiry found four out of five transgender people had experienced discrimination. It singled out discrimination against transgender children at school as particularly worrying. The report said transgender children should be able to play sport and use appropriate changing rooms and toilets without fear, humiliation or embarrassment. Transsexual MP Georgina Beyer today urged the Government to adopt its recommendations. "What it would do is further assimilation into society of a marginalised group who tend to be forgotten, dismissed and given no particular importance," she told NZPA. "The majority of them end up becoming burdens on society because of the way we treat them and here is an opportunity to give them tools by which they can integrate and become positive contributors to our society." Ignorance and fear Ms Beyer, who was herself a submitter to the inquiry, said many people were ignorant when it came to transgender people and that tended to generate fear. People needed to be educated about research that suggested transgender tendencies were a congenital issue rather than a lifestyle one, Ms Beyer said. Human Rights Commissioner Joy Liddicoat, who led the inquiry, said there was a need for schools to be flexible with rules. "Can you imagine your child going off to school in the morning and hiding behind a bush to change their clothes and then bracing themselves for a conflict with their teacher just about what they are wearing?" she said. One person told the inquiry when she legally changed her name at 16, her high school refused to issue school reports under the new name and required her to use the male toilets and changing rooms, where she was harassed. Ms Liddicoat said adopting a common-sense approach worked when looking after the needs of transgender children "We heard of two Christchurch schools that allow some of their young trans people to mix different elements of the school uniform. "So they are still wearing the school uniform, but they are allowed to wear different parts of it," she said. During the inquiry, the commission met 200 transgender people, the youngest aged 11 and the oldest in their 70s. They also spoke to the families and colleagues of transgender people, community groups, health professionals, academics and government agencies. National's shadow attorney-general Chris Finlayson said he was yet to read the report, but any discrimination was a matter of regret and all New Zealanders had a responsibility to promote tolerant, diverse and inclusive society. However he told NZPA he would not want to see the report's recommended legislative changes being slipped in ahead of more pressing national concerns such as improving the health and education systems, improving the Resource Management Act and implementing tax cuts. Further information  pdf: http://www.tv3.co.nz/Home/News/Display/tabid/209/articleID/43752/Default...