The New Zealand Association of Counsellors is calling February’s Rainbow Pride protests in Tāmaki Makaurau harmful.
The harmful rhetoric and interruption of an event at Te Atatū library further proves why 77% of participants of the Aotearoa New Zealand Trans & Non-binary Health Survey Counting Ourselves reported high or very high psychological distress, compared to only 12% of the general population.
Over half of participants (54%) had ever received threats of physical violence, and a similar amount had experienced attempts at physical violence towards them (48%) or deliberate physical violence (46%).
“All people have the right to live safely in Aotearoa New Zealand regardless of gender or sexual identity and all people have the right to protest,” Association President Sarah Maindonald says.
“But when the latter impinges on someone’s ability to live without fear for their wellbeing or to express who they are truly, then such behaviour must be called out for what it is: harmful.
“Members of the rainbow communities have just as much right as anyone to absolute authority over their own destiny and self-determination.
“Anti-pride protestors’ rights do not and never should transcend rainbow communities’ rights to be safe and to identify and express gender and sexual diversity freely.”
The Human Rights Act 1993 and Te Tiriti o Waitangi 1840 assert everyone has the right to belong in Aotearoa New Zealand, and to have their mana, dignity and identity respected.
“Free speech is often used as a vehicle for hate but it can be equally as powerful as a vehicle for positive transformation, reclaiming one’s identity and power, expressing solidarity and hope,” Sarah says.
“Freedom of opinion and expression are rights which uniquely enable us to promote, protect and fulfil all other human rights.”
The Association’s support for Rainbow communities is underpinned by the core values of counselling, as stated in the Association’s Code of Ethics: respect for human dignity, partnership, autonomy, responsible caring, personal integrity and social justice with explicit reference to reducing social disadvantage in its constitution.
This includes speech that threatens verbal and/or physical violence, conversion therapy, or any other forms of hurt and harm in our Takatāpui community.
