How it went down on the day - the 'Voices for Children' rally in Welly.

The last time I was in Wellington (NZ) a couple of years ago, a mighty big storm blew in and grounded all fights out.

This time, the ‘Voices for Children’ rally held in Wellington at Parliament grounds on Tuesday 31^st Oct, organised by the Māori women’s group Mana Wāhine Kōrero, couldn’t have asked for better weather. It restored my faith that the city could do a decent day when it put its mind to it.

Mana Wāhine Kōrero (Sovereign Women Speak), utterly reject gender ideology, especially when it’s perpetrated upon our kids. Although they don’t deny that same-sex relationships have always existed, as they have amongst all cultures, they disparage as complete nonsense the modern narrative that pre-colonised Māori embraced a diverse range of gender identities. There is no evidence for this, they say, and have written as much here.

I arrived at the rally a little late, and missed the opening of the ‘Voices for Children’, but still heard most of the speakers. They were unanimously unequivocal – i.e. the deliberately innocuous-sounding ‘gender affirming care’ for children is a crime, and inculcating children with dubious neo-rainbow teachings and extremely inappropriate sexuality education from a young age is grossly irresponsible and negligent.

When it was my turn to speak, I briefly touched on the information I’d received about a seventeen-year-old girl receiving double mastectomy in one of Christchurch’s private hospitals in January this year (2023) as ‘gender affirming’ health care; Christchurch central library’s pilot programme called ‘Rainbow Drop-In’, which is being kept secret from parents and the public; and the neo-rainbow organisation called InsideOUT, whose reach extends into many schools and workplaces, bringing with it information considered by many to be deceptively pernicious. In the livestream link of the rally at the bottom, I speak between 1.09.30 and 1.20.00 .

I spoke to Calony, who was one of those who had travelled from Auckland for the rally. Calony, originally from Hong Kong and resident in NZ for thirty years, belongs to a NZ-based group called Mama Bears Rising. She assures me that the Asian and Indian communities are largely against kids being exposed to gender ideology. At the moment, we who oppose gender ideology are disparate groups, but rallies like this are bringing us together.

A miserable bunch of nine or ten trans activists came along to protest, and charming they were not.

The appeal of protesting against terfs must be losing its cheap, throwaway thrill for the main contingent of ‘would-be rebels without a cause’ (to steal and alter the title of the American 1955 movie). The biggest thrill enacted in their quarter on the day was from a man who ran past them, snatching one of their flags on his way. Much consternation ensued. Only one of the mostly men in the group had the nous to chase after the flag-snatcher and retrieve it – two or three others ran to the police to tell on him instead.

Towards the end of the rally, two women – Corina Shields and Helen Houghton – had a lengthy ‘discussion’ over the separating fence with some of the trans activists. Reportedly, although it was heated in some parts, the police were requested to let it run, rather than move the trans activists away. The situation was safe with the police there, and Helen said to me afterwards that she preferred an argument to no talking at all, even if it doesn’t always achieve the desired outcome.

Between 60 and 90 people turned up to the rally, depending on the time the count was done. The picture below with The Beehive in the background captures some of the attendees. It was extremely well organised, and the speakers came from all walks of life. The women had an hour to speak, and the men got half an hour after that. There were no ‘wrong’ sort of women or men there. When Mana Wāhine Kōrero extended the invitation for anyone who was concerned about our children being inculcated with gender ideology to come along, they meant anyone. It’s true that we then rub shoulders with those we normally might not, but differences can be put aside when we’re all on the same page to save our kids from an ideology that will do them no good.

Parliament security and the police did a fantastic job on the day. A wholly different scenario than what was experienced at Albert Park in Auckland on March 25^th this year, when a mob of violent trans activists attacked women and Kellie-Jay Keen. Perhaps the police are no longer listening to the same advice as that which they got on that fateful day? Whatever the reason, their positive presence was very much noticed and appreciated at the ‘Voices for Children’ rally. Mana Wāhine Kōrero wrote letters of thanks to both Parliament security and the police for it, and mentioned that for some of the women at the rally who’d also been at Albert Park, it had restored their faith in the police.

Here's the team who got this rally off the ground – they reckon they’ll be doing it again early next year. Come along for the kids, the camaraderie, the friends and acquaintances, the connections made, the networks established, and joining forces - and did I mention the kids?

Great tee-shirts 😊

The livestream of the ‘Voices for Children’ rally.

VOICES FOR CHILDREN RALLY. We are at Parliament today to protect our tamariki & mokopuna. 🖤🤍❤️ - YouTube