WEEKLY NEWS

Massey puts male and female signs on all gender bathrooms

Sammy Carter (she/her)

Massey University finds it difficult to put the word ‘toilet’ on genderneutral bathroom doors, instead using gendered signage.

The university committed to having only all-gender bathrooms in the new Innovation building at the Albany campus, however, it used binary signage of a man and woman on the doors.

The complex cost around 11 million dollars to build overall.

Massey’s website claims it has gender-neutral facilities on every campus, “All gender-neutral toilets have: signs saying ‘Toilet / Wharepaku’.”

Auckland rainbow representative Ben Watt said the bathroom signs “defeat the point” of gender-neutral bathrooms.

Watt said the Innovation building had signs which said, “Please use the toilet that best fits your gender identity or expression”, a number of these leading to disability toilets.

“Being a non-binary student is not a disability.”

“You just have to change the signage, you don’t have to change the plumbing,” Watt said.

He suggested Massey take inspiration from Auckland University of Technology’s (AUT) bathroom model. In 2017, AUT reassigned 165 toilets as all-gender to accommodate for gender-diverse students.

Its model includes having one building level as binary bathrooms, and the next level as all-gender bathrooms.

A Massey University spokesperson denied the claim that signs within the Innovation Complex point non-binary students towards accessible toilets. They said stakeholders including the students’ association were consulted during the design of the building, which contributed to the building of all-gender bathrooms, a squat toilet, and other features.

In January last year, the university’s Senior Leadership Team agreed that providing all-gender bathrooms would be a requirement for all new builds and refurbishments at the university.

“Massey University has made positive steps over the past few years in this area, however we know that a lot more work is needed,” the spokesperson said.

As such, the Rainbow and Takatāpui Advisory Group was formed this year and was in the process of establishing two working groups: Data and Information and Facilities and Infrastructure.

Applications for the working groups are currently open to university members.

General president of Te Tira Ahu Pae, Jake Law, said, “We couldn’t understand why they’ve spent so much money on gender-neutral bathrooms to then make them have binary signage.”

Law had raised his concern with Massey staff but had no formal response and the signs were still up.

“They know what we think about it because we’ve shared our views quite extensively on the signage.”

Law said there had been no consultation with the rainbow community on appropriate signage. Rainbow rep Carlee Gregory said if you don’t identify as either a man or woman, having these signs in your face makes you feel like you’re not welcome on campus.

“They’re thinking this includes everyone, but although it’s pictures, it’s still gendered language.”

“All they need to do is call it Toilet or Wharepaku. That would solve the issue,” said Gregory.

Gregory didn’t feel gender-neutral toilets were a priority for the university.

Manawatū rainbow rep Katrina Anderson felt having a binary sign implied that male and female are the only two genders, rather than being inclusive of all genders.

You can find where the gender-neutral bathrooms are on each Massey campus on their website.

Government says no to free public transport after over $350 million fuel tax cut

Brett Kerr Laurie (he/him)

Last month, Government responded to student-led organisation Free Fares’ petition opting not to remove public transport fares for tertiary students. This comes after Government’s fuel tax cut ended, which was estimated to cost $350 million for three months –while half-price public transport would cost $25 - $40 million.

The extensions on these subsidies, including a cut to diesel road user charges, would cost an extra $718 million to the end of June.

The Petitions Committee’s report said subsidising fares further would “reduce the revenue available to support public transport services”, such as improving workforce conditions.

The Committee noted half-price fares had been continued for under 25-year-olds, Community Service Card holders and Total Mobility Users, while under 13-year-olds could travel for free.

This was estimated to benefit 2.2 million people, but Free Fares wasn’t satisfied.

The organisation wanted free public transport for all tertiary students as well.

“It’s something there’s support for and there’s a mandate for”, Free Fares spokesperson and Victoria University law student Mika Hervel said.

“We know we’re in a climate crisis and a cost-of-living crisis, and we need to pull every lever to respond to those situations.”

Free Fares was created in 2021 and is backed by over 80 organisations including Greenpeace, multiple city councils, and even Massey University. Hervel said the current half-price fares are “a step in the right direction” but not enough.

“We’re just asking them to go that one step further and make it free for those groups, which would cost money… but everything costs money.”

He said providing free fares “would be a really good way to incentivise a mode shift” from private to public vehicle use.

Free public transport would result in fewer individual vehicles on the road, benefiting everyone and the environment.

Free Fares’ petition stated, “Transport is New Zealand’s fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions”, a key reason to encourage public transport use.

Hervel said another driver for free public fares was to help young people studying as “student poverty is a real thing”.

Third-year photography student Kaea McGregor drives up to 30 minutes from Johnsonville to Massey’s Wellington campus most days. McGregor said she and her three flatmates would “100%” train to university if public transport was free. “We already pay so much to just live here and go to uni. I think it’s the best thing for students to have free transport,” she said.

Zach Cornelisen, third-year Massey screen arts student, lives in Island Bay and spends up to $20 a week taking the bus to the Wellington campus. He said, “I’d spend the extra money on my university fees and food,” quoting the cost-of-living crisis.

“[I] would love free public transport fares because then it encourages more people to use public transport, so there are less emissions, while helping our poorer community members.”

Luxembourg was the first country to make public transport free in February 2020, Malta was the second in October 2022.

Free Fares had continued to meet with members of parliament to discuss the benefits making New Zealand the third. Minister of Transport David Parker declined to comment when contacted by Massive.

Massey’s Rainbow Tick only supports staff, not students

Sammy Carter (she/her)

Massey ticks off the box to say it supports rainbow staff, and despite constant advertising of their Rainbow Tick certification, it doesn’t include support for rainbow students.

The Rainbow Tick is about accepting and valuing people in the workplace, embracing the diversity of sexual and gender identities.

The university became Rainbow Tick accredited in 2017 and was reaccredited in 2022.

Some believed the Rainbow Tick company was falling into despair as more reports of people waiting months for email responses emerged.

In a Massey News article published in February announcing the launch of Massey’s rainbow platform Kāhui Irarau, Massey states, “Catering for nearly 30,000 domestic and international ākonga (students) each year, the university received Rainbow Tick certification in 2017 and is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all its staff and students.”

Massey currently has no dedicated rainbow spaces or rooms for LGBTQIA+ students and Rainbow Tick training for staff is not mandatory. General president of Te Tira Ahu

Pae Jake Law emailed Rainbow Tick earlier this year, questioning Massey’s Rainbow Tick certification, but has not received a response.

He felt the way Massey advertised the Rainbow Tick was “misleading” for students.

“I don’t believe that the university is a safe space for queer students.”

Rainbow Tick was known within the queer community as being tokenistic as it’s easy to get and covers the bare minimum for inclusion.

Carlee Gregory, rainbow representative, said you’d expect the tick would extend to everyone in the university, “It can give the impression that they’re doing more than what they’re actually doing”.

“It’s like a seal of approval according to these little criteria … once they’ve got that seal of approval it feels like they don’t have to put in more effort”.

The rainbow reps said Pride Pledge, which pledges a dedication to the safety and inclusion of rainbow members in the community, would be a better certification for the university. However, Gregory did not feel Massey was at the point where it would be eligible for the Pride Pledge certification.

She felt the university needed more rainbow training for staff and all gender bathrooms.

A Massey University spokesperson said, “We know that providing a safe and welcoming space for staff means our students will benefit as well.”

They acknowledged the need for more work beyond just a Rainbow Tick certification.

“While the certification assists in laying the foundations of rainbow and takatāpui inclusion at an organisation, additional development is required.”

They said Rainbow Tick offers LGBTQIA+ online modules and workshops for Massey staff which are encouraged but not mandatory.

276 Massey staff members had participated in workshops in 2022, with a further 193 this year.

The Pasifika president of Te Tira Ahu Pae, Aniva Feau, said, “It can be quite dangerous, people coming here thinking that they’re gonna have a physically safe space that they can come to and then that not being the case.”

Rainbow rep Ryan Davidson said it wasn’t made clear to students that Rainbow Tick supports staff alone even when promoted “so often to new students”.

Davidson felt Rainbow Tick was something that made the university look good, while Pride Pledge is an ongoing commitment to rainbow students and staff all year round. However, Katrina Anderson, Manawatū rainbow rep appreciated that Massey was taking more steps towards supporting rainbow students including having rainbow reps.

Albany rainbow rep Benjamin Watt said a pledge to support and do more for queer students sends a better message than ticking a box just to meet the bare minimum.

“It feels like you’re just ticking a box to say ‘yes I’m gay friendly’,” Watt said. Plans by Te Tira Ahu Pae to open a rainbow space in the Manawatū campus are underway, aiming to open this semester.

Students campaign for universal study wage of $385 dollars a week

Sammy Carter (she/her)

Students are calling for the Government to urgently implement a Study Wage for All of $385 dollars a week, to provide debt-free living cost support to all tertiary students.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and minister of finance Grant Robertson were once student presidents at their own universities.

At the time, they both campaigned for the expansion of the student allowance scheme and better Government support to alleviate student debt and hardship.

Now their successors at VUWSA and OUSA are calling for Hipkins and Robertson to return to their roots, in the current context of worsening student poverty and debt.

Jessica Ye, president of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association said, “The tertiary underfunding crisis and student poverty crisis go hand in hand.”

The 2022 People’s Inquiry into Student Wellbeing reported around two thirds of students regularly do not have enough money to cover their basic living costs.

Overseas, since 1996 Denmark had provided a universal student allowance at 860 euros per month in 2022, roughly $1520 New Zealand dollars a month.

Ye said, “The petition we’ve just launched is not an isolated action but emerges from a whakapapa of resistance against privatisation reforms in tertiary education and student poverty, resistance which our political leaders have their roots in.”

The current student allowance scheme was strictly means-tested and provided debt-free living cost support to 12% of tertiary students. Other students received up to $302.32 weekly in living cost payments which add to their student loan.

Ye said, “A study wage also recognises that learning is an inherently valuable contribution to society.”

“Valuing education as a public good means that we must see a more sustainable funding model for tertiary institutions and make tertiary education accessible to all.”

Data from Stats NZ showed that compared to the total adult population, people in study or training were twice as likely to have “not enough money” to meet everyday needs.

Quintin Jane, President of the Otago University Students Association said, “Student poverty is the product of the political choices of successive governments, representative of the wider disregard of student issues.” Jane said, “With universities experiencing declining enrolments and retention as a result of cost-ofliving pressures, now is the time to support our students to support our universities.”

“A Study Wage for All means students won’t have to choose between getting an education and supporting themselves financially.”

VUWSA and OUSA launched a petition for a Study Wage for All and will be advocating for political candidates to commit to the policy in the lead-up to the general election.

Almost 500 people had signed the petition so far.