I’m off to Wellington on Thursday this week¹, as part of a combined delegation from the Women’s Rights Party NZ and Mana Wāhine Kōrero, to give an oral submission to a Law Commission panel.
It is vital that all terms be clearly defined. "Gender" is no longer an interchangeable substitute for "sex". I don't give a rat's ass how you "identify" yourself; if you were born with a penis, you have no right to enter spaces that have been created to keep women and children safe, even if you've had it chopped off. It does not change your brain or your sex. Ever.
"Gender" is no longer an interchangeable substitute for "sex". Only in the minds of those who either subscribe to or pander to the new gender ideology. Whether the woke brigade like it or not, there are only two genders - male and female. Yes, there are a number of very rare genetic anomalies that occur during the early development of the foetus, resulting in a range of ambiguous phenotypes (including males with apparent female genitals) but they are still essentially male or female. There ARE no other genders.
The word 'gender' was once used interchangeably with the word 'sex', and we all knew what was meant. However, the word 'gender' now increasingly means 'gender identity', so we have to be very specific and use 'sex' when we're talking about biological sex - e.g. there are no other sexes - and 'gender' when we're talking about the gender identity a person may have adopted.
Birth certificates have now become useless anyway for verifying a person's sex. A provision of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021 came into force in June last year that let's me change the sex marker on my birth certificate. As a male, all I have to do now is sign a declaration that I'm female, fill out an application form to have the sex marker changed to "female", include an ID photo, and I'm good to go! This ridiculous provision needs to be revoked!
We also need to make it crystal clear to the law commission we have to ensure the protection of children in toilets/changing rooms from male predators who will take advantage of this if passed . Secondly we must reiterate to them women have every right to our own spaces, especially women who have been abused or accosted women need to feel safe at all times. If any government department sees to change the law HRA included , will have to be comfortable knowing they have allowed the commencement of the erasure of women.
Yes, I get that. But the problem of women and girls having their own defined spaces is just part of the greater overlying matter of the recent rise in the woke "gender ideology" narrative, which is now being pandered to and even adopted by some of our most respected institutions. Until that nonsense is dealt with, I feel that the various other issues such as your particular focus will be a futile task. We really need to fight this at its very core.
What makes you think we aren't fighting it on multiple fronts? There are no 'more important things' in this fight than any other, as it all matters, and the reality is we never know where the first breakthrough will come from. For example, the woke language being used is a major core issue, and it gets across everything, so we push back against that in conjunction with pushing back on whatever other areas different groups and individuals focus on. There are many of us targeting different aspects, sometimes we juggle them, and sometimes we have a specific focus. You mightn't be aware of this because our voices are not given a platform with any mainstream media.
And that's a very good point, Katrina. Sadly, the MSM have just shown very clearly in the last day or two that they shut down any opinions they don't agree with.
Simple failsafe test: Should biologically born males have free access to women only spaces?
If you answer yes, regardless of whether you’re male or female you are refused entry.
Nobody who endangers a protected space should EVER have access or authority over that space. Protection is protection, full stop 🛑 ✋🏻 🚫
AND any body who legislates on an individual or groups’ personal safety should be personally responsible if the legislation fails that group or individual and a protected group or person is harmed.
'Police' is able to be interpreted as a 'dirty word' when uniformed, sworn police, say, as did Karl, Papanui Officer: 'women lie' and then refuse to take action on abuse cases, and those who decide to subjectively 'police' free speech and those (who very recently) turned up at the gate of an elderly and disbaled woman, to harass her as the homeowner on the incorrect/malicious 'say so' of tenants in a neighbouring house, (on a point of Local Body law which the police had so WRONG)...which was pointed out to them and the two extremely discourteous and ineffectual males (in police uniform) were told to 'go away' they went. I am all for insisting on women's rights and quoting Reem Alsalem U.N. Special Rapporteur on our rights under the U.N. Human Rights Act to our single sex, safe spaces. Seems councils and governments either are too 'gone ' to understand anything but 'gender woo' OR cannot read(her statement (July 2023 to U.K. Parliament) despite being sent copies and the whole ensuing support she has accorded to women).
Probably a better word than “policing” might be something like “democratic agreement to uphold life-serving rules and commitments” or similar. The issue I have with “freedom” kōrero is that it forgets that a sane, just community depends on its constituents being able to bang their heads together and agree to some ground rules for how they will engage with one another. Things like, “don’t pour your household / industrial waste into the awa that your neighbours downstream are gonna use or that your wild game will drink from” or “let everyone know before you throw a house party” etc. Basic stuff that you need to agree whether you’re setting up a new flat with a bunch of flatmates, a self sufficient eco community out in the woods, or anything that involves or affects others really.
Given the conduct of the actual police in many countries (if not all), it’s easy to see the aversion to the term policing. I read this mortifying article recently on how UK police officers totally fail to protect female victims of domestic violence, side with male partners, let the men off the hook, and even give credence to the men’s made-up stories that in fact *he* is being abused by *her* and end up putting her in prison instead. https://open.substack.com/pub/whatwouldjesssay/p/an-open-letter-addressing-misogyny?r=qdiky&utm_medium=ios
I’d be keen to know if there’s similar analyses of police failures for female victims of domestic violence in NZ, not least because we have one of the highest rates of DV in the developed world.
I agree that the word 'policing' might not sit well with everyone, but I am comfortable using a word that conveys authority and (if necessary) force around protecting female-only spaces. I feel that anything else implies that there's potential to negotiate. The last few years have taught me that we women should acknowledge our right to apply our own "no debate" principle to our single-sex spaces, and not soften it.
It is vital that all terms be clearly defined. "Gender" is no longer an interchangeable substitute for "sex". I don't give a rat's ass how you "identify" yourself; if you were born with a penis, you have no right to enter spaces that have been created to keep women and children safe, even if you've had it chopped off. It does not change your brain or your sex. Ever.
Absolutely! We fought for those spaces for us, not for men with delusions or altered bodies.
"Gender" is no longer an interchangeable substitute for "sex". Only in the minds of those who either subscribe to or pander to the new gender ideology. Whether the woke brigade like it or not, there are only two genders - male and female. Yes, there are a number of very rare genetic anomalies that occur during the early development of the foetus, resulting in a range of ambiguous phenotypes (including males with apparent female genitals) but they are still essentially male or female. There ARE no other genders.
The word 'gender' was once used interchangeably with the word 'sex', and we all knew what was meant. However, the word 'gender' now increasingly means 'gender identity', so we have to be very specific and use 'sex' when we're talking about biological sex - e.g. there are no other sexes - and 'gender' when we're talking about the gender identity a person may have adopted.
Birth certificates have now become useless anyway for verifying a person's sex. A provision of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021 came into force in June last year that let's me change the sex marker on my birth certificate. As a male, all I have to do now is sign a declaration that I'm female, fill out an application form to have the sex marker changed to "female", include an ID photo, and I'm good to go! This ridiculous provision needs to be revoked!
Great work Katrina and MWK 👏
Go Katrina! Biological sex has to mean something or women will lose all our sex-based rights. And biological sex is immutable.
Wishing you, and us, the very best.
We also need to make it crystal clear to the law commission we have to ensure the protection of children in toilets/changing rooms from male predators who will take advantage of this if passed . Secondly we must reiterate to them women have every right to our own spaces, especially women who have been abused or accosted women need to feel safe at all times. If any government department sees to change the law HRA included , will have to be comfortable knowing they have allowed the commencement of the erasure of women.
Sounds good - have you made a submission?
Yes I did, however I keep thinking or more things to say. Also trying to keep calm at the same time is stressfully
Lol - isn’t that frustrating! When I do that, I console myself with the thought that others will more than likely have mentioned it, as well :-)
I would agree with that - although remember that young boys have never been protected from male predators in toilets/changing rooms anyway.
Absolutely - and I and the vast majority of women would support any efforts made to keep boys safe, too.
Yes, you are right. However this is focused on our rights to have own clearly defined facilities for our sex.
I think we should stick to plain original language no more using gender it’s sex.
Yes, I get that. But the problem of women and girls having their own defined spaces is just part of the greater overlying matter of the recent rise in the woke "gender ideology" narrative, which is now being pandered to and even adopted by some of our most respected institutions. Until that nonsense is dealt with, I feel that the various other issues such as your particular focus will be a futile task. We really need to fight this at its very core.
What makes you think we aren't fighting it on multiple fronts? There are no 'more important things' in this fight than any other, as it all matters, and the reality is we never know where the first breakthrough will come from. For example, the woke language being used is a major core issue, and it gets across everything, so we push back against that in conjunction with pushing back on whatever other areas different groups and individuals focus on. There are many of us targeting different aspects, sometimes we juggle them, and sometimes we have a specific focus. You mightn't be aware of this because our voices are not given a platform with any mainstream media.
And that's a very good point, Katrina. Sadly, the MSM have just shown very clearly in the last day or two that they shut down any opinions they don't agree with.
Simple failsafe test: Should biologically born males have free access to women only spaces?
If you answer yes, regardless of whether you’re male or female you are refused entry.
Nobody who endangers a protected space should EVER have access or authority over that space. Protection is protection, full stop 🛑 ✋🏻 🚫
AND any body who legislates on an individual or groups’ personal safety should be personally responsible if the legislation fails that group or individual and a protected group or person is harmed.
Every single one of us is alive because of SEX. A MALE sperm and a FEMALE ovum fuse to form an embryo. 9 months later (give or take), boom, a baby.
Not ONE of us is alive because of GENDER.
'Police' is able to be interpreted as a 'dirty word' when uniformed, sworn police, say, as did Karl, Papanui Officer: 'women lie' and then refuse to take action on abuse cases, and those who decide to subjectively 'police' free speech and those (who very recently) turned up at the gate of an elderly and disbaled woman, to harass her as the homeowner on the incorrect/malicious 'say so' of tenants in a neighbouring house, (on a point of Local Body law which the police had so WRONG)...which was pointed out to them and the two extremely discourteous and ineffectual males (in police uniform) were told to 'go away' they went. I am all for insisting on women's rights and quoting Reem Alsalem U.N. Special Rapporteur on our rights under the U.N. Human Rights Act to our single sex, safe spaces. Seems councils and governments either are too 'gone ' to understand anything but 'gender woo' OR cannot read(her statement (July 2023 to U.K. Parliament) despite being sent copies and the whole ensuing support she has accorded to women).
Probably a better word than “policing” might be something like “democratic agreement to uphold life-serving rules and commitments” or similar. The issue I have with “freedom” kōrero is that it forgets that a sane, just community depends on its constituents being able to bang their heads together and agree to some ground rules for how they will engage with one another. Things like, “don’t pour your household / industrial waste into the awa that your neighbours downstream are gonna use or that your wild game will drink from” or “let everyone know before you throw a house party” etc. Basic stuff that you need to agree whether you’re setting up a new flat with a bunch of flatmates, a self sufficient eco community out in the woods, or anything that involves or affects others really.
Given the conduct of the actual police in many countries (if not all), it’s easy to see the aversion to the term policing. I read this mortifying article recently on how UK police officers totally fail to protect female victims of domestic violence, side with male partners, let the men off the hook, and even give credence to the men’s made-up stories that in fact *he* is being abused by *her* and end up putting her in prison instead. https://open.substack.com/pub/whatwouldjesssay/p/an-open-letter-addressing-misogyny?r=qdiky&utm_medium=ios
I’d be keen to know if there’s similar analyses of police failures for female victims of domestic violence in NZ, not least because we have one of the highest rates of DV in the developed world.
I agree that the word 'policing' might not sit well with everyone, but I am comfortable using a word that conveys authority and (if necessary) force around protecting female-only spaces. I feel that anything else implies that there's potential to negotiate. The last few years have taught me that we women should acknowledge our right to apply our own "no debate" principle to our single-sex spaces, and not soften it.