Human Rights Commission receives nearly 100 complaints on Marama Davidson and her ‘white cis men’ comment

Greens co-leader Marama Davidson is refusing to apologise publicly for saying it's "white cis men who cause violence in the world". Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Human Rights Commission says it has received more than 90 complaints about Marama Davidson and her comments saying it’s “white cis men who cause violence in the world”.

The Greens co-leader and Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence is refusing to publicly apologise for her comments, although she repeatedly told journalists in Parliament on Tuesday she felt it appropriate to clarify her comments.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has said Davidson apologised to him privately, but National Party leader Christopher Luxon wants a public apology “to the people that she caused offence to”.

Davidson made the comment when approached by a member of the far-right conspiracy theorist website Counterspin for her opinion on behaviour at the Posie Parker protest.

“Trans people are tired of being oppressed and discriminated,” Davidson said.

“I am a prevention violence minister. I know who causes violence in the world, it is white cis men. That is white cis men who cause violence in the world.”

Cis refers to someone who is the same gender now as what was assigned to that person when they were born.

After an uproar from political parties, Davidson said she was “not as clear in my comments” as she should have been because she had just been hit by a motorcycle and was “still in shock”.

Davidson said she should have been clear that “violence happens in every community”.

Fronting journalists for the first time since her comments, Davidson said: “I have clarified what I intended to say and particularly affirm and acknowledge victims and survivors who may not have seen themselves in my comments and wanted to make sure I affirm their experiences.”

When asked if she would apologise to people who felt offended, as the National Party has called for, Davidson repeated she had “made things clearer in my public statement”.

“I acknowledge that I should have been clearer in my words. I normally take incredible care. I understand the importance of my language in my work,” Davidson said.

“This is how much focus I normally take in the language that I use, which is why I have clarified it in my public statement.”