Wellington ‘anti-trans’ event to go ahead

Thursday, 16 May 2024

Tākina, the city’s convention centre, is across the road from Te Papa. (File photo)

A “hateful” anti-trans event will go ahead on Saturday, Te Papa has confirmed.

Earlier in the week organiser Rhys Williams said he was confident the event would go ahead, following a meeting with Tākina management.

The group called Inflection Point New Zealand has planned an event on Saturday which it calls a “summit” to stop Government “gender indoctrination and medicalisation of our children”. Speakers include Brian Tamaki from Destiny Church and Bob McCroskie from Family First.

Te Papa has been reviewing whether the event can proceed given concerns about health and safety and a planned counter-protest.

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, Te Papa confirmed it would not be cancelled.

“Our assessment at this point in time is that the event can be conducted safely and we are proceeding on that basis. We will continue actively monitoring the situation,” it said.

Brian Tamaki will speak at the “summit”. (File photo)

“As a museum for all New Zealanders, Te Papa supports the rights of trans people, takatāpui and all members of our rainbow communities.

“Te Papa will be flying a trans-inclusive rainbow flag on our flagpole on Saturday.”

Tamaki posted a fiery speech to his Facebook page targeting Mayor Tory Whanau over the potential cancellation, including the words “It’s time to kill ‘em”, leading the mayor to get security advice.

Williams said he would “100%” go to court if the event was cancelled.

Free Speech Union leader Jonathan Ayling also attended the meeting with Williams and said he had reminded the venue of its obligations under the law.

The conference centre is owned by the council but bookings are managed by Te Papa, which is located just across the street.

City councillor Nīkau Wi Neera drew attention to the event in a Reddit post on Monday, saying the “hateful event” was “utterly unwelcome” and suggesting the council might try to get it cancelled.

But his position had changed after speaking with members of the queer community who supported the event going ahead so they could demonstrate against it.

Counter-protest organisers Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition and Queer Endurance in Defiance did not want the event to be cancelled, they confirmed in social media posts.

Cancelling the events would “create a precedent for restrictions on speech that can apply to the left as well as the right, and because such efforts confirm the ludicrous persecution narrative anti-trans groups peddle, despite their backing by parties currently in government”, wrote Queer Endurance in Defiance on social media site X.