"Trans Rights are Human Rights": Thousands Gather for Trans Acceptance Rally

Words by Zoë Mills (they/she)

CW: Transphobia

On Sunday, 26 March, thousands of protesters flooded Pōneke’s Civic Square fighting for trans rights in response to transphobic activist Kellie-Jay KeenMinshull, commonly known as Posie Parker, arriving in Aotearoa.

While Keen-Minshull left the country after the Auckland counter-rally the day before, protesters still gathered in support of trans rights and to rally against the themes within her tour.

“Posie might not be here today, but the ideals she [sought] to meet in this country are here [and] they're very real,” said Vera Ashburn, an organiser from Queer Endurance/Defiance. “It's really important that people show up to show her that her ideas aren't welcome here,” she said.

Justin, 47, was one of many parents representing their transgender children at the protest. He said that showing up to trans rights rallies shows “manaaki and aroha for trans people being hurt and threatened by the the actions of people like Posie Parker.”

The rally included chants in both English and te reo Māori, alongside speeches by transgender activists and allies. While speakers of the rally focused on standing against transphobia, emphasis was placed on trans health care reform. Current public healthcare wait times for some gender-affirming surgeries can be up to 40 years.

“As trans people, it's really tempting to stay at home behind our computer screens and build communities online, where we don't encounter the same sort of anxieties that we encounter out in the world,” Tristan Cordelia, fellow rally organiser, explained. “It's also really important to gather together collectively in public and show the world and the rest of Aotearoa how many of us there are.”

Cordelia encourages cisgender allies to support the transgender community through donating to Gender Minorities Aotearoa. “They do a lot of outreach and healthcare work. They always need funds.”

“The collective power that we have if we come together is immense,” Ashburn added. “It's really our greatest asset and it's the thing that keeps us safe. If you can have these conversations, if you can bring these people [onto our] side, you are winning the battle already.”