The Inquiry into Discrimination Experienced by Transgender People

The Human Rights Commission (Te Kāhui Tika Tangata) is New Zealand’s national human rights institution. It was formed in 1977 under the Human Rights Act 1993. The Inquiry into Discrimination Experienced by Transgender People (He Purongo mō te Uiuitanga mō Aukatitanga e Pāngia ana e ngā Tāngata Whakawhitiira) was carried out in 2006, and reported on in 2008 (The Inquiry).^[1]

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in New Zealand enjoy the majority of the same rights as others. The exceptions to this are the right to adopt children as a couple and the right to marry. While New Zealand does not have anti-discrimination laws specific to transgender, the laws that do exist are thought to cover members of the trans communities. The Human Rights Act 1993 outlaws discrimination on the grounds of sexuality.

The Report of the Inquiry into Discrimination Experienced by Transgender People was a world first by a national human rights institution and focused on three areas: trans people’s experience with health care access, everyday interactions and community participation. There is very little information about the number of trans people in New Zealand; and those numbers that do exist are suggested to significantly underestimate the size of the trans population.