Category: New Zealand

Oct 17
After Leading Early, Jacquie Grant Loses Westland Mayoral Race by Eight Votes

Just nine more votes would have made Jacquie Grant the second transgender person to ever be elected as a mayor in New Zealand. Westland District Mayor Helen Lash has narrowly secured a second term in office, defeating Hokitika businesswoman Jacquie Grant by a razor-thin margin of just eight votes. Final results released on Thursday evening […]

Oct 17
Leaked Drag Race Down Under Vs The World Line-Up Snubs New Zealand-Based Queens

“The girls are all really disappointed,” a prominent Drag Queen tells YOUR EX A major cast leak has revealed the rumoured queens set to compete on Drag Race Down Under Vs The World – and while it’s stacked with stars from across the globe, there’s a notable omission that’s turning heads: not a single queen currently based […]

Oct 16
Not Everything Needs Explaining: The Subtle Radicalism of Xin Ji

YOUR EX meets contemporary dancer Xin Ji as he prepares to bring Body Story to the Nelson Arts Festival — a work that asks what our bodies might remember, even when our minds have moved on. Contemporary dance can sometimes feel like a world you need to decipher — but Xin Ji isn’t interested in […]

Oct 12
Jacquie Grant Looks Set To Be NZ’s First Transgender Mayor Since Georgina Beyer

Ahead in the Westland’s mayoral race by 64 votes, Hokitika businesswoman Jacquie Grant say she has the balls to cut rates. Jacquie Grant is currently leading the tight race for mayor of Westland by just 64 votes, placing her on the brink of making local and national history. If confirmed, she would become New Zealand’s […]

Oct 07
OutLine Aotearoa Finds Stability After Turbulent Year, but Questions Remain Over Undocumented Transactions

After months of uncertainty, OutLine Aotearoa — the country’s longest-running rainbow mental health support charity — has confirmed it will continue operating, following a “calm and constructive” Special General Meeting (SGM). According to attendees, the board reported that OutLine is now on a more stable footing after a difficult financial year that raised concerns over […]

Oct 06
Drag Race Down Under Vs The World won’t be filmed in NZ or Australia

The queens of Drag Race Down Under are jetting off to Europe for an international showdown in Down Under vs the World — a brand new spin-off set to showcase Aussie and Kiwi drag talent on a global stage. Streaming platform World of Wonder confirmed the upcoming series back in August, on the heels of […]

Oct 06
“Harmonious, Free, & Equal” — The Chief Human Rights Commissioner’s Hopes for a Polarised Aotearoa 

New Zealand’s Chief Human Rights Commissioner, Stephen Rainbow, talks to YOUR EX’s Oliver Hall about the importance of societal cohesion, intergenerational dialogue, and what’s needed to protect LGBTQ+ human rights in a polarised world.  When Stephen Rainbow took on the role of New Zealand’s Chief Human Rights Commissioner, he knew it would be complex. But […]

Sep 18
Green MP Benjamin Doyle Slams Parliament in Final Speech

Green MP Benjamin Doyle has delivered a blistering final speech in Parliament, describing it as “the colonisers’ house” built on systems of “exclusion and control”, as they stepped down after just 10 months in office. Doyle (they/them), one of the shortest-serving MPs in New Zealand’s history, resigned earlier this month following intense scrutiny over resurfaced […]