View source for Rainbow Labour

{{Short description|LGBT wing of the New Zealand Labour Party}}
{{about|the LGBT sector of the New Zealand Labour Party|the LGBT wing of the Australian Labor Party|Rainbow Labor}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox LGBT party wing
|name=Rainbow Labour
|native_name={{nativename|mi|Reipa Āniwaniwa}}
|colorcode=Red
|logo=Rainbow Logo.png
|president=
|preceded by=
|headquarters=[[Wellington]], [[New Zealand]]
|ideology=[[Social democracy]] <br> [[LGBT rights]]
|mother party=[[New Zealand Labour Party]]
|international=
|website=
|foundation=
|student=
}}
'''Rainbow Labour''' is the [[LGBT+]] sector of the [[New Zealand Labour Party]].

== History ==
Rainbow Labour began as a branch within [[Chris Carter (New Zealand politician)|Chris Carter]]'s Auckland [[Waipareira]] electorate on 17 March 1997 following his narrow defeat in the election the previous year.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}} That same year, [[Tim Barnett (politician)|Tim Barnett]], newly elected to Parliament as an openly gay man, established a Rainbow Special Branch in Christchurch on 3 October 1997.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}} During the next few years the branches expanded in size, with the Auckland branch becoming one of the largest in the Labour Party.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}} This led to the formation of a Rainbow Sector within the Labour Party, which gave the branches a nationwide focus and co-ordinating body. In 2004, at a vote at the Party's Annual Conference, Rainbow Labour was invited to nominate candidates for a permanent representative position elected from the floor of Conference, on the Party's controlling body, the New Zealand Council.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Party Information |url=https://www.labour.org.nz/party_info |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=NZ Labour Party |language=en}}</ref>

== Rainbow Caucus ==
Rainbow Members of Parliament (MPs) work closely with Rainbow Labour, and has included gay men [[Chris Carter (New Zealand politician)|Chris Carter]], [[Tim Barnett (politician)|Tim Barnett]], and lesbian MP [[Maryan Street]], and transgender MP [[Georgina Beyer]]. During 2006 [[Charles Chauvel (politician)|Charles Chauvel]] became an MP when a vacancy arose; similarly [[Louisa Wall]] entered Parliament in 2008 following a resignation (although she was not re-elected at the general election later that year), and [[Grant Robertson]] was elected as the MP for Wellington Central in 2008.  [[Louisa Wall]] re-entered Parliament on the resignation of [[Darren Hughes]] in 2011, and left in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-14 |title=Departing Labour MP Louisa Wall: 'This was not entirely my choice' |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/465300/departing-labour-mp-louisa-wall-this-was-not-entirely-my-choice |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz}}</ref> As of 2024, MPs in Rainbow Caucus also include [[Ayesha Verrall|Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall]], [[Kiri Allan|Hon Kiri Allan]], [[Tāmati Coffey]], [[Shanan Halbert]], and [[Glen Bennett]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

== Policies and issues ==
Issues Rainbow Labour has advanced within the Labour Party have included relationship property reform, human rights reforms, the [[Civil Union Act 2004|Civil Union Act]], which was passed in 2004, and the [[Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013|Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill]] which passed in April 2013 and was brought to Parliament via a Members Bill under Louisa Wall's name.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

On 15 February 2022, the [[Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act 2022|Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill]] passed its third and final reading. The Bill was brought to Parliament as a result of a joint petition presented by [[Young Greens of Aotearoa New Zealand|Young Greens]] and [[New Zealand Young Labour|Young Labour]] on 14 August 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 19, 2018 |title=Young Greens & Young Labour Conversion Therapy Petition |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1807/S00078/young-greens-young-labour-conversion-therapy-petition.htm |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=www.scoop.co.nz}}</ref> That petition initially resulted in a Members Bill placed in the ballot by Labour MP [[Marja Lubeck]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-13 |title=Parliament hears call to ban conversion therapy |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/the-house/audio/2018699487/parliament-hears-call-to-ban-conversion-therapy |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=[[RNZ]] |language=en-nz}}</ref> Rainbow Labour submitted evidence in support of the legislation at the Select Committee process.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rainbow Labour - New Zealand Parliament |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/submissions-and-advice/document/53SCJU_EVI_113397_JU15907/rainbow-labour |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=www.parliament.nz |language=en}}</ref>

In elections since 1999, the Labour Party has published pamphlets advertising Labour's LGBTQIA+ candidates.  This is thought to be a world first by a mainstream national political party.{{By whom|date=July 2022}} The Party later began including rainbow policies in its manifesto, which in 2020, included banning conversion therapy, better access, support and treatment through the health system, more funding for rainbow mental health services, and creating more inclusive school and work environments.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rainbow |url=https://www.labour.org.nz/rainbow |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=NZ Labour Party |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Human rights in New Zealand]]
* [[Intersex rights in New Zealand]]
* [[LGBTQ people in New Zealand]]
* [[LGBTQ rights in New Zealand]]
* [[Transgender rights in New Zealand]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/19991009183618/http://www.rainbowlabour.org.nz/ NZ Rainbow Labour]

{{NZ Labour Party}}
{{LGBT in New Zealand}}

[[Category:LGBTQ political advocacy groups in New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand Labour Party]]
[[Category:LGBTQ affiliate organizations of political parties]]