The Human Rights Commission’s PRISM report on the issues impacting people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) provides an excellent programme of work for future governments to follow, say the Greens.

“LGBTQI+ people are a significant part of our community who face a long and ongoing history of discrimination, which continues to cause harm,” said Green Party Rainbow Issues Spokesperson Jan Logie.

The report raises several obstacles which still impede LGBTQI+ people from living full and equal lives, including:

· Difficulty correcting their birth certificates to reflect their gender, creating safety issues

· Unnecessary surgery on infants and children who are intersex or have diverse sex characteristics

· Barriers to accessing gender-affirming healthcare

· Unsafe school and work environments

“This work is especially critical given there’s no specific office or channel in government responsible for looking out for the LGBTQI+ community. I reinstate my call for there to be a Government office specifically focused on Rainbow issues.

“We can’t continue to fail our Rainbow communities. We have to make more progress to ensure they are safe and able to live as who they are.

“The report underscores the harmful impact of colonisation in Aotearoa, including the suppression and erasure of sexual and gender fluidity in te ao Māori.

“It highlights our responsibility under international law to uphold and uplift the equality of all people – something we have sadly failed to do for our Rainbow whānau and others marginalised communities.

“I thank the Human Rights Commission and everyone who was involved in bringing this report together for making such an important contribution to our understanding of human rights in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“I hope we can all engage with this report and see a way forward to creating an Aotearoa where everyone can live free of discrimination.”

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