It should never have come to this. Our MPs debating the definition of a man or a woman. But the fact that it has, means we have arrived at a critical inflexion point. What happens next will determine whether we continue on a trajectory towards cultural psychosis on this foundational issue. Or whether we turn, to become grounded once more in reality.

The Legislation (Definition of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill has passed its first reading and is now at Select Committee with public submissions being considered. You can read my brief submission here.

The Bill will define a woman as an adult biological female, and a man as an adult biological male. It was introduced as a Members Bill by a NZ First MP and has the full support of that party. National and Act have supported it to this stage, but made no commitment beyond that. Many of their socially liberal MPs will no doubt wince at being required to show their true colours on this question. They will try and pretend its not really important. But it is. And the introduction of the Bill is a clear sign that ordinary New Zealanders want it dealt with.

Of course, for the parties on the left there are no qualms about taking a position on the Bill. All of them align strongly and openly against it. The usual accusations and slogans are employed – hate, bigotry, transphobia. All of them are repeated vigorously and at high volume. Because whenever reason is of no assistance, then volume must suffice.

And the noise levels from those opposing this Bill are also high because they know what it represents. It is not just about keeping men out of women’s changing rooms. It is about derailing the juggernaut of transgender ideology which has steamrolled across our society in the last ten years. We were told this movement was about compassion, inclusion, and celebrating diversity. And of course, we should have compassion for those struggling with gender dysphoria. But this movement has become something very different.

Transgender ideology not only means men in women’s and girl’s spaces and events. It means biological males usurping women and girls in sporting success. It means opposing voices being cancelled, de-platformed, or simply screamed at and shouted down. It means compelled preferred pronoun use across public sector and corporate bureaucracies. It means mothers being insulted by being referred to as “chest feeders”. It means schools and classrooms being adorned with symbols of transgender ideology by activist teachers. It means vulnerable young boys and girls being confused about their identity and led down paths of irreversible harm.

This is not compassion. It is child abuse. This is not liberation. It is totalitarian enforcement of speech and thought. This is not celebration of diversity. It is the normalisation of a delusional ideology.

The Legislation (Definition of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill if it passes will be a welcome reality check. But even if it does, there are other legislative rails this juggernaut has been running on in New Zealand. The Conversion Practices Prohibition Act 2022 and the NZ Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 2021 both contain provisions that facilitate and enforce transgender ideology. These also need to be repealed.

Because if these provisions remain, we will not arrive at a cultural inflexion point on this foundational issue, but rather at a point of cultural and legal confusion. And into that space will step activists and liberal judges who will be only too happy to provide “clarity” and reignite the trajectory towards delusion. Parliament needs to ensure that does not happen. This is not the time for equivocation. This is the time to return to truth.

Ewen McQueen
July 2026