Category: Opinion
Matt Fistonich dives into Giapo’s new savoury range, and for coeliacs, it feels like more than just a meal. It feels like access, abundance, and the kind of pleasure gluten-free diners are still too rarely invited to expect. Giapo’s 100 percent gluten free store is not simply a novelty. It feels like a real shift […]
A glitter-drenched, Shakespeare-inspired pop musical has arrived in Aotearoa, built around one irresistible question: what if Juliet never died for Romeo? That premise gives & Juliet its spark, but what begins as a smart feminist reworking of one of literature’s most overdone straight love stories soon opens into something broader, warmer and, at times, beautifully […]
Jessie Lwethwaite asks what “heteroflexible” really means, and examines how it sits within queer dating culture. As a butch woman, I am no stranger to being “straight bait”. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I have been at a party, at a bar, or even at a cheeky after-work function where, around drink four, her straightness gets a few […]
“There is much talk about people and not enough with people”: Prudence Walker on queer rights, disability, and being heard Prudence Walker, Disability Rights Commissioner and rainbow rights spokesperson at the Human Rights Commission, discusses queer rights, accessibility, and why meaningful inclusion in Aotearoa must be shaped by lived experience. In Aotearoa, conversations about inclusion […]
Queer women are statistically lonelier than straight people and often more than gay men — yet media narratives focus on the so-called male loneliness epidemic. Jessie Lewthwaite explores sapphic isolation and the best ways to make it better. I was out at a bar with some friends (yes, I know a lot of my stories start this […]
Parliament’s newest Labour MP, Georgie Dansey, reflects on Pride, representation in Parliament, and her commitment to protecting rainbow rights and inclusive healthcare in Aotearoa. Representation of our queer communities is so important to me. It’s one of the reasons I joined the Labour Party, which stands staunchly for justice and inclusion for all communities. Kia […]
Before his death late last year, Craig Young penned his final opinion piece for YOUR EX, reflecting on Cold War anxieties and Fallout’s predictions for LGBTQ+ communities following a nuclear event—a reflection that seems more pertinent than ever in 2026. Defending LGBTQ+ and abortion rights wasn’t the only cause that defined my activism in the […]
Jessie Lewthwaite breaks down common myths about lesbian relationships, domestic violence stats, ‘lesbian porn’, and the reality of queer women’s happiness. Not long ago, I found myself in a part of town I didn’t even know existed — in a bar where I’m fairly certain I wasn’t welcome — doing my best to support a […]