Category: Opinion
Palmerston North MP Tangi Utikere warns that Government reforms could threaten events like Palmy Drag Fest, which celebrate diversity and bring communities together. As we head into the second half of 2025, there are some great community events to look forward to, including in my hometown of Palmerston North. Festivals and events are incredibly important […]
Jessie Lewthwaite reflects on attending her first gay wedding and how queers have defied old fears to embrace love on our own terms. Having moved to New Zealand in 2013 in pursuit of a right Australia was still denying queer citizens, I am very surprised it has taken me until 2025 to attend my first […]
Jennifer Shields reflects on the significance of Queer History Month and the enduring presence of LGBTQ+ communities across time. Happy Queer History Month, Aotearoa – Pūmahara Ia Te Wā! This July marks the second celebration of Queer History Month across the motu, thanks to the efforts of Kawe Mahara Queer Archives Aotearoa, who’ve compiled a […]
Craig Young reflects on the UK’s contradictory reforms—advancing abortion and euthanasia rights while backsliding on trans issues, and warns NZ not to follow suit. The United Kingdom has always struck me as a country of contradictions—but perhaps that’s just part of its evolving character. Lately, I’ve been observing a curious blend of progressive reform and […]
Tanya Unkovich resigns from Parliament amid controversy over her anti-trans bill and anti-vax views. Craig Young explores the motivations behind her abrupt departure. At the end of June, New Zealand First List MP Tanya Unkovich stepped down from Parliament, citing a desire to return to her career as a motivational speaker. Her departure might appear […]
Craig Young shares a personal perspective on poppers and outlines legal challenges to the laws around their sale and use in NZ and abroad. Alkyl and amyl nitrate inhalants—better known as poppers—were a staple of the gay male community in the 1970s and ’80s. I remember using them sparingly in my younger years back in […]
Craig Yong reflects on the treatment gaps facing trans youth with eating disorders, exploring the tragic case of V, systemic healthcare failures, and the role of gender-affirming care in saving lives. Earlier this month (June 16), V, a young trans man and non-binary individual, tragically passed away as a result of their eating disorder. Some critics […]
Destiny Church’s anti-faith protest highlights a deeper contradiction in the Christian Right’s stance on religious freedom in New Zealand, writes Craig Young. The New Zealand Christian Right holds a contradictory stance on religious freedom: they champion it for themselves, yet seem reluctant to extend it to others. Many LGBTQI+ New Zealanders embrace a “live and […]