New Zealand Parliament Is Now Most Rainbow In The World

Jacinda Ardern became the Prime Minister of New Zealand a second time after a landslide victory on October 18, and her parliament is set to be the most inclusive ever.

Reportedly, 12 LGBTQ+ members are all set to be a part of the country's 120-seat parliament. The country will now have highest proportion of LGBTQ+ MPs in the world. Till now, UK had the maximum number of openly queer MPs, with 45 across 650 seats, that contributes to 7 % representation.

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"Numbers do matter. We have a critical mass with high visibility and we're seen as valid. If we do end up being the most LGBTQI representative parliament in the world, that would be simply great," Labour MP, Louisa Wall - who identifies as lesbian - reportedly said.

Other queer members in labour party's include MPs Grant Robertson, Meka Whaitiri, Tamati Coffey, Kiri Allan, Ayesha Verrall, Glen Bennett and Shanan Halbert.

Also Read: Himachal Pradesh Man Who Moved To New Zealand 20 Years Ago Is Now An MP In Jacinda Ardern's Cabinet

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Reportedly, LGBTQ+ representation in the new parliament will be proportionate to that of the general population by the Kinsey Report's figures, but much higher than New Zealand's 2018 general social survey, which was 3.5 %.

According to Paul Spoonley, professor at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences of Massey University in Palmerston North, the new parliament represents an important generational change.

NZ Herald

"A number of longstanding MPs ¨C older, white, male ¨C have left but they have been replaced by a much more diverse new intake ¨C Maori, Pasifika, other ethnicities and the Rainbow community. Half of the Labour caucus are women. The Labour party and the Greens represent the contemporary face of New Zealand in parliament," he reportedly said.

New Zealand was hailed by the world for eradicating coronavirus, twice. PM Jacinda Ardern has been very vocally supportive of the queer community and her parliament composition reflects just that.