Is that what happens when we lose the definition of what a woman is? We also lose visibility, relevance, political clout?
Or could it just be embarrassment since every major political party, except New Zealand First, pushed through policies which elevated the bogus notion of gender and eroded women’s sex-based rights, as well as the integrity of our public records, during the years of the Labour-led government.
The most egregious of these policies is probably self-sex ID. Most people now know that changes to legislation in 2023 allow individuals to amend their sex on their birth certificate based on how they identify without any other eligibility criteria, and to be able to do this as often as they wish. Although women can also alter their sex on their birth certificate, men insisting they are women pose greater physical risks to women, hence the opposition by sex realists such as the Women’s Rights Party (WRP).
What people may not realise is that amendments were made to legislation in December last year, allowing parents to choose whether they are listed as ‘mother’, ‘father’ or ‘parent’ on their child’s birth certificate. When the Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden, introduced the changes, she said they acknowledged diverse family structures and personal identities.
What the amendments to the legislation really achieve is a denial of reality. It means that same sex couples can both be listed as ‘mother’ or both be listed as ‘father.’ Other couples may opt for the sex-neutral term, ‘parent.’ But these options give legal weight to a lie. Men cannot be mothers. Women cannot be fathers. The word ‘parent’ is a total denial of sex. Nowhere are the child’s rights to know their genetic heritage considered.
History tells us that adopted children are desperate to know their birth parents. Open adoptions are the norm in New Zealand today, that is the adopted child has ongoing contact or communication with the birth family. How will the child of two mothers or two fathers feel when they grow up if they have no way of finding out who both their birth parents are?
Sex is real. Gender is not. Gender is a social concept, that is, you are whatever you say you are. The insidious inclusion of gender in legislation and in education effectively erodes the reality of biological sex and the integrity of public records.
For instance, gender was inserted into legislation such as the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022 thus preventing adults such as parents/therapists/medical professionals challenging a child who believes they are transgender. It effectively puts the child on a gender affirming path, which is indeed the policy of the Ministry of Health, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, New Zealand Society of Endocrinology, the New Zealand Sexual Health Society and the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa.
As well, gender is taught as part of sex education in schools, although the coalition government has agreed to remove and replace the gender, sexuality, and relationship-based education guidelines
The Law Commission is currently promoting the inclusion of gender in the Human Rights Act. Their report recommending this change will go to Parliament in June. In addition the Law Commission is looking at making hate crimes a separate law. They have listed race, religion and gender identity as aggravating factors. Sex is not mentioned.
But as WRP founder Jill Ovens says: “Most people who commit sexual assaults and rape are usually misogynist men. They hate women.”
Gender sounds so right-on and non-judgemental, as if it is describing a new tribe or thrilling new way of looking at the world. In practice, gender is the modern word for misogyny. It is both a denial of reality and, thus, of women’s sex-based rights.
As if that’s not bad enough, the glaring homophobia in gender ideology is rarely acknowledged. If sex is erased, same sex attracted people will no longer be able to exclude the opposite sex from their spaces. Lesbians will be expected to welcome men, gay men to include women. All around the western world same sex spaces have closed as a result of the march of gender ideology.
In the words of the most famous sex realist in the world, author J.K. Rowling, in response to yet another legal ruling prohibiting lesbians from excluding men:
“Either you think lesbians should be allowed to exclude heterosexual men from their meetings, or you are a homophobe who thinks the desires of fetishistic straight male cross-dressers trump the rights of same-sex attracted women. There is no third option.”
Facts matter. Reality matters. Accurate public records matter. As Australian sex rights campaigner Sall Grover put it: “If you think women have penises, I won’t believe a single word you say about anything else. Because if you lie about something so obvious I will assume you lie about everything.”
International Women’s Day 2025 might have been a fizzer in New Zealand, but there was one bright light. Women’s Rights Party Jill Ovens held a small gathering in Mt Albert, featuring a petition to have Suffrage Day recognised as a national public holiday. This petition is an acknowledgement of the fact that New Zealand was the first self-governing country to allow all adult women to vote. Imagine if women were celebrated with the same hoopla as Pride.
Yvonne van Dongen is a journalist, travel writer, playwright and non-fiction author. This article was first published HERE
The most egregious of these policies is probably self-sex ID. Most people now know that changes to legislation in 2023 allow individuals to amend their sex on their birth certificate based on how they identify without any other eligibility criteria, and to be able to do this as often as they wish. Although women can also alter their sex on their birth certificate, men insisting they are women pose greater physical risks to women, hence the opposition by sex realists such as the Women’s Rights Party (WRP).
What people may not realise is that amendments were made to legislation in December last year, allowing parents to choose whether they are listed as ‘mother’, ‘father’ or ‘parent’ on their child’s birth certificate. When the Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden, introduced the changes, she said they acknowledged diverse family structures and personal identities.
What the amendments to the legislation really achieve is a denial of reality. It means that same sex couples can both be listed as ‘mother’ or both be listed as ‘father.’ Other couples may opt for the sex-neutral term, ‘parent.’ But these options give legal weight to a lie. Men cannot be mothers. Women cannot be fathers. The word ‘parent’ is a total denial of sex. Nowhere are the child’s rights to know their genetic heritage considered.
History tells us that adopted children are desperate to know their birth parents. Open adoptions are the norm in New Zealand today, that is the adopted child has ongoing contact or communication with the birth family. How will the child of two mothers or two fathers feel when they grow up if they have no way of finding out who both their birth parents are?
Sex is real. Gender is not. Gender is a social concept, that is, you are whatever you say you are. The insidious inclusion of gender in legislation and in education effectively erodes the reality of biological sex and the integrity of public records.
For instance, gender was inserted into legislation such as the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022 thus preventing adults such as parents/therapists/medical professionals challenging a child who believes they are transgender. It effectively puts the child on a gender affirming path, which is indeed the policy of the Ministry of Health, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, New Zealand Society of Endocrinology, the New Zealand Sexual Health Society and the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa.
As well, gender is taught as part of sex education in schools, although the coalition government has agreed to remove and replace the gender, sexuality, and relationship-based education guidelines
The Law Commission is currently promoting the inclusion of gender in the Human Rights Act. Their report recommending this change will go to Parliament in June. In addition the Law Commission is looking at making hate crimes a separate law. They have listed race, religion and gender identity as aggravating factors. Sex is not mentioned.
But as WRP founder Jill Ovens says: “Most people who commit sexual assaults and rape are usually misogynist men. They hate women.”
Gender sounds so right-on and non-judgemental, as if it is describing a new tribe or thrilling new way of looking at the world. In practice, gender is the modern word for misogyny. It is both a denial of reality and, thus, of women’s sex-based rights.
As if that’s not bad enough, the glaring homophobia in gender ideology is rarely acknowledged. If sex is erased, same sex attracted people will no longer be able to exclude the opposite sex from their spaces. Lesbians will be expected to welcome men, gay men to include women. All around the western world same sex spaces have closed as a result of the march of gender ideology.
In the words of the most famous sex realist in the world, author J.K. Rowling, in response to yet another legal ruling prohibiting lesbians from excluding men:
“Either you think lesbians should be allowed to exclude heterosexual men from their meetings, or you are a homophobe who thinks the desires of fetishistic straight male cross-dressers trump the rights of same-sex attracted women. There is no third option.”
Facts matter. Reality matters. Accurate public records matter. As Australian sex rights campaigner Sall Grover put it: “If you think women have penises, I won’t believe a single word you say about anything else. Because if you lie about something so obvious I will assume you lie about everything.”
International Women’s Day 2025 might have been a fizzer in New Zealand, but there was one bright light. Women’s Rights Party Jill Ovens held a small gathering in Mt Albert, featuring a petition to have Suffrage Day recognised as a national public holiday. This petition is an acknowledgement of the fact that New Zealand was the first self-governing country to allow all adult women to vote. Imagine if women were celebrated with the same hoopla as Pride.
Yvonne van Dongen is a journalist, travel writer, playwright and non-fiction author. This article was first published HERE
2 comments:
We don't need International Womans Day or Pride "Month" and many other meaningless calendar events.
What are they for?
They only serve to promote identity politics for which most people just don't care and are fed up.
Better to aware of history and the struggles all society has overcome 365 days a year.
We need legislation that shields minors from predators whose mission is to convince them that they are homosexual and/or need a sex change.
Such legislation has been passed by Hungary, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, following the example of - dare I say it - Russia. The lefty-fascists will of course claim that these are all dictatorial undemocratic states but with parents being prosecuted for trying to keep their kids safe from manipulation that truly is the pot calling the kettle black.
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