I worked at the New Zealand Educational Institute, a large union for teachers and support staff.
I was investigated twice for making gender critical statements on social media and for organising with Speak Up for Women NZ. Because I cited the NZ Bill of Rights Act, in defence of my rights to political opinions and expression I was not able to be sacked. Instead my team was reviewed shortly after the second investigation and I was made redundant. The (straight, male) National Secretary decided without consulting any LGBT staff that the Institute would adopt the NZ Standards Association's standard for Rainbow Friendly workplaces. I protested and said that staff who are actually gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans should have a say in that. We were invited to make submissions on the standard. In my submission I pointed out that while the Glossary had a number of definitions of gender and trans terms there was no definition of "sex" or "lesbian". The standard is heavily influenced by gender ideology. I said I could not agree to be bound by a policy based on the standard, but that I would like to be involved in the group deciding the institutes LGBT policies. I reiterated that LGBT staff should be the ones to decide what our policies should be. I was told by the straight woman in charge of implementing the policy that I could not be part of the group. The group ended up having a lesbian who was pro gender identity, and a couple of other straight people on it including a straight man. My comments were put in moderation in 2 New Zealand Trade Union Facebook groups, along with any other gender critical people who tried to discuss gender ideology in those groups As a member and branch secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party, I was told I could not join the Rainbow Labour organising group because it was "inclusive" and I would make some members unsafe.because I had gender critical views. At a Rainbow Labour Wellington Branch meeting I attended, a transwoman announced that there had been a "TERF"problem at another branch, but it had "been fixed", and "she" had not had any further problems with that branch. At the same meeting Grant Robertson, the Deputy Prime Minister, and an out gay man, referred to a Member of Parliament as making "TERF comments" in Parliament, referring to ex-MP Sarah Dowie, a member of the opposition National Party, who asked the Minister of Statistics if his department would still collect statistics about sex in the Census. I am not a union member any more as I am now unemployed, but I am still a branch secretary in the Labour Party. |
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