‘Turn Up, Listen Up’ Speech at Parliament Lawn (8 June 2023)

[Read by Hamish McGregor]

We’re a group of same-sex attracted women and men whose values align with that of LGB Alliance UK, and we join numerous other LGB groups around the world standing up for the reality of sex and same-sex attraction in the face of the fantasy that is “gender identity” ideology.

We reject this sex-denying, language-corrupting fantasy being implemented in the real world, responsible for dismantling women’s and girls’ sex-based rights before our eyes across the west, from prisons to sports and all in between. The latest disregard of women and girls in New Zealand being the outright omission of female participants as stakeholders in the draft of the Integrity Sport and Recreation Bill. The NZ Human Rights Act specifically provides for single-sex sports in section 49 of The Act, and also provides for Measures to Ensure Equality in Section 73 of The Act.

Gender Identity Ideology promotes body dissociation to children; that they may be “born in the wrong body” simply for being a bit atypical or deviating from the stereotypes associated – rightly or wrongly – with the sex that they are. An ideology that deludes adults to disrupt the natural puberty of those who cannot possibly consent. In the UK, between 80-90% of teens seen at the Tavistock’s Gender Identity Development Service claimed to be same-sex attracted. We are witnessing conversion practice by “gender identity”, but ultimately, every child is at-risk from this insidious ideology because nobody 100% conforms to all stereotypes associated with their sex. Children should have the right to reach adulthood unharmed by these unethical practices. Leave the kids alone.

We reject this ideology that manifests ‘The New Homophobia’, claiming ‘homosexual’ is an “offensive” term that was used in a “medical way” in the past, all while medicalising homosexuality itself, once again, under the guise of “gender affirmative care”. An ideology whose proponents seek to deny homosexuals matter-of-fact language, while simultaneously imposing the anti-homosexual slur “queer” onto us. No. It is not the word ‘homosexual’ that offends proponents of gender identity ideology. What offends them, deep down, is the reality of homosexuality itself. Especially exclusive same-sex attraction. After all, they’re out there calling us “genital fetishists”, “transphobes”, “TERFs”. Or “exclusionary”, as if that’s a negative thing, like a NZ Police representative said to us last year.

We’re committed to highlighting the dual discrimination of both homophobia and misogyny faced by lesbians, as acknowledged under ‘Sexual Orientation’ in the NZ Human Rights Act, and that includes condemning the predatory behaviour of men – of “trans women” - who seek to break the so-called “cotton ceiling”, referring to lesbians’ underwear. This is rape culture. Blatant as. Like Magdalen Berns said, “Leave lesbians alone, you creeps”. We’re committed to ensuring lesbians’ have the right to their own spaces and to organise and name themselves separately from other demographics. Likewise, we support gay men’s right to male-only spaces free from women – from “trans men” – who claim to be “gay men”. And we support bisexual people having their own spaces too, either as a whole or single-sex.

A quick note on the counter-protesters here. They claim that two “trans women of colour” kicked off the historic Stonewall Uprising in the United States, and that we, LGB people everywhere, “owe” them for our rights. Those protesters ought to listen to LGB Alliance fellow Fred Sargeant, who was there that night and who subsequently co-founded the first march that became known as Gay Pride. Neither Johnson nor Rivera were at the Stonewall when things kicked off. Johnson himself claimed he arrived hours later and that he wasn’t a woman, but a gay man. The person we can best attribute to kicking things off that night in 1969 was butch lesbian Storme Delarverie. Moving on.

Sex Matters. Reality Matters. Plain Language Matters.

Woman, Girl, Man, and Boy pertain to sex – to female and male - not to “gender identity” or “feelings”.

Sexual Orientation is attraction with respect to the two sexes, not to “gender identity”.

We won’t stand by silent while the legitimate gay rights movement is corrupted and brought into disrepute by the excesses and unethical practices of the gender identity movement – the TQ+ - and its forced-teaming with LGB. The separation of LGB from TQ+ can’t come soon enough. We will promote our rights and every Kiwis’ right to freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly. We assert that different opinions, even those we may disagree with, should be heard as part of the public debate.

We encourage same-sex attracted Kiwis to Get Involved and help us grow at lgballiance.nz.

And finally, we applaud the numerous individuals and groups of women, lesbians, parents, educators, and therapists who’ve been at the forefront of this issue, holding the line. Thanks for listening up.