MP Georgina Beyer is surprised and delighted at news that members of the Christian party United Future will support the first reading of her Gender Identity Bill, which will see the rights of transgenders and transsexuals protected under the Human Rights Act. United Future were key political opponents of the Civil Union Bill last year, taking out taxpayer-funded ad campaigns against it. However, many in the party's caucus have decided to lend their support to Beyer's bill, provided it is a conscience vote. “There is a real danger that when it comes to minority groups such as transsexuals, cross-dressers, that we simply say no we're not going to touch that when what we need to do is to look at the real issues that those people face and come up with a solution without going overboard on it,” said United Future MP Murray Smith in an interview on National Radio. However, National MP Richard Worth – who proposed 70 time-wasting and resoundly defeated amendments to the Civil Union Bill – has attacked Beyer's proposal, suggesting it could lead to cross-dressers in the police and armed forces. Beyer says that's ridiculous. “A former police commissioner Rob Murphy, I believe, set that trend back in the 70s when he was wearing kaftans so I thought it was a ridiculous statement, and quite below the intelligence of Mr Worth – or not,” she told GayNZ.com at the Big Gay Out in Auckland at the weekend. The first reading is expected to be held in Parliament within the next two weeks. Beyer says she's not afraid of a conscience vote. "I'm not unhappy with a conscience vote, I'd actually quite like it," she says. "It's a far more honest debate and then you know black and white where people are going to fall."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 15th February 2005 - 12:00pm