Page 692 - Week 02 - Thursday, 20 March 2014
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unfathomable for the law to refuse to recognise our identity. I want to personally thank those people, because I do not believe we should ever underestimate the bravery it takes to put your own personal story on the public record. It is often easy in places like this to think of issues in abstraction; but to get them here, individuals have had to share stories of personal struggle. In pursuing this policy, people have publically recounted deeply personal instances of frustration, discrimination, indignity and powerlessness, both large and small, and in doing so have helped people like me to walk in their shoes.
One particular story from the A Gender Agenda submission to the human rights and equal opportunity commission’s Sex files report struck a chord with me due to the familiarity of the situation. I am quoting here:
I had to ring up the bank to do some business.
Members interjecting—
MS BERRY: Just before I continue, Madam Speaker, can I say that I am having trouble concentrating on this very important and historic celebration that we are having here today with the conversation happening on the other side of the chamber.
MADAM SPEAKER: If members want to conduct conversations, it is usually done in the anteroom.
MS BERRY: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I quote:
I had to ring up the bank to do some business. The operator duly got on and I was asked for my (female) name. I duly gave it in my male sounding voice and I was then asked over the phone to verify my details. Which I gave correctly. However the telephone operator did not believe me and I asked to be put on to the supervisor. The supervisor duly did not believe me.
I can certainly sympathise with the frustration of dealing with the bank on the phone, but I simply cannot imagine what it would be like to have a stranger question my very identity just because of a rule about what word had to be on a piece of paper. I know there are people who think this is complex, but underpinning the stories I have heard is a really simple request. People want to be recognised for who they are without having to fit into boxes defined by anyone else.
When governments mandate the use of specific understandings of sex and gender as a way of identifying people, when it simply does not reflect the identity of members of our community, it undermines their dignity. There is a long way to go on improving government policies and fighting discrimination against sex and gender diverse people. It is, however, a fight we must continue to have, because the consequences of inaction on the lives and life expectancy of sex and gender diverse people is simply unacceptable.
I look forward to continuing the conversation about how we improve our laws and would like to thank everyone who contributed to this process. I am certain the efforts you have made will improve the lives of sex and gender diverse Canberrans for generations to come.
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