Category: Opinion
Ahead of their talk at the NZ Young Writer’s Festival (28 – 31 October, Dunedin) Hana Pera Aoake (they/them) discusses gender from a Māori perspective. As Maaori we oscillate constantly between worlds: matauranga Maaori and matauranga Paakehaa. I was once told that it’s not a burden but a gift: a way of being able to […]
Telling your family you are transgender can be one of the most defining conversations of your life. The reality for many is they may not understand and accept you straight away and that rejection can feel overwhelming. Judy Virago shares her coming out experience and notes that time and compassion can heal many wounds. When […]
Michael Stevens has been watching more gay sex recently, and it didn’t involve an ‘Incognito’ tab or a visit to Pornhub. Mainstream TV shows are depicting gay sex in all its messy glory and while he couldn’t be happier about it, Michael Stevens does have a few tips! Buggery. Sodomy. Uphill Gardening. And there are […]
Monogamy, snakes, fruits and faith. Dick Richards examines the ‘old book’s story of the world’s first gay couple and asks if your relationship rules need a New Testament? Some say rules are made to be broken, but when it comes to rules in a relationship, what are we really breaking when we push the boundaries […]
We’ve all taken a nude selfie that captured just the right angle and during a flirty online chat shared it with others, but should we? Dick Richards asks what we are really giving away. The internet is a digital ocean – and we are dripping. Every day we dunk ourselves in it, we drink from […]
Michael Stevens is putting a ring on it, and this unexpected twist in his life story has him reflecting on activism, legality and love. Can you hear the bells? Shopping for wedding rings – this is not something I ever imagined doing when I was a young gay man. But it’s what my fiancé and […]
Did you know there is an unwritten rulebook that defines who can identify as trans? Judy Virago didn’t realise until she started transitioning and discovered a minefield of damaging expectations waiting for her. Here she shares the truth: only you should get to define your identity. When I made the decision to live my life […]
For several years we as a community (especially in Auckland) have been divided, both politically and ideologically. But for the past few months, Drag Race Down Under brought us back together, writes Steven Oates. On Saturday night, Kita Mean was crowned the winner of the first season of Rupaul’s Drag Race Down Under. You may […]