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Shaneel Lal

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Shaneel Lal
Born (2000-01-22) 22 January 2000 (age 24)
Nausori, Fiji
Occupations
  • Activist
  • columnist
  • political commentator
Known forActivism
AwardsKiwibank Young New Zealander of the Year

Shaneel Shavneel Lal (born 22 January 2000)[1] is a Fijian-New Zealand LGBT rights activist, columnist and political commentator. Lal is best known for advocating for the ban of conversion therapy in New Zealand.[2][3][4]

Early life

Lal was born in Nausori, Fiji to a mixed iTaukei and Girmitiya family on 22 January 2000.[5] Lal comes from a Hindu family and was raised in a Hindu and Muslim community. After attending a Christian primary and high school in Fiji, Lal states that they "grew out of" religion and subscribes to indigenous spirituality.[6]

In Fiji, Lal was put into conversion therapy in an attempt to change their sexuality and gender identity.[7] The elders of the village prayed over Lal to free them of spirits that supposedly made Lal queer. Lal experienced conversion therapy as a challenge to their indigeneity and relationships with their ancestors.[8] Lal claims that precolonial indigenous queerness is distinct from colonial attitudes to and terms for queerness.[9] Lal argues that prior to colonisation, vakasalewalewa were integral to native Fijian society, and that colonisation and Christianity stripped Fijians of their rich queer identities and conditioned them with homophobia and transphobia.[10]

In 2014, Lal moved to New Zealand with their family. Lal joined Otahuhu College and was named dux in 2018.[11]

Lal uses they/them pronouns and has described themself as trans, non-binary, vakasalewalewa and hijra.[12][13][11][14]

Advocacy and career

Role in banning conversion therapy

In the summer of 2017, Lal was volunteering at Middlemore Hospital when a church leader walked up to them and offered to pray their gay away. When Lal refused, the church leader wished hell upon them.[15][16]

Lal's speech at the 2019 Youth Parliament to ban conversion therapy received a standing ovation.[17] Following this, Lal was targeted online with homophobic abuse.[18] In an interview with Breakfast in 2020, Lal labelled conversion therapy "state sanctioned torture". Lal told interviewer Jenny-May Clarkson that numerous queer people pray to God to "heal them, or kill them".[2] Following this interview, Massey University lecturer Steve Elers wrote an opinion piece for the Manawatu Guardian, republished by The New Zealand Herald, dismissing the issue of conversion therapy.[19] David Farrier defended Lal in his blog Webworm, and the subsequent media attention led to Elers's opinion column being cancelled.[20][21][22]

Lal founded the Conversion Therapy Action Group in 2019 to work towards ending conversion therapy in New Zealand.[3] During the 2020 New Zealand general election, Lal and CTAG pressured the New Zealand Labour Party to commit to banning conversion therapy in New Zealand.[23] Lal worked with the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand to deliver a petition of over more than 150,000 signatures to ban conversion therapy.[24]

In July, the Minister of Justice, Kris Faafoi, introduced the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill. Lal criticised the Bill, calling it an "inadequate bill that fails to ban the practice or compensate the victims". Lal argued that the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill would not allow the police to prosecute offenders and would allow conversion therapy to continue.[25] The Justice Select Committee hearing submissions on the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill received over 100,000 submissions following Lal's online campaign, breaking the record for the number of submissions.[26]

In February 2021, the Minister of Justice announced that a ban on conversion therapy would be enacted at the end of 2021 or in February 2022, at the latest.[27] Lal claimed that this was "an astounding commitment" because at that point, Labour hadn't done foundational work towards their goal.[28] Leading up to the second reading of the Bill, Lal launched a petition asking the Labour Party to amend the Bill through Supplementary Order Papers at the Committee of the whole House. Lal argued that the Labour Party ignored the voices of queer people and put forward an inadequate and ineffective Bill after the select committee process. The petition asked the Government to remove the 18-year age limit to include all ages, to remove the provision that the Attorney-General needed to give consent for prosecutions and to provide ACC coverage for the harm caused by conversion therapy.[29] The Labour Party did not accept any recommendations.[30]

The Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill passed at third reading on 15 February 2022.[31] Lal stated that it was "disheartening" that the bill only protected children (because people over 18 would have to prove they suffered "serious harm" under a strict legal definition) and did not include Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) coverage for mental harm.[32] Nonetheless, Lal said that New Zealand's ban on conversion therapy is a win for humanity, not just the queer community, and asserted that queer rights are human rights.[33]

Lal stated that they received a death threat after the passing of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill. Lal dismissed the threats and instead called for celebration.[34] Lal told VICE World News that the ban on conversion therapy is a gift to future generations of queer people.[35]

In 2022, Vogue magazine published an online article in celebration of Lal's efforts to ban conversion therapy in New Zealand. Vogue wrote that "Lal's call for New Zealand to reform the laws around conversion therapy have made a major impact".[36]

Investigation into Bethlehem College

In 2022, Lal shared an article to their Instagram detailing how Bethlehem College in Tauranga requires all students and their families to demonstrate a commitment to the belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman. Former and present students responded to the Instagram post, accusing the school of abuse. Lal said the students made allegations including victim blaming of people who alleged they were raped, racism and blackface incidents, and conversion therapy practices. Lal started a petition calling for the Education Review Office to launch an independent investigation into Bethlehem College and for the Ministry of Education, the Minister of Education and the Associate Ministers of Education to support the investigation. Lal said that when they "posted about the issue of homophobia at Bethlehem College, I did not realise the gravity of the abuse the former and present students have been experiencing at Bethlehem College."[37]

Advocacy to lift the 'gay blood donation' ban

Since May 2022, Lal has argued that the New Zealand Blood Service should allow gay men in monogamous relationships, who have had sex only with each other in the last three months, to donate blood.[38] Researchers estimate that about thirty-five thousand people would be able to give blood if New Zealand Blood Service took this approach.[39] Lal says the blanket ban on gay blood donation rules out people who could safely donate blood but who are not allowed to because they are gay.[38] In October 2022, Lal argued that anyone who hadn't had a new sexual partner and anal sex, or who hadn't had multiple sexual partners and anal sex within the last three months, should be allowed to donate blood if they carry no infections.[40]

In February 2023, Lal advocated for New Zealand Blood Service and Medsafe to use individualised donor behaviour criteria to determine eligibility of blood donors. Lal wanted the question to be "have you had sex with more than one person, or a new person, in the last three months?” instead of asking questions about a donor's sexuality.[41] Lal claimed that if the "stars align", the Sex and Prevention of Transmission Study "will provide [New Zealand Blood Service] with the necessary scientific evidence to make a proposal to Medsafe to utilise an individualised risk assessment for gay men wanting to donate blood".[41]

In April 2023 after winning Young New Zealander of the Year, Lal asked urged New Zealand Blood Services to use individualised risk assessments to determine blood donor eligibility and remove the blanket ban on gay men.[42][43] In May 2023, Lal said that New Zealand Blood Services had sufficient international evidence demonstrating it was safe to use individualised risk assessment to determine donor eligibility.[44]

Other advocacy

In 2022, Lal launched a petition calling the Labour Party to protect queer people, women and disabled people from hate speech. The petition gained over 10,000 signatures.[45] Lal wrote in their NZ Herald column that "the Labour Party's failure to prohibit anti-queer hate speech will embolden anti-queer groups, extremist religious groups, and right-wing groups to incite violence against queer people."[46]

Following a 2022 arson attack on RainbowYOUTH's Tauranga Drop-In Centre, Lal set up a Givealittle which raised $84,000.[47]

Lal is calling on the Pacific Islands to decriminalise homosexuality.[11] Following a 2021 Green Party event celebrating 35 Years of Homosexual Law Reform, Lal criticised the lack of action by New Zealand's Pākehā queer community to support the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the Pacific Islands and addressed the racism in the New Zealand queer community. A petition called on Rainbow Youth to expel them from Rainbow Youth's board.[48] Pasifika communities have celebrated Lal for their advocacy for queer Pasifika voices and issues. The Coconet wrote that "Shaneel Lal is a multifaceted and intersectional activist. They have been vocal and influential in bringing to light various issues around racism, transphobia, indigenous land issues, systemic injustice and much more.[49]

At the 2021 Auckland Pride March, Lal confronted anti-queer Christian protestors.[50]

In 2023, Lal helped organise a counter-protest of a women's rights rally organised by the British anti-transgender activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull in Auckland.[51][52][53] Keen-Minshull was escorted out of Albert Park after the event became unsafe, and cancelled her other rally in New Zealand.[54][55]

Other work

Lal advised the Minister of Education, Chris Hipkins for three years as a member of the Minister's youth advisory group.[56] Lal has sat on Amnesty International's Youth Task Force.[57] Lal has served as a Global Youth Leader for Open Government Partnership.[3] In 2019, Lal was selected by Jenny Salesa to represent Manukau East in the New Zealand Youth Parliament.[18]

In 2020, Lal was a finalist for Mr Gay New Zealand, a competition run by Express Magazine.[58][59]

Awards and recognition

  • 2020: 1 News named Lal a young leader that inspired New Zealand.[60]
  • 2021: Impact Award for Inclusion for their work to end conversion therapy in New Zealand.[61] A special award by the Pacific Cooperation Foundation for Inclusion, namely their work for equality for queer Pacific peoples.[62] Lal featured on the cover of New Zealand Herald VIVA magazine for the 2021 People of Year edition, which featured non-conformists who helped define 2021.[63] Lal was featured in a VICE world documentary called The New Resistance, which covered young activists around the world creating transformative change.[64]
  • 2022: Vogue magazine featured Lal in Youthquake, an edition celebrating Gen-Z creators.[65] Lal was listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2022 for their work to ban conversion therapy in New Zealand.[66]
  • On 30 March 2023, Lal was named Young New Zealander of the Year. They are the first transgender recipient of any New Zealander of the Year Awards.[67]

References

  1. ^ "Meet Your Finalists For Mr Gay New Zealand 2020". 27 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Youth MP continues call for ban on conversion therapy, says it's 'state-sanctioned torture'". 1 News. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Shaneel Lal". Festival for the Future. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  4. ^ "How ballroom culture transformed New Zealand's trans community". Dazed. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  5. ^ Aumua, Taylor (13 February 2020). "Fiji-born Shaneel Lal a Pasifika voice in Pride". TP+. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  6. ^ "The future is bright for the formidable Shaneel Lal | Ensemble Magazine". www.ensemblemagazine.co.nz. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  7. ^ ZB. "Shaneel Lal: From undergoing childhood conversion therapy to LGBT rights activist". ZB. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  8. ^ Lal, Shaneel. "My Queerness is Not an Evil Spirit to be Dispelled". Pantograph Punch. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  9. ^ Lal, Shaneel (17 February 2022). "Pride Month: I cannot be free until all my people are free". Stuff. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  10. ^ Lal, Shaneel. "The Genderless Void: A review of ATUA". Pantograph Punch. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Kaho, Simone (30 April 2021), Shaneel Lal: 'It's difficult to imagine a world where queer people are free to just be', retrieved 17 November 2021
  12. ^ Lal, Shaneel. "Kaituhi Tūtahi | Contributing Writer". Pantograph Punch. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Shaneel Lal: 'As a trans person, how I dress dictates my safety'". Stuff. 27 November 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  14. ^ Gessler, Julia (14 December 2021). "Style Liaisons: In Conversation With Activist Shaneel Lal". Viva.
  15. ^ "Greens table conversion therapy petition despite Government's promise to ban it by 2022". Newshub. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  16. ^ Lal, Shaneel (9 February 2021). "While the ban on conversion therapy is delayed, queer people are being tortured". The Spinoff. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  17. ^ General Debate Speech Shaneel Shavneel Lal Youth Parliament 2019, retrieved 15 December 2021
  18. ^ a b "Youth MP's call for gay conversion therapy ban exposes homophobic underbelly". Newshub. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Steve Elers: Be yourself and be free ... do you". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  20. ^ Farrier, David. "Homophobia, transphobia, & Massey University". www.webworm.co. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  21. ^ Farrier, David. "Cancel Culture vs Doing a Bad Job". www.webworm.co. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  22. ^ "Controversial Massey lecturer announces plans to publish book in 2021". Massive Magazine. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  23. ^ "NZ Election 2020: Activists praise Labour's commitment to ban conversion therapy". Newshub. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  24. ^ "Conversion therapy ban petition: Takatāpui 'inherent to our culture'". RNZ. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  25. ^ Lal, Shaneel (30 August 2021). "The conversion therapy bill must be amended if survivors are to get justice". The Spinoff. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  26. ^ "Record-breaking number of submissions on law proposing to ban conversion therapy". Stuff. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  27. ^ "Government reaffirms urgent commitment to ban harmful conversion practices". The Beehive. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  28. ^ Lal, Shaneel (16 December 2021). "New Zealand won't ban conversion therapy in 2021, and here's why". The Spinoff. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  29. ^ Lal, Shaneel (30 August 2021). "The conversion therapy bill must be amended if survivors are to get justice". The Spinoff. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  30. ^ Whyte, Anna (9 February 2022). "18K petition calls for stronger conversion practices bill". 1 News. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  31. ^ "Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill - New Zealand Parliament". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  32. ^ "Conversion therapy practices now illegal in New Zealand after law passes final hurdle in Parliament". Newshub. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  33. ^ "New Zealand bans conversion practices in vote hailed as 'win for humanity'". the Guardian. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  34. ^ "Conversion therapy ban: Activist shrugs off death threats". NZ Herald. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  35. ^ "'A Win for Humanity': New Zealand Bans Conversion Therapy". www.vice.com. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  36. ^ Allaire, Christian (16 February 2022). "Shaneel Lal, an Anti-Conversion Therapy Activist, Uses Style For Queer Liberation". Vogue. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  37. ^ Houpt, Emma; Olivier, Cira (14 June 2022). "5600 sign petition for investigation into alleged 'abuse' at Bethlehem College". NZ Herald. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  38. ^ a b O'Brien, Tova. "Two Sides: Is it time to remove blanket bans on gay men donating blood?". todayfm.co.nz. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  39. ^ Saxton, Peter J. W.; McAllister, Susan M. (9 January 2019). "Enumerating the population eligible for funded HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in New Zealand". Sexual Health. 16 (1): 63–69. doi:10.1071/SH18058. ISSN 1449-8987. PMID 30620884. S2CID 58563207.
  40. ^ "Shaneel Lal: Homophobic stigma in blood donation policies". NZ Herald. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  41. ^ a b "Shaneel Lal: Blood Service finally answers my questions about gay men and blood donation". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  42. ^ "Signing off for now 👋". us18.campaign-archive.com. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  43. ^ Mahon-Heap, Jonny (31 March 2023). "'I almost didn't show up': Shaneel Lal on their Young New Zealander of the Year win". Stuff. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  44. ^ Wilton, Perry. "New Zealand Blood Service reviewing 'archaic' restrictions on gay men donating blood". Newshub. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  45. ^ "Human Rights Act: Petition calls for women, queer and disabled people to be protected". NZ Herald. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  46. ^ "Shaneel Lal: Anti-queer hatred and violence at an all-time high". NZ Herald. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  47. ^ "Rainbow Youth Tauranga Drop-in Centre Burnt Down in a suspicious fire". Givealittle. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  48. ^ "Rainbow Youth Board Member Lashes Out at "White Gays" | express Magazine". 15 July 2021. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  49. ^ "PRIDE - PASIFIKA STORIES - SHANEEL LAL". www.thecoconet.tv. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  50. ^ "'God will never forgive you': Protesters confronted at Auckland Pride March". NZ Herald. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  51. ^ "'From one human to another, I implore you to show up today' — Shaneel Lal". NZ Herald. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  52. ^ "Shaneel Lal thanks Auckland after anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull's non event". NZ Herald. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  53. ^ "'Rather ironic' - Sean Plunket says Twitter ban 'troll attack'". 1 News. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  54. ^ "Posie Parker's Wellington event reportedly cancelled". 1 News. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  55. ^ "Posie Parker drowned out by thousands". Newsroom. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  56. ^ "Youth Advisory Group members announced". Education Central. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  57. ^ "Meet the Youth Task Force!". 3 October 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  58. ^ "A queer beauty pageant that's moving away from just looking good". Re. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  59. ^ Magazine, express (9 February 2020). "Your Mr Gay New Zealand 2020 is Liam Reid". express Magazine. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  60. ^ "2020 in review: Young New Zealanders who inspired us". 1 News. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  61. ^ "Shaneel Lal – Inclusion Impact Award 2020". The Impact Awards. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  62. ^ "Inaugural awards recognise service leadership in NZ and the Pacific". Ministry for Pacific Peoples. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  63. ^ Magazine, Viva (18 December 2021). "People Of The Year: Shaneel Lal Is A Powerful Voice Of A Generation - Viva". www.viva.co.nz. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  64. ^ The Youths Demanding Justice for Beirut, Breonna, and LGBTQ+ I The New Resistance Episode 7, retrieved 17 November 2021
  65. ^ "Shaneel Lal, an Anti-Conversion Therapy Activist, Uses Style For Queer Liberation". Vogue. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  66. ^ Watson, Rana Wehbe. "Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2022: The Social Entrepreneurs Working Towards A More Equal Future". Forbes. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  67. ^ Jack, Amberleigh (30 March 2023). "Young New Zealander of the Year first trans recipient in awards' 13-year history". Stuff.
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