Submission to the New Zealand Parliament on the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill.
Our submission to the New Zealand Parliament's Social Services and Community Committee on the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill has now been published as part of the official parliamentary record.
In our submission, Not All Gays argues that clear legal definitions of sex are essential not only for the protection of women, but also for the continued coherence, certainty, and enforceability of protections based on sexual orientation.
As an organisation representing lesbians, gay men and bisexual people, we submitted evidence explaining that sexual orientation is inherently defined by reference to sex. Concepts such as homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality derive their meaning from same-sex and opposite-sex attraction, making a coherent understanding of sex necessary for the effective operation of sexual orientation protections.
Why we made this submission
Not All Gays was invited to contribute to the Committee's consultation by supporters in New Zealand who believed it was important that legislators heard directly from same-sex attracted people on the relationship between sex and sexual orientation.
While Not All Gays is an Irish organisation, the legal relationship between sex and sexual orientation affects lesbians, gay men and bisexual people across the world. Our submission therefore brought an international LGB perspective to the Committee's consideration of the Bill, drawing on legal developments from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. We argued that legal certainty and statutory coherence are essential if sexual orientation protections are to remain clear, workable and effective in practice.
“Homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality do not exist as free-standing legal concepts; they derive their meaning from sex. As a result, the legal protection of sexual orientation is inseparable from the legal recognition of sex.”
What Happens Next?
The Committee is currently considering the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill and the evidence submitted by members of the public, community groups and organisations. The Committee has received more than 40,000 written submissions and over 1,500 requests to make oral submissions, demonstrating the significant public interest in the Bill.
As part of the select committee process, members will review the submissions received, hear evidence, and consider whether any amendments should be recommended before reporting the Bill back to Parliament.
According to the New Zealand Parliament's Bill page, the Committee is currently due to report the Bill back to the House by 20 November 2026. Following that report, the Bill may proceed to its Second Reading in Parliament, where MPs will debate both the Bill and the Committee's recommendations.
We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to contribute an international LGB perspective to this discussion and to our supporters in New Zealand who encouraged us to make a submission.
As a self-funded grassroots organisation, we cover all costs ourselves. If you would like to support our work, any contribution, however small, helps with website maintenance and admin costs related to our work and will ensure we can continue to contribute to important processes to ensure our rights as lesbians, gays and bisexuals are upheld in law and policy.
Thank You!