NZ Human Rights Commission assisted TIW/Transman to search male prisoners.

[2021x]

I am very angry about this settlement at the Human Rights Tribunal in NZ.

A trangender man took Corrections (Prisons) to court over their right to conduct searches "in line with their gender". I tried to find out more information but from this I assumed it means that they went to court for the right to search male prisoners.

I can't tell if I am angry that the Human Rights Commission supported this or simply that this person though their magical gender thoughts were more important that the rights of prisoners. Not even to mention the dangerous precident it sets for female prisoners.

I looked into the madness here and it seems that the Human Rights Commission that sex= gender identity was on an Attorney Generals opinion on the 1993 Human Rights Bill i.e. the same in the UK.

www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/361006067/corrections-settles-discrimination-claim-brought-transgender-employee

I might have jumped the gun a little. They got a settlement with one of the issues being that they couldn't conduct searches. I am still unclear whether that means male or female prisoners so I emailed the editor to clarify.

It wasn’t merely for the right to search male prisoners. It was for the right to be treated as an ordinary male employee, with the usual duties a male employee would have, in a safe environment.

You are correct in that it could set a concerning precedent though for trans women and female prisoners.

This is another article I found with a bit more information.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/14-07-2026/trans-corrections-officer-settles-landmark-human-rights-case-against-employer

OK this is not clear and as usual Stuff - stuffed up the reporting.

I acknolwedge would have been distressing for Adam to have been in this situation and it sounded like they did all they could in their work situation- though maybe they could have called a lawyer quicker. I am strongly critical of the trans-ideology i.e. I am a "woman/man opposite to my sex" rather than " I don't feel like my sex and I want to erase every reminder of it" which is sex dysphoria.

I still strongly disagree with the decision that Adam should be put in a situation that a) they could epxerience a disproportiate level of harm compared to a male and b) the prisoners are being forced into a situation that they haven't consented view i.e. searches by a female.

Thanks for sharing this, it's very intetesting.

She seems to really hate her job and the blokey culture in the prison service.

As she transitioned at work, I don't know why she was put out that colleagues were told - as she was going to start to use the mens toilets, surely they would have noticed?

She also seems to believe that her stating that she was a man now was enough for everyone- I would expect a trans prison officer to be aware of the sensitivities and debates over putting transwomen in women's prisons, and wonder what implication it would have for her when she declared she was a transman.

Obviously she wants to search men now, maybe some of they don't want her too, and maybe it's unsafe with prisoners who have committed violence against women.

There seems to have been magical thinking from her that she was a man and everyone should accept that, regardless of the challenges of the prison environment.

Her colleagues were bullying and crass, but she said she had expected this from them. Why martyr herself by staying in the same job while transitioning? Why didn't she move into youth work or other social care work? It's not as if she liked being a prison officer.

I agree with your assessment.

I think I had such a strong reaction because of the way the law is being represented as the Human Rights Bill has protections for trans people where that isn' the case. The HRB was implemented in 1993 before the trans question came into parliament.