New Zealand’s new LGBTQ MPs make Parliament most rainbow in the world:
On October 18, 2020, Jacinda Ardern became the Prime Minister of New Zealand for the second term after a landslide victory, and her parliament is set to be the most inclusive ever.
Reportedly, 12 LGBTQ+ people have won their respective seats and are all set to be a part of the country’s 120-seat parliament. The country will now have the highest proportion of LGBTQ+ MPs in the world making it 10% queer representation. Previously, the United Kingdom had the utmost proportion of openly queer MPs, with 45 across 650 seats, but it contributes only 7 % of the total representation.
“Numbers do matter.” Labour party’s MP, Louisa Wall said, who identifies herself as a lesbian. She further stated, “We have a critical mass with high visibility and we’re seen as valid. If we do end up being the most LGBTQ+ representative parliament within the world, that might be simply great,”
New Zealand, Labour has eight LGBTQ MPs and therefore the Greens have four – a rise of three within the Labour Party and two for the Green Party since the last elections. Except for Lousia Wall, labour party’s other queer MPs include Kiri Allan, Grant Robertson, Shanan Halbert, Tamati Coffey, Ayesha Verrall, Glen Bennett and Meka Whaitiri.
When Tim Barnett was elected to Parliament in 1996, he was the sole openly gay MP and just the third within the country’s history.
LGBT+ representation within the new parliament is going to be proportionate thereto of the overall population by the Kinsey Report’s figures but significantly above New Zealand’s 2018 general social survey, which was 3.5 per cent.
Paul Spoonley who is a professor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of Massey University in Palmerston North said that the new parliament represents a crucial generational change.
PM Jacinda has been praised all over the planet for eradicating the novel Corona Virus twice. She has been an ardent supporter of the queer community and her parliament composition is just a reflection of that.
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