A gay bar in New Zealand drew criticism from the transgender community after claiming that biological sex matters.
Cruz, a nightclub and bar in New Zealand, placed a sign outside the establishment that reads “XY = Male XX = Female,” apparently rejecting the idea that gender is unrelated to biological sex. The statement led to significant backlash, with some individuals accusing the business of transphobia.
The bar elaborated on Facebook, posting a picture of the sign with the caption, “women are a biological reality.” Pre-empting criticism, the bar’s Facebook account linked to videos that showed a transgender-critical speaker being attacked by trans activists and another video that claimed transgender policies negatively affect youth. (RELATED: White House To Host ‘Roundtable On Affirming Transgender Kids’)
Cruz is a gay bar in New Zealand standing up for women! They are brave considering the current climate in the country. Please consider supporting them or commenting on their FB page. They posted “Women are a biological reality” along with this pic. Give it a share. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/itIu8wbCUb
— JJ Guy™️ (@JDGuy99) April 4, 2023
In a response to a Facebook supporter, the bar claimed that many gay and lesbian people are reluctant to speak out against the transgender movement.
“[U]nfortunately many gay and lesbian targeted businesses are afraid to call this out for what it is. That’s how things came to get as far as they have with the trans madness!” the bar posted.
The Christchurch bar also sparked controversy in 2019 when it reportedly rejected gender-neutral terms for its staff.
“To avoid confusion our staff do not have vaginas and are known as barmen,” the bar stated according to Stuff.
“The sign itself and Cruz’s attitude is one that rests in transphobia, but also is very much in opposition to these ideas of inclusion and acceptance that are quite critical to our community and New Zealand in general,” said New Zealand trans advocate Jennifer Shields.