The Labour Party has released a Rainbow Manifesto ahead of the election, promising to tackle discrimination around surrogacy, adoption and the donation of blood.
In a statement this afternoon, Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins pitched the announcement as running counter to the "fear and division" tactics he sees other parties using, saying: "All people, including Rainbow communities, deserve to have their rights and dignity upheld and to live their lives freely just as they are."
"A re-elected Labour Government will modernise adoption and surrogacy laws to make them more accessible and ensure Rainbow people who want to form a family are treated on an equal basis as heterosexual couples," Hipkins said.
Current laws require Rainbow couples to adopt their own genetic children after giving birth through a surrogate. This system requires same-sex couples to jump through a gauntlet of legal hoops to have the same adoption opportunities as heterosexual couples, including court orders, interviews and home visits.
These adoption and surrogacy law changes would be in line with proposals made in the 2022 discussion document A New Adoption System for Aotearoa New Zealand and the 2022 Law Commission report Te Kōpū Whāngai: He Arotake Review of Surrogacy.
Hipkins also indicated the possibility of reviewing regulations around the donation of blood, saying: "We will explore the latest evidence regarding Donor Behavioural Criteria alongside advocates, experts, and specialists; particularly the three month stand down period that currently applies for men who have sex with men."
He stressed that safety would continue to be a priority and any changes would have to recognise that, but similar reforms have been made in Canada and Ireland, "so we should look at their evidence".
The document accompanying today's announcement also said Labour would implement a "child rights-based health care protocol for intersex children, so that no one is subjected to unnecessary medical or surgical treatment during infancy or childhood, and binary gender assignment is not automatically presumed to be the best case outcome."
Another promise of the Rainbow Manifesto is the establishment of a Rainbow sub-category within New Zealand's annual refugee quota.
This is intended to support people in other countries who are persecuted because of their sexuality or gender identity and want to resettle in New Zealand. "Rainbow refugees can face additional barriers, exclusion, and discrimination compared to other refugees,” Hipkins said.
The Labour Leader drew attention to his party's advocacy on Rainbow issues in the last few years, including banning conversion therapy and amending the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationship Registration ACT to make it easier for Kiwis to have their birth certificates reflect their gender identity.
"Living fully in your own skin isn't always easy for any of us at the best of times, and it can be particularly hard for our Rainbow communities. I’m proud of our progress we’ve made to support our Rainbow whānau and the commitments we’re making," Hipkins said.
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