Queer Endurance in Defiance (QED) hosted a rally at the
Cuba Street Bucket Fountain today, attended by over 100
trans people and allies. It was a follow up to the group’s
“Defy your Definitions” rally in June, attended by 2000
people.
Today’s rally opposed the Gender Definitions
Bill proposed by the previous Government and sought to
remind incoming politicians that QED and allies will
continue to fight for trans rights, regardless of who is in
power.
QED member Amal, a speaker at the event, said:
“The Opportunity Party has already said they think some
gender issues are too complicated to have a policy on, and
so [trans] rights should be subject to a citizen’s
assembly. What cowardly stuff – take a side. If you won’t,
we’ve fought anti trans attacks together once, and we’ll
do it again.”
Another speaker, Millie, situated the
struggle for trans rights in a broader movement for
liberation and workers’ rights. She said that people are
often too sick and tired to vote, unionize, or fight back.
“They define and divide us… But that’s what they rely
on.”
The rally also featured a youth speaker and an
open mic, including a performance at the rally featuring a
special guest, Winston.
A performer dressed in a
papier mache Winston Peters head was chased about the stage
by young trans people with pride flags as the crowd chanted
“We defy your definitions”.
Another QED member,
Charlie, said the rally and this performance “showed queer
kids that bigots will have to get through us [trans adults]
first,” highlighting the solidarity amongst the trans
community in the face of ongoing scapegoating of trans
people for political gain.
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The rally’s focus on
bringing trans people and allies together to resist hatred
and division left Cuba Street a brighter place. Not only
uplifted by rousing chants and powerful speeches, trans
rights messages remain chalked all over where attendees
stood – a reminder of the enduring and collective strength
of the trans
community.
BACKGROUNDER
Mission
We are a
group of radical queers fighting for queer rights and
liberation through self-organised action. We coordinate
protests, rallies, and other actions to promote equality,
acceptance, and belonging for queer and takatāpui people
across Aotearoa.
History
Queer Endurance in
Defiance has become a leading trans and queer rights
activist group in Te Whanganui a Tara, Wellington since its
first rally in 2021. Over 1000 people attended that rally
outside the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington, in
opposition to the ideas and rhetoric espoused by the
anti-trans group “Speak Up For Women”.
Queer
Endurance in Endurance also coordinated the Wellington-based
response to the proposed visit by the extremist anti-trans
lobbyist Posie Parker in 2023. While her visit to Wellington
was cancelled because of the success of protests against her
visit to Auckland, the Wellington rally became one of the
biggest trans rights gatherings in Wellington’s
history.
More recently, Queer Endurance in Defiance
hosted a rally attended by 2000 people in June 2026,
opposing the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man)
Amendment Bill and calling for submissions to the Select
Committee on this Bill. A hīkoi in support of young
people’s continued access to puberty blockers organised by
the group in 2025 was also attended by over 2000
people.
