People Against Prisons Aotearoa

PRESS RELEASE: Pride Board’s Decision to Allow Police and Corrections in 2016 Pride Parade “Shameful”

Queer and trans group No Pride in Prisons is condemning the Auckland Pride Board for choosing to allow Police and Corrections Officers to march in this year’s parade.

The Auckland Pride Board announced their decision yesterday, reasoning that the Department of Corrections will be taking steps over the coming year to improve its treatment of transgender prisoners.

No Pride in Prisons’ spokesperson, Sophie Morgan, says that this is not nearly enough. “To this date, the Department of Corrections has shown a blatant disregard for the treatment of all incarcerated people, especially queer and trans prisoners.”

“This year alone, No Pride in Prisons has heard from multiple transgender inmates who have been either raped or brutally attacked while in Corrections’ custody.”

The group points to an incident late last year where a trans woman was raped after being placed in a cell overnight with a man.

“Corrections has introduced policies such as double-bunking, where two or more inmates are housed overnight in a single cell. These policies have directly led to the rape of trans women and other prisoners,” says Morgan.

“Corrections has proven, time and time again, that it has no regard for the safety or bodily autonomy of inmates.”

No Pride in Prisons is concerned that the Pride Board may be getting ahead of itself in making this controversial decision.

“Corrections is being rewarded for making vague promises to improve the safety of trans prisoners. It is not enough to reward the Department for making promises it has yet to fulfil. Ultimately, the Department is unlikely to make good on these promises, as up until now it has denied that it has a problem.”

No Pride in Prisons says the problems with prisons and police go much deeper than the Pride Board is willing to address.

“The fact of the matter is that prisons and police are violent, racist institutions that have no place in any pride parade.”

No Pride in Prisons says that at every stage of the criminal justice system, Māori are discriminated against. Morgan says, “Police have recently admitted that they have an ‘unconscious bias’ against Māori.”

“Māori are more likely to be apprehended, charged, convicted and sentenced to incarceration than Pākeha. This is because Māori are targeted and discriminated against by police and the criminal justice system more generally.”

“In a report of its own making, New Zealand Police found that it uses force against Māori at 8 times the rate it does Pākehā. Māori make up 15% of the general population of Aotearoa, and roughly 50% of the prison population.”

“These are not unusual statistics. The prisons and police of a colonising government will always be used to repress the indigenous population. These institutions are designed for the social control of marginalised peoples.”

“The Auckland Pride Board may want to believe that there are no Māori queer people or that there are no queer or trans prisoners. That’s just not the case. As marginalised people, we have an obligation to stand with those who are being oppressed.”

“However, the Board and the Auckland queer community are actively choosing to side with institutions that have inflicted untold violence on Aotearoa’s most vulnerable populations.”

“The Auckland queer community should be ashamed that it is being represented by those who choose to stand with inherently violent institutions. It is shameful that the community is turning its back on the marginalised groups most targeted by police and the prison system.”

In 2015, No Pride in Prisons disrupted the parade in protest of police and corrections’ inclusion. This year, the group plans to hold a counter-rally at the same time as the parade.

“We are encouraging those in the queer community who are ashamed of what Pride has become to boycott the parade and stand in solidarity with Aotearoa’s most marginalised people.”

Link to the Facebook Event