You’ve probably all heard of disgraced Green MP Darleen Tana. Tana left the Green Party in July, when it received the findings of an independent investigation into her knowledge of migrant worker exploitation allegations at her husband’s bike shop. But it’s not her treatment by the Green Party that should be causing significant emotional harm. It’s actually the misgendering. The problem is trying to figure out who’s doing the misgendering.
BOB SCHOOLS THE MEDIA & POLITICIANS ON PERSONAL PRONOUNS
You’ve probably all heard of disgraced Green MP Darleen Tana. Tana left the Green Party in July, when it received the findings of an independent investigation into her knowledge of migrant worker exploitation allegations at her husband’s bike shop.
But it’s not her treatment by the Green Party that should be causing significant emotional harm.
It’s actually the misgendering. The problem is trying to figure out who’s doing the misgendering.
So this was Darleen Tana being sacked by the Greens in July – around the 23rd July. Remember that date.
“we request her resignation…”
But she is not a she. No way. She is a Liverpool supporter. She is a they / them. You’ll never walk alone.
“My pronouns are they / them. I never walk alone.”
According to the Stuff report – the 23 July,
Confusion reigned as to whether or not Tana was taking the piss or whether they do in fact identify as “they/them” and how not conforming to binary gender norms means that you do not “walk alone”. Asked by Stuff to clarify pronouns, Tana simply repeated in a text message, “Because I never walk alone. Thank you.”
Stuff’s reporter Jenna Lynch gets real confused – it’s confusing being woke – because she says “at their husband’s bike business….” But then in a live interview with the host, Jenna Lynch says “to get her out of here…”
I know – shocking .
But on the same day, Chloe Swarbrick misgendered her not once, but twice
This is after Tana has clearly said she doesn’t walk alone.
Misgenderwoked (that’s my new word – misgenderwoked – misgendering someone by trying to be woke but not being woke enough).
But then on the 29th July, it was reported by 1News that three Pasifika Greens members had resigned over the treatment of Darleen Tana.
But firstly, 1News reporter Maiki Sherman and Chloe both misgendered Tana – saying “her”. This is a week – yes, a week – after being told her preferred pronouns (because she never walks alone). But listen to Chloe. She gets it right – at the very end.
I know – shocking.
And Stuff’s ThreeNews also misgenderwoked – remember, this is a week after Darleen Tana clearly said she never walked alone.
This week the issue was back.
And what’s really interesting is that the mainstream media had got the memo and were not going to misgenderwoke anymore. No way!
Here’s Stuff’s article
Darleen Tana writes to Green members arguing to keep their seat
Ex-Green Darleen Tana has written to their former party, arguing that they have done nothing that would justify their expulsion from Parliament. Tana is insisting that they have public support to remain in Parliament. They started as an MP on the Green Party ticket, as a list MP, but told reporters on Tuesday that many people “voted Green for Darleen”.
1News repeated an article from Radio NZ – you know, because they’re independent media outlets and we need independent outlets even though they just reprint each other’s stuff….
Former Green MP Darleen Tana says they have no intention of resigning
Former Green MP Darleen Tana has responded to the party co-leaders’ formal request they resign, saying they have no intention to do so — and disputes the Greens’ arguments around proportionality. Last month, Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson formally wrote to Tana (who uses they/them pronouns) to inform them that by refusing to resign from Parliament, Tana’s continued presence in Parliament distorted its proportionality.
Here’s another report from Radio NZ
Former Green MP Darleen Tana has rebuffed their former party’s pleas by refusing to resign from Parliament… However, in a letter to the Green co-leaders, released today, Darleen Tana said they are not going anywhere.
And The Post in Wellington – which is part of Stuff
…Tana likely knew there had been allegations made in relation to employment matters at Tana’s partner’s business, which they hadn’t declared to the party. Tana has strongly refuted the findings and has said theydon’t think natural justice had been followed… Tana said they had made that decision… Tana said they were “gobsmacked” to be called not fit-for-purpose
Unfortunately someone stuffed up at The Post – and this was their little summary of political happenings for Tuesday.
In a lengthy seven-page release sent out to the Greens, shared with media, Darleen Tana says she is here to stay. She’s sticking to her guns, saying people want her in Parliament….
Somebody got told off. Majorly.
Here’s the woke version
There was plenty of buzz in the hive today as ex-Green, now independent MP Darleen Tana confirmed they won’t be leaving… In a lengthy seven-page letter to the Greens, shared with media, Darleen Tana says they are here to stay. They’re sticking to their guns, saying people want them in Parliament
Phew!
And even Newstalk ZB got in on the woke
“Witch hunt”: Darleen Tana says attempts to get them to resign were “premeditated”
Darleen Tana has made their choice to remain in Parliament. They have declined the Green Party’s request to resign, leaving the Party to deliberate over whether or not to enact the waka jumping legislation. Tana revealed to Mike Hosking that they’re surprised the report into the allegations of migrant exploitation in their husband’s business hasn’t already been leaked. They said that it’s very clear that they don’t recognize the findings of the report
Well I did tell you Newstalk ZB newsroom was woke.
Possibly Mike Hosking didn’t get the memo
But it’s safe to say that a memo went around the NZ media saying – Darleen is a they / them. Don’t misgenderwoke her.
But trying to be woke is exhausting – and trying to manipulate the English language to something that it is not is also exhausting.
And ironically then the NZ Herald
Former Green, now independent MP, Darleen Tana has told their former party they “will not be resigning” and that they will fight attempts to use the waka-jumping law to oust them from Parliament.
But note below the image
Darleen Tana, former Green MP, saying she was gobsmacked to be held up as a ‘liar’
But back in July, the same reporter was saying
The Green Party has released the executive summary of its report into what former Green MP, now independent, Darleen Tana knew about allegations of migrant exploitation at her husband’s bike company, E Cycles.
At the end of July, it was their husband’s bike company..
But on 7 August it was her husband’s business…
So he definitely got the memo now eh.
Concentrate!!!
Here’s an interview between Radio NZ host Corin Dann who’s trying to do his best and does ok while he’s reading a script, but it all goes awol when he and ex-Green MP Garth Hughes just discuss things normally.
Ooops.
And then Corin had to speak to Chloe Swarbrick
Chloe did well. But Corin – three times he misgenderwoked. Even when Chloe was correcting him.
But somewhere along the line, the communication didn’t quite get to Te Pati Maori and to Labour.
I think we’re obliging on the fact that no one else was going to support her.
“Darleen Tana should resign from Parliament, she’s resigned from the Green Party, the honourable thing to do is to resign from Parliament as well, she’s now distorting the proportionality of Parliament, this is not what New Zealanders voted for at the last election.
Not once but twice!
If his days as Labour leader aren’t numbered already, they will be now. He can’t lead the Labour party making massive errors like that.
Why does all this matter?
I’m glad you asked.
The Law Commission are currently asking for submissions that they agree with on the issue of “A review of the protections in the Human Rights Act 1993 for people who are transgender, people who are non-binary.”
They have a whole section on misgendering (and also deadnaming i.e. using the name that the person originally had in accordance with their biological sex). In fact, misgendering is mentioned almost 50 times in the Law Commission paper.
A recurrent issue faced by people who are transgender or non-binary is being referred to by a name or gender that does not reflect their gender identity…. (3.34)
We are interested to understand the extent to which the Human Rights Act regulates or ought to regulate misgendering and deadnaming. Misgendering involves referring to a person who is transgender or non-binary by the wrong gender (for example, using pronouns for them that correspond with their sex assigned at birth). (17.40)
We think a New Zealand court or tribunal could hold that persistent misgendering and deadnaming was in breach of Part 1A. (17.47)
I hope the media are listening to this!
We are, however, aware of handful of tribunal-level decisions from Canada and the United Kingdom holding that misgendering or deadnaming is discrimination or harassment in employment. (17.51)
the [Human Rights Act] could stipulate that misgendering and deadnaming are forms of discrimination that are unlawful. (17.62)
But here’s the disturbing bit
The nature of the online submission to the Law Commission is problematic with questions that may seem biased towards one view of the issue at hand.
Furthermore, the disclaimer that reads:
“Threatening, abusive or unlawful communications: The issues in this review sometimes generate strong opinions and disagreement. It is our role to consider all sides of an issue. We also need to keep our people safe. If a submission contains material that is threatening, abusive or unlawful, we will stop reading it and will disregard its contents.”
This raises questions around how the Law Commission defines what threatening or abusive content is. The immediate dismissal of alleged threatening content may generalise opposing views on the issue giving no visibility to these voices and in some ways acts as a form of censorship.
And another case
A trans Corrections officer is taking a case against his employer to the Human Rights Review Tribunal after his experience of discrimination, harassment and bullying at work. This includes being regularly mocked, deadnamed and misgendered by his Corrections colleagues
And of course this case
A New Zealand high school teacher has had his teaching registration cancelled after he refused to use the preferred pronouns and name for one of his transgender students. It has led to the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand saying all students are “entitled to feel that schools are a safe space, where they are respected and valued” and teachers must not use their authority to “undermine the personal identity of their learners, or to inappropriately influence them”.
If even wokesters like the media and left wing politicians can’t get it consistently right, how will normal NZers like you and me get it right.
Especially when we have no intention to tell a biological lie.
The reason the media and politicians struggle with all of this is because it simply isn’t normal. It’s artificial – it’s verbal gymnastics of the English language. And now they’re finding out just what wokeness means.
Confusion.
By the way, I’m waiting for a politician to use the personal pronouns listed here – xe / xem / ze / hir / ey / em / hir / hir / fae / faer / hu / hu/ (no that’s not a bug in the system).
That will really throw the wokesters, won’t it.
