Aotearoa’s general election is in October and it’s time to ensure that queer, genderqueer, and diverse sexual characteristics are included in the conversation, says Rainbow Law.

Rainbow Law, a student organisation from the University of Auckland Faculty of Law, aims to create community and spearhead change for rainbow people. On Thursday, 3rd September, the organisation, alongside RainbowYOUTH, will launch its Rainbow Election 2020 campaign through its policy tool website.

Through highlighting 15 issues, the policy tool will enable non-partisan information and ensure voters make an informed choice. Rainbow Election 2020 invites the general population to learn about the challenges that rainbow communities face and encourage action to reduce inequity. For each issue, a series of policy and/or legislative recommendations are presented through a collaborative effort between 13 rainbow organisations.

The aim is two-fold:

to encourage the public to incorporate rainbow issues into their decision-making in the upcoming election;

to inform policymakers on the type of changes they can make to support the rainbow community.

Highlighted policies include the call to ban conversion therapy, improved access and funding for rainbow mental health services, and gender-affirming healthcare.

Frances Arns, the Executive Director of RainbowYOUTH, highlights the importance of a tool to clarify which parties support rainbow communities:

“It can be really difficult figuring out who to vote for. Even if you know the issues that you care about, there is so much information out there, and it can be hard to read and process all of that. Tools like this one make it much more accessible to figure out which parties are going to deliver on the issues that are important to you.”

Shaneel Lal, a rainbow activist and co-founder of End Conversion Therapy New Zealand points to the importance of rainbow issues in the 2020 election.

“Voting gives queer people a significant amount of power to push ahead policies that will further protect and liberate the queer community. For queer people, politics is personal, we neither have the luxury nor privilege to keep our lives outside politics.”

“However, policies are always changing and political parties are always evolving and changing their position on issues. It’s difficult to keep updated. Rainbow Election aims to fill this gap with the rainbow policy tool. To get effective change, people must know what they’re voting for.”

David Farrier, New Zealand journalist, and director, gives his support. He criticizes Aotearoa’s leaders who have failed to represent and stand up for our rainbow communities:

"The sad fact is - although some will find this difficult to take - they [gay people] are not the same." (Deputy Leader of the National Party, Gerry Brownlee, 2004).

Brownlee's comments were from 2004, but attitudes like this still exist. It creeps through society and makes a whole generation of kids figuring out who they are feel worthless, undervalued and less than. Not just kids - adults, too.

[…] Whether it affects you directly or not, it's vital you vote for a party that will help - not hinder - those considered a "sad fact" by some. It's 2020, we have to vote smart. This tool does some of the hard work for you when you vote in this election. It aims to keep some of our most vulnerable, safe and cared for.”

Currently, only two of New Zealand’s political parties have revealed rainbow policies of their own. Through the launch of the tool, Rainbow Law hopes to enable the kōrero towards change. The launch event of the policy tool is being held on Thursday, September 17th. Speakers will include Chlöe Swarbrick, Cissy Rock, and other representatives of the rainbow community. Auckland singer/songwriter Paige will also perform to end the evening event.

We warmly invite attendance by journalists and other media representatives.

General information

Launch Event

Date: 17th September 2020

Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm

Venue: The Medusa Collective, 358 Karangahape Road, Auckland.

If you would like to cover this event, please indicate your interest here.

Email: rainbowlawatuoa@gmail.com

Partners

RainbowYOUTH

Dunedin Pride

New Zealand AIDS Foundation

Qtopia

Te Ngākau Kahukura

Waikato QueerYouth

InsideOUT

QYouth

Intersex Youth Aotearoa

Intersex Awareness New Zealand

OUTLine

Gender Minorities Aotearoa

Outerspaces

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