Category: Opinion
Judy Virago imagines a trans-childhood where puberty blockers prevent torturous teen years and concludes New Zealand is on the right path. In my second year of primary school, I made a new friend. His name was Gabriel, like the angel, and he had long beautiful blonde hair. He told me that he was actually a […]
One half of Fan Brigade, Amanda Kennedy, is on hiatus from her genius comedy duo. Ahead of her solo material debut at the International Comedy Festival with her show Bumbshell, she tells express about her personal experience with bi-erasure. I’m bi-slash-pan. I just like whoever I like. I’ll talk a little bit about experiences being […]
Comedian Neil ‘D’Bear’ Thornton presents his guide to cruising, dating and drinking on the gay scene without being a jerk. Some of you should take notes! I know I’m your favourite comedian, but if you see me on Scruff, in Ivy Bar, or in a towel at the spa – I may not be your […]
Michael Stevens discusses growing older in NZ’s queer community and the feelings of being unheard and unseen that come with it. I am getting older, and I’m happy with that. “I turn 60 this year, assuming no unexpected events occur. I guess that makes me ‘senior”’. That’s a pretty significant achievement for me, given I was […]
With gonorrhoea and syphilis on the rise, Dr Saxton says more needs to be done to address sexual health issues in New Zealand. Dr Peter Saxton from the Gay Men’s Sexual Health (GMSH) research group says New Zealand must urgently step up its sexual health response. Writing for Newsroom, Dr Saxton says “people are rightly […]
When Law Student Frankie Wood-Bodley began to transition the last thing he expected to experience was male privilege, but like so many industries, legal education is still a boys club. Trans people have unique insights into the influence and operation of gender identity-based privilege in our society. For many trans people the process of transitioning, […]
Judy Virago examines the recent controversy surrounding a cis-male actor being cast in a trans role in the NZ production of Things I Know To Be True, and finds the real issue is cisgender writers using gender transition as a contemporary plot twist. I quit acting for a while in my mid-20s. Embodying male characters […]
Judy Virago gives perspective to the debate that has divided our community. Four years ago, a cock-eyed consort and I were arrested on suspected possession of methamphetamine. The officer asked me if I’d had any issues with the law before. I said I didn’t think so, started to sweat and gave him my name and […]