By Chris Trotter*
What should have happened on Saturday morning, 25 March 2023, in Auckland’s Albert Park is easily described.
At 11:00am, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (a.k.a “Posie Parker”) a small (just 155 centimetres tall) bottle-blond mother of four from the United Kingdom, would have stood behind the microphone set up in the Albert Park band rotunda and delivered a speech.
To a small crowd of about 250 people, she would have detailed her objections to transgender women (i.e. persons born biological males and, in some cases, retaining their male reproductive organs) having the right to enter spaces hitherto reserved for biological women and girls; being incarcerated in biological women’s prisons; and permitted to compete against human females in sporting events intended for biological women only.
Keen-Minshull would have been followed by a line-up of New Zealand speakers (most of them biological women and feminists) concerned about the linguistic erasure of their sex from official discourse (as in the expression “pregnant persons”) and alarmed at the efforts of transgender women and their supporters to silence the public expression of their concerns.
At a distance of about 50 metres, a much larger crowd of transgender persons and their supporters, safely corralled behind sturdy barriers, and a cordon of police officers, would have kept up a noisy barrage of objections to the content of the speakers’ speeches. Above their heads, banners and placards proclaiming their support for the rights of transgender New Zealanders would have been clearly visible to the “Let Women Speak” organisers in the rotunda.
The news media would have been there in force to record the confrontation for posterity. When the meeting came to an end, roughly 90 minutes later, and the crowds began to disperse, journalists would have be seen interviewing participants from both sides of the barriers for their media employers.
Spokespersons for the Transgender community would have set forth their objections to Keen-Minshull’s claims, drawing the journalists’ attention to the lack of evidence for any widespread abuse of women and girls by transgender women in toilets, changing-rooms, women’s refuges or prisons, and pointing out how extremely hurtful such suggestions are to the members of one of society’s most fragile and vulnerable communities. The journalists’ professional commitment to fair and balanced reporting would ensure that the views of both groups would be presented to the public.
By 2:00pm, Albert Park would again have become the preserve of Aucklanders enjoying a sunny autumn afternoon.
What actually happened on the morning of Saturday, 25 March 2023, bore very little resemblance to the civilised political ideal described above.
As Keen-Minshull stepped forward to speak she was physically assaulted by a person pretending to be a supporter. This attack caused the counter-protesters, estimated at more than 2,000, to surge forward, thrusting aside the flimsy barriers erected to separate them from the much smaller crowd which had gathered to hear the speakers. They were able to do this because there was no police cordon to enforce that separation. Within seconds, the counter-protesters were pressing in on Keen-Minshull’s audience, screaming abuse, hurling projectiles, and lashing out with fists and placards.
Fearing for the safety of Keen-Minshull and her audience, veteran journalist Sean Plunket implored a nearby police officer, who was looking on impassively, to intervene. He refused, allegedly declaring that Keen-Minshull: ‘is in a public space. If she feels unsafe she needs to leave’.
At this point, Keen-Minshull’s only protecters were a handful of burly security guards who surrounded their client and began forcing a path through what was now a howling mob. At least one video recording shows the diminutive Keen-Minshull, a terrified rag-doll, eyes dulled by the effects of shock, being heaved past individuals with faces contorted by fury and hate.
Only when the police present realised that if they did not place Keen-Minshull under their protection, then her bodyguards would be forced to exit the melee by driving through it in their own vehicle – with all the attendant risks to the counter-protesters’ health and safety such a manoeuvre would entail. Keen-Minshull was, accordingly, bundled into a police car and driven from the scene.
Not all the scheduled speakers were so lucky. This is how Ani O’Brien, from the group Stand Up For Women, described her experience:
“No sooner had Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull arrived at the Rotunda, a protestor (who had managed to get past the barrier) ran at her and threw a red substance all over her and a security guard. As she attempted to clean up, the protestors pushed over, crushed, and dismantled the barriers and swarmed around her.
“At this point, I was caught in the angry crowd. I had whistles blown in my face, abuse screamed at me, and I was fearful for my own safety. This was nothing compared to what Kellie-Jay endured. She was trapped and surrounded by a mob screaming abuse and trying to get past her security guards.
“Chris, there were no police in sight. Despite widely publicised threats of violence, the police were nowhere near the protest frontlines to prevent the event from devolving into chaos as it did. I had to call the police from the middle of the screaming crowd! And even then they weren’t particularly concerned that a woman was trapped in the midst of a mob determined to get to her.”
Keen-Minshull’s rally was over before it had even begun – victim of the Thug’s Veto. Her right to free expression had been illegally and violently curtailed. Left in possession of the park, the elated counter-protesters took to Twitter to celebrate their historic victory over bigotry and hate.
What are we to make of the events of Saturday, 25 March 2023? The most urgent questions are those that will, over the coming days, be levelled at the Police. Who was in command? What intelligence did they have regarding Keen-Minshull and her increasingly vocal enemies? Why, in the face of credible threats to her person, was police protection denied to Keen-Minshull and her followers? Why, as the situation spiralled out of control, did the police officers present not intervene?
Predictably – and entirely appropriately – the Free Speech Union, has raised these issues in a letter to the new Police Minister, Ginny Andersen:
“We call on you, and the Police Commissioner, to acknowledge the lack of action to defend the basic speech rights of those who turned up to the ‘Let Women Speak’ rally, and reassert that those who express unpopular or controversial views in public are entirely in their right, and deserve to be protected from threats, intimidation, and violence.”
There will be considerable public scepticism, however, concerning the willingness of the Labour Government, and Party, to defend New Zealanders’ freedom of speech and assembly. There will be scepticism, also, that the Minister and her colleagues are any longer capable of perceiving the ethical issues which Saturday’s ugly demonstration laid bare.
All through the preceding week, Labour Ministers, Members of Parliament, and activist party members were telling those seeking to silence Keen-Minshull that, as far as Labour was concerned, they were doing the Lord’s work. In this they were echoed, even more vehemently, by the Greens. When the governing parties of the day publicly back a political movement, its followers may be forgiven for believing they have been given the green-light for coercion. The parliamentary Left did not balk at describing Keen-Minshull’s views as “abhorrent” and “incorrect”. Not quite in the same league as King Henry II’s “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest!” – but close.
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the whole incident is the crucial role played by the mainstream news media in creating the preconditions for the violent suppression of free speech which ensued. Throughout the preceding week, journalists had denigrated Keen-Minshull – who describes herself as an “advocate for women” – as “an anti-trans activist” – finding her guilty, by association, of endorsing far-right, even Neo-Nazi, groups. That she, and people who shared her concerns, had a case to make was simply not acknowledged journalistically. In a synergy worthy of Putin’s Russia, the views of the Government, and the views of the mainstream media, had become interchangeable.
Certainly, the state media appeared incapable of perceiving the role it had played in the events of Saturday, 25 March. Television New Zealand’s Jack Tame even offered the violence unleashed by Keen-Minshull’s opponents as an ex-post-facto justification for denying her entry to New Zealand. In other words, allowing those threatening to exercise the Thug’s Veto to determine who should be allowed to speak in New Zealand, and who should not. Nothing could better illustrate the yawning generational gulf into which journalistic ethics has disappeared.
Over the next six months, the New Zealand electorate will discover just how effectively the parties of the Right are able to exploit the Labour-Green failure to uphold the Bill of Rights Act and the democratic polity it underpins. Chris Hipkins may soon regret that he did not step in immediately to set the political tone on Keen-Minshull. Because, whatever the reasons that set New Zealanders against one another so aggressively on Saturday, 25 March 2023, they had absolutely nothing to do with bread and butter.
*Chris Trotter has been writing and commenting professionally about New Zealand politics for more than 30 years. He writes a weekly column for interest.co.nz. His work may also be found at http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com.
87 Comments
Good critique CT.
Perhaps a part of this is that many people when presenting an argument tend to be somewhat extremist when trying to support their positions. As result any response is virtually inevitably extremist.
While not witnessing the events, some of the arguments I have heard to support this person's position have left me wondering just how often they really do occur? (When was the last time a transgender person in a women's changing room accosted other people in with them?) Or are they just railing against some unrealised fear? This in no way is an attempt to justify the other side's reaction, as they need to realise that their actions will only ever entrench any feelings against them.
But the question I must ask is why when ensuring one group's rights are protected and ensured, must another group's be suppressed?
Better than good - Trotter nails it.
Compare this to Kim Hill's lame effort this morning (RNZ Morning Report).
Trotter is right - the media are failing us. As are leaders from politics to academia - just when we needed good discourse most.
Kim Hill isn't out to write an opinion piece. And be honest - you love this because you agree with it.
don't you ?
So much of NZ’s supposed journalism is simply sensationalism. The frenzy over this unfortunate event typifies that. Seems like there are too many journalists, reporters or whatever desperately fighting one another to be the one to author a headline, any headline. The editors of the tabloid rags for example in the UK encourage this feature. Sadly far too much of NZ’s media publications are no better, perhaps worse. It seems extraordinary that a distinct group of people, I daresay less than 1% of NZ’s population, should be of sufficient moment to dominate the headlines for days on end. Certainly there are complications and social challenges here but it’s hard to imagine that any of the subject group would see this outburst of vehemence and aggression as being positively contributive to their cause.
It happens all the time. Except that its never reported in mainstream media. Like vaccination injury, if the media don't report it, did it really happen? If you have alternative sources of information you will see these things reported on. Don't look to Google to find them - again, like Covid, Google now censors anything it considers contrary to the mainstream narrative. Try Duck Duck Go.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11458335/Male-female-Trans-inm…
Why is what she saying extreme? She says call biological women, women and have another term for transgender women. The horror.
While I don't know what rate of assaults happen with transgender men using women's are, my guess probably low. If we can say its not right to call someone the gender they where born with because it makes them feel uncomfortable. Then why can't some women say the they don't like it when biological men use the same facilities as them because it makes them fell uncomfortable.
As for transgender being "one of society’s most fragile and vulnerable communities" they sure showed how they are one of societies most vulnerable groups by the way they acted, with their bullying and aggressive behavior. Women are also seen of one of societies vulnerable communities, something I don't quite believe either, most women I know are strong, smart and quite capable of standing up for themselves.
I don't think it was supposed to be a big event. She was expecting to speak to 250 supporters. 1000 or so trans activists turned up. That's a 4-1 ratio.
1000 men who think they are women and their feral supporters acting aggressively towards a small group of actual woman is a problem. It should have been dealt with seriously by the police.
We have a big violence against women problem in this country of ours, and these guys just proved you can get away with it on national television.
So much for "love not hate" and all that. I personally support (what I presume are) Keen-Minshull's views. I don't believe that I hate anybody; I just simply disagree that there is a thing called gender that is distinct from biological sex, and that sex segregation in certain contexts (especially changing rooms, and prisons) is a great idea. I don't think the legitimacy of this argument rests on whether there is evidence of abuse from men in girls changing rooms, because that's not even the argument. I don't think this way out of hatred of anybody. But all I saw of the rally shows that there is sure a lot of hatred directed towards people who think like me on this issue.
You say that you don't believe you hate anybody, and that there is a lot of hatred directed towards people who think the same as you. But your view denies the existence of a growing minority. Which is worse? The hatred that you feel subjected to, or having your whole existence denied? I think your view shows a lack of understanding and perhaps education on the matter.
your view denies the existence of a growing minority
Is acknowledging that gender dysphoria is a real mental illness that some suffer, and that treatments such as hormone replacement or surgical reassignment have been shown to help, enough? Or do we also need to agree that a biological male can become a female in order to not "deny their existence".
The surgery you refer to as "surgical reassignment" is now generally referred to as "gender confirmation surgery". The reason for this is that the surgery doesn't change one's gender - it changes the body in which one experiences that gender. So the "biological male" that you refer to is already experiencing female gender before the surgery - the surgery doesn't change their gender. So the best answer to your question is probably "no".
I hope that helps you to understand.
Possibly you people should stick to commenting on what CT said. On a related note, if this debate descends into the usual personal abuse, I will be forced to recite all 57 genders.
A genuine question - How can one feel that they are the other gender, how do they know how it feels to be the other gender feels or what the definition of being the other gender is.
I understand homosexuality as being attracted to the same sex.
My perception is that transexual is wanting to appear as the alternate biological gender than their own. Requiring others to refer to you as of that gender being an extension of that.
But "being" the other gender seems too indefinable given that both genders have a wide spectrum of characteristics.
People at their worst. Defending or supporting actions based on what side of the debate they are on.
I just imagine how I wold feel if this was a speaker and cause I supported passionately and was allowed to be shut down.
Good article Chris. Embarrassing day for NZ.
Clearly our minister of immigration ought to apologise to his ministry & to " Posie Parker " ... this little lady , somewhat of a dingbat in some of her views , nevertheless is a harmless little lady , who is ardently pro womens rights ...
... Michael Wood , are you anti women's rights ?
This was a massive own goal by the protesters. There are many anti-fascist centre-left people that are concerned about womens rights, it isn't just a bunch of far-right nutters. We need a reasoned debate, but people are too scared of being cancelled if they get a word wrong on this. Cultural misappropriation is rightly frowned upon, but gender appropriation is seen as progressive, where is the logic? Most of the people I speak with are supportive of gay rights and post-operative transgender people and would agree that Caster Semenya is a woman. They struggle with the concept of a fully equipped biological male being identified as a woman and having access to womans sport and spaces. These are issues that need discussion so that understanding can be developed on both sides of the debate.
"Caster Semenya is a woman" You must have missed that in the last three days or so World Athletics have just banned people like Caster Semenya. They have tightened up the definition of a female quite drastically. The level of testosterone has been halved so even if she was born a woman her testosterone levels would need to drop.
Any full transgender ie born a male but "converted" later will not be allowed to compete.
https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/world-athletics-lord-coe-transgende…
I think her case is really sad. She was raised as a girl from birth.
You totally missed the point that she was throwing nazi hand signals while threatening our PM, that was broadcasted by our news media.... And the wider context around violence directed to our queer community, and the legitimate fear they therefore have for their safety. When people fear for their safety they lash out.
Violence is directed to all people in NZ .
Are you saying that if she hadn't displayed a Nazi salute she could have spoken freely.?
Do you have a link to a picture of her "throwing nazi hand signals"? I searched for it but couldn't find anything.
It was the white supremist hand signal rather than nazi.
https://twitter.com/Hurrrrr_Durrrrr/status/1638278481699303424/photo/1
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ok-sign-white-power-s…
Nothing of the sort. As your twitter link points out, this was a second taken out of a video captured by Lal (sometime "opinion/commentator" on $tuff), in order to denigrate Parker.
I'm surprised she didn't present two fingers.
The version I heard was that any so called Nazi salutes were directed at the people acting like Nazis who ran her out of town.
Literally what are you on about.
That is a ex post facto justification of violence on the grounds of feeling unsafe which denies any form of opposition without it being violence.
Disinformation from millennial woman above. No nazi signal.
Kiwiblog had a photo a couple of days ago showing PM Ardern with her hand doing the same thing. Neither Parker nor Ardern promote nazis. Neither were sending any signals.
But I have seen it often. People signaling the simple word "OK"
What on earth were the police doing (or not doing, as seemed to have been the case)?
The protestors obviously have the right to protest - although some of the behaviour as evidenced on video was clearly violent in nature - but why was there no meaningful police presence separating the protestors and the speaker/attendees?
The police clearly can muster up resources to face protests, as evidenced last year. The protest was well-telegraphed. This should have been "bread and butter" work for the boys and girls in blue.
They were too busy doing nothing about the ram-raids to do nothing at the protest.
These are the same police who refused to do anything when my car had $4000 worth of damage done to it, and I went to them with the rego of the vehicle that hit it and ran away.
Possibly you people should stick to commenting on what CT said. Which was nothing to do with your car :)
Bang on. Another exposure of the Left's justification that the means fit the ends.
Not buying any argument that she was hard done by.
If it was a KKK person up there the protesters would be heroes, if she had been allowed into the country at all. There's zero difference with the anti-trans fascists.
This idea of free speech ignores that we don't have to tolerate intolerance and discrimination. That way leads to gas chambers.
If you don't share my opinion we will shout you down and be violent towards you. Yes, it does lead to the gas chambers.
I am centre left on most issues but I have been called a fascist, bigot, transphobe and nazi by the left simply because my views are not as extreme as theirs.
You really think that shouting down this person has changed the minds of her followers, potential or current?
That shouting her down has ended her 'cause' in NZ and that as a result many NZ soles were saved from her?
Nope. It's an own goal, she now has propaganda to spread across the globe.
Dumber then dumb response - no matter how hard the back slapping.
I read an interesting perspective from the Australian media last week where the view was the incumbent risks associated with making her speech in a public place open to all. As opposed to a speech in a private venue where he could have preached to the converted without fear of being shouted down or attacked. That public place really is a red flag to any opposition in my opinion.
The police should have done a lot better given the lead time and potential for violence as demonstrated over the ditch.
When identity politics/cancel culture has an ideological confliction. Eventually everyone but the barest of minorities will be labeled far-right.
People need not worry about things too much. The protesters are just the "useful idiots" of the establishment. The establishment supports all their concerns. The LGBTQIA+ community pose no significant threat to the order at all. That's why the police only did the minimum. Same with socialists and communists, they are harmless.
In many ways it is better that disorder come from an unruly mob rather than the government decreeing that someone cannot speak. Given the two options a colourful mob having a reasonably good time while suppressing "free speech" is the lesser of two evils.
My position on what occurred over the weekend is the same as Voltaires :
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
I don’t agree with Kellie jay Keen Minshull’s position on a number of issues- but I do agree that whilst-ever she is sharing her opinion in a legal manner then the principle of freedom of speech applies, a principle which supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship or legal sanction.
My concern from Saturday is as a society we breached the principle of freedom of speech by shutting down voices we disagreed with in a totally inappropriate manner. When we lose the ability to have civilised discourse on issues then we reach dangerous territory which will only lead to more division in society.
We need to be better than this in New Zealand.
100%. I like to mock and laugh at views/ideas that I don't support but I'd 100% push for them to be heard. A real worry and dark day for NZ once again when we are putting an end to someone for their views and using fear+violence to silence.
As Bill Maher once said - "the woke Left preach tolerance, and any other opinion is intolerable"
Talk about fiddling while Rome burns - there are so many more important things to devote our energy to OTHER THAN identity politics and alienating the 90-something % of people who are generally open-minded but don't want to hear about this issue ALL THE TIME!
Except you would never get pass an ethics committee to study the negatives regarding trans and homosexuals. The best you can find is the threads on Salo Forum:
https://archive.amarna-forum.net/salo/salo/003167_patient-zero-and-the-…
The fact of the matter is the legacy media and activist journalists within it took weeks to promote a counter protest as loudly as possible to fellow leftists to attack this event and used ex post facto violence by them to justify their narrative afterwards. The use their propaganda of victimhood and weakness to justify their violence.
The centre right cucks out once more, barely condemns the counter protestors or the fact that the Co-Leader of the greens, who attended the event, used anti-white rhetoric to justify the violence of the left there.
Similar aggressive behaviour by leftists at these anti-co-governance meetings around the country. You need rough and ready right wing lads who will form a shield wall and bash the leftists for trying to do this stuff.
*Posted this comment in the Breakfast Briefing as well.
What the counter protestors should have done is offer free coffee/tea and biscuits to anyone in the PP audience who wanted to sit down and chat. A lot easier to convince the supporters of PP one on one to show them that there are no monsters and the dangers so slight to be almost irrelevant. The Daryl Davis approach. Then eventually PP has no audience, no funds, and fades away into obscurity.
Instead the left advertised for her (I had never heard of her until last week) and further polarize by acting out. PP's audience are now pushed further right as the left tell them that they are bigots or transphobes. Why would they want to join that side? PP tells them they need to fear the left and the left help her out by giving them something to fear.
the members of one of society’s most fragile and vulnerable communities.
The counter-protesters certainly didn't come across as fragile and vulnerable.
I did note mid last week the change in media descriptions of Keen-Minshull from pro woman rights to anti trans.
I thought I might suggest a headline for an article covering the protest
"Mob of uncertain gender attacks woman trying to talk to a group of elderly ladies in the park"
To my mind a mob of any kind needs to be dispersed but from what I understand they roamed the city for the rest of the day.
I see there was a very recent announcement just on Friday that Trans/Cheats are now banned from Woman's athletics, which has closely followed the ban from swimming and rugby. So, international sport, the Olympics, World Championships, and the Commonwealth games will all be free of deliberate cheats (drug taking excluded obviously), and Women can continue to compete against women as all the elite female athletes seem to want to do.
So, sense has been returning in these areas, hopefully, men that believe they are women will soon be banned from women's spaces (particularly in schools).
Let's see how the alphabet community reacts to that. They are truly 1%ers, and they showed that very clearly yesterday, trying to push their minority view on everyone else, and even using violence to get their point across.
They did themselves a lot of damage yesterday, and that is the only good thing to come out of the weekend.
Has the Olympics taken this stance? Laurel Hubbard competed in the 2020 summer Olympics. Because the question is about former men who have 'transitioned' including surgery competing in women's sports that concerns many. E.g. in cycling.
Yes, it has. Last week. Seb Coe made the announcement. No men who believe they are women are permitted to compete, unless they had whatever the process is, prior to them turning 12.
Head of the IAAF , Lord Coe , said that if you've not changed your sexual apparatus prior to puberty , then you must compete in sport as the sex you were born as ....
.... which vindicates " Posie Parker's " argument on the matter .... and that of many female athletes worldwide ...
This is not an anti-trans position : it is science & commonsense ...
Unfortunately here in New Zealand is not common sense. But, we are notoriously bad at watching what is going on in the rest of the world and the sensible decisions people like Seb Coe and all the other sporting organizations are now taking.
The positive thing is that this group can protest as much as they want because it two years when New Zealand catches up to the rest of the world, these people are going to lose, and the blowback will probably be quite dramatic.
Thank you - I disagree with some of the points raised in your piece, but this is one of the most balanced opinions on Posie Parker I have read all week. I hadn't even heard of her until a week ago. She seems mostly described as "anti-transgender" in the media, yet I haven't come across any information about what she has said and done which would constitute her being "anti" transgender people.
The discourse of "if you disagree, you must hate the person or must be anti [the person]" is a dangerous one. It conjures hate when there is probably none, and the discourse often proceeds with the silencing or cancelling of the person who voiced the opinion. Let's think back to the times in recorded human history when factions or groups are told to be quiet and robbed of voice; it sends shivers down my spine knowing what occurred at Albert Park over the weekend. That is absolutely not us - I, for one, feel embarrassed about how she was treated and feel saddened to see the freedom of speech being trampled upon in this free country.
Few human rights are absolute, and most are derogable. It would be impossible to maintain order in society if we all insisted all our human rights are absolute. To that end, on the balancing of different and sometimes competing rights and interests (which happens all the time in civilised societies), shouting down and carrying out of physical assault does not progress society as a whole. In fact, it would only make sense if further, more entrenched division and conflict were the ultimate goals.
This is exactly the same as the vaccination - if you have questions around its safety, or efficacy, then you are immediately labelled an anti-vaxxer and as such, a danger to society. Same as those who wish to adapt to climate change rather than destroy civilised life as we know it, are labelled climate deniers. Language is powerful. If you label someone something that is offensive, it becomes impossible for others to stand up and support that person. We live in a world of weaponised language and media, all designed to promote one particular ideology and suppress the rest.
It's interesting that our media revel in calling Posie Parker "Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull". Yet when Steve from accounts wants to be called Candice, that's her right and Candice it resolutely is. Bias feeds extremists on all sides, and our media naively feed many.
This is how civilizations degenerate... They eventually get taken over by barbarians.
Agreed.
Anyone else find it strange that trans covers both sexes, but its only men that are demanding the right to things that belong to women that is in issue. Where are the men fighting against their rights being subjugated to the demands of women who want to be men? Why aren't trans women demanding to be transferred to men's prisons, or to compete in men's sports? Its almost as if there are real biological and psychosocial differences that being trans doesnt change, right?
Hi K.W.
With respect, a little background reading and some self-education may help you answer these questions for yourself. For starters, at a basic level, trans women are men who have become women - so I think you are a little confused overall.
You missed KW's point. If male to female demand to be put in women's prisons, why don't women to men demand to be put in men's prisons? Or do they and it doesn't suit MSM to mention it?
I just don't think trans rights issues effect biological men in a significant way. If a biological woman wants the use the men's bathroom no one really cares as men a generally a low risk for predatory behaviour. Likewise if a biological woman wants to compete in a mans sport no one cares as they don't get an advantage.
At many a rugby game at halftime, us men at the urinal have many women walk behind us to the sit down bits, as they know they will be empty and there is no queue. As with all gender issues, 99% of us don't give a shit how others identify themselves, and just want to get on with our lives as best we can. I have done business with many drag queens, transvestites, gays of both sexes, and even heterosexuals. As long as they pay me, I couldn't care.
What a good point KW ! Love it.
Chris Trotter is a voice of reason and principle.
He is indeed , Due Diligence.
Great article CT.
Gagging freedom of speech is never acceptable, and doing so with violence is the worst. Shame on you transgender protesters, you have cast a terrible image of NZ.
Shame on : our media , who misrepresented PP , and sought to frame her into an ogre several times worse than Vladimir Putin ...
Shame on : minister Michael Wood ... for not doing some basic research on PP , which would reveal that she's ardently pro women's rights ...
Shame on : the NZ police ... once again , missing in action , even when they're right there , and an outrage is occurring in front of them .... gutless , guys , your police culture is pathetic ...
It's a very bad look to be seen truncheoning transexuals....
Perhaps when the school curriculum gets tweaked we need to make George Orwell (and I am sure a few alternatives could be added) compulsory reading
A better understanding that rights (say to protest) come with responsibilities/obligations would be useful lessons
Reading the comments on here have reinstalled some hope for NZ. Common sense and standing for freedoms for all, not just specific groups.
I don't understand how so many can't grasp that freedom, means freedom for everyone, not just those who are in agreeance with you
I'm grateful there is this thoughtful and professional article to read. Thanks CT!
Evil will be seen as good and good will be seen as evil. It is written. I'm certain the rainbow really belongs with my faith. True colours.
So just following the logical train here.
A biological woman wants to give a speech about the fear some of them have about finding themselves in spaces with some trans women where they feel intimated and physically assaulted.
And the trans women are so enraged by how 'not true' that suggestion is, that they show up and intimate and physically assault the biological women and the supporters to prove their point.
Gold!
It certainly proved Parkers point.
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It's a shame the old red report button disappeared.
Crazy we have to be protected and shuffled away from some nasty comments. Kind of goes against the whole point of this article, does it not?
Once again, in the name of protecting people, we do not let them chose what they see and read.
The removed comments were pretty blunt but could've been true, but we don't have the ability to come to that conclusion ourselves.
Excellent summation Chris.
What this demonstrates to me is that New Zealand is very far from the polyanna paradise cultivated by our image makers; of which many of our politicians and much of our our media are just two examples. Alongside them are those who frequently remind us of their rights to free speech, whilst at the same time demonstrating their intolerance. This is a deeply tribal country.
Kumbaya? - Yeah right!
Violent thugs attacking democracy encouraged by politicians and mainstream media. We are no better than Trump's US.
Oh well, .... if Sean Plunket was there I can't believe anything would have been amiss.
Beep beep beep, Greens co-leader Marama Davidson backing up the CIS White Male bus.
Greens continue to astound me on their ability to self destruct just before an election.
Oh dear.
Someone else said James Shaw should jump to TOP and focus on Environmental aspects from there, and let the Greens implode.
This confirms why I don't bother reading articles by this Mr Christopher Trotter.
No surprises there, then.
I used to despise Mr Trotter when I was a lot younger.
But, these days, he seems to speak a lot of sense.
He was center-left back in the day, and I was somewhere out on the right, but we haven't moved.
I suspect the feral left has moved far to the left of him, and he is concerned about where it is all going, and rightly so.
So, on many things we now agree.
We just don't agree with you, at all.
Was anyone worried about the 'violent suppression of free speech' when the dildo was thrown? Don't accuse the press of amping up the rhetroric (I agree with that assessement by the way) and then use 'violent suppression' when it was tomato juice and a poorly secured area around a rotunda. And has anyone asked why she felt NZ women don't have the ability to decide for themselves if we are worried about transgender people in our loos? We were the first country to let women vote. As a woman I'm quite capable of deciding this without the help of a British woman. She was a guest in our country, she doesn't vote here, she doesn't pay tax here. This is our decision as voters and tax payers. Sorry, this comment is a bit off track I know. I just am not worried about free speech in NZ after this event. I think it's getting lots of clicks though.
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