Category: Opinion
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 […]
China Pride Festival organiser and AUT student Arajoe Xi tells us how ‘colourful’ Aotearoa helped her embrace her inner rainbow. “在新西兰成为酷儿华裔移民的经历” 有幸参加这次的采访，在这里来分享一下我身为一个中国lgbtq群体在新西兰生活的经历。 首先自我介绍一下，我是Arajoe Xi，今年20岁，正在AUT读视觉传达设计，也同样是一个兼职的平面设计师，我2016年跟随父母来到新西兰，刚来时我上高中，也正在处于自己的性取向探索阶段，所以可以说我的青春期基本上是在新西兰度过的。 其实早在很小的时候就察觉到自己会对同性产生好感，但是我也不确定那是不是真正的爱情。看到这边高中，会有一些和自己同性伴侣骄傲的在学校牵着手，甚至在学校的心里咨询室也会有彩虹旗的标示，这时候的我逐渐开始了解一些国外的一些同性恋文化和历史。 有时候我也会在街上一些商店门口贴有彩虹标示，心里充满感动，有时候由衷的感觉新西兰真的是个很自由很开放的国家啊，在这里人们可以做自己想做的事情，爱自己想爱的人，这与从小到大接触到的中国保守文化很不一样。 关于出柜。我的出柜还算顺利，在高中我已经强烈的感觉到我果然还是喜欢同性的时候，一次偶然的聊天，和我妈妈坦白了这一切，第一次出柜，我哭了，当时喜欢的日本女孩子要回国了，当时的我非常消沉，决定和我妈坦白这一切，她也接受了，但是她还是认为这可能是发生在朋友之间的喜欢。不过这也是不意外的，我的妈妈一直和我无话不谈，就像好朋友那样的相处模式，所以我出柜的顺利还算是在意料之中的。 Be proud of who you are. 去年2月我参加了当地的“big gay out”的活动为AUT的摊位做志愿者，在哪里可以更深入的了解了西方lgbtq文化，接触到了很多有趣的人，大家都很自信很骄傲的穿着彩虹元素的衣服去参加活动，在哪里我感受到了文化的包容性以及新西兰人们的自由。我所在的摊位是让大家为彩虹群体写一句话，很多人说“ Be proud of yourself“ 大胆的爱你所爱的人。甚至有很多直人也愿意给lgbtq群体的人一个大大的hug，那一刻我感受到了这个国家的温度，以及包容性。 勇敢的做自己！lgbtq群体。每个人都很不一样，这个世界本不应该一种颜色，多种颜色组成了彩虹。多元化的国家，不同种族的人不同的性取向又怎样，我们本应如此，骄傲的活在世界上，爱一个人，与心爱的人勇敢的手牵手走在大街上。这就是多彩的新西兰。 The China Pride Festival was due take place as part of Auckland […]
Academic and New Zealander of the Year nominee, Lexie Matheson, gives us her view on what feminism looks like in 2021 and the direction she would like to see it follow. Talia Bettcher, in a moment of profound superficiality writes, in ‘Feminist Perspectives on Trans Issues’, that ‘the relationship between feminism and transgender theory and […]
Planning a future with a non-kiwi partner, who is based overseas has always come with hurdles, but in this COVID era of closed borders and quarantining, these odds can feel insurmountable. Immigration expert, Malcolm Pacific Immigration’s David Cooper advices how to best navigate these challenges. Over lockdown I got talking to a British guy on […]
Kiss-off Valentine and kill Cupid, but definitely marry comedian Tom Sainsbury! The host of The Tom Sainsbury Love Hour presents his guide to taking a chance on a love that burns hot enough to last! (RIP) Now look, I’m far from being an expert in the ways of love but I’ll give this a bash. […]
Recent rulings by World Rugby and the British High Court are keeping trans-women excluded from professional sports. Judy Virago believes it is time we stopped categorising people simply by gender and create fairer rules and greater inclusion for athletes. I hated getting up early on the weekend. I was a kid who liked to sleep […]
Many people think of transitioning as a single step, but Judy Virago believes defining yourself can be a long and winding path. I started correcting things my father would say to me as soon as I could talk. As an infant dad said to me “You want some naanaa baby?” and precociously I replied “Not naanaa daddy, […]
Star of Rūrangi, Elz Carrad, tells us about his experience of being a trans-father and how his recent hormone therapy has helped give him a greater insight into the challenges of puberty. I caught my 12-year-old step-son inspecting his upper lip in the mirror the other day and I knew instantly what he was doing. […]