Category: Premium

May 08
Michael Hepher: Auckland Zoo’s ungulate expert still looks up at giraffes in awe 

Michael ‘Heff’ Hepher reveals the science, hard work and wonder behind modern zookeeping. Michael Hepher has worked with giraffes for years, but he still talks about them like someone seeing them for the first time.  “They are so delicate,” he says, describing them as “gentle giants” and marvelling at the simple fact they exist at all. “They don’t look real! We’ve got Billy, who’s […]

May 06
The Purpose Behind Tyrun’s Bilingual R&B 

Aotearoa and Niuean artist Tyrun talks about blending  growth, queer visibility and Vagahau Niue into his fresh contemporary sound  On Tyrun’s single FILA, the singer-songwriter questions what happens when love is forced to change.  For the Aotearoa and Niuean artist, that came from a period of personal reflection.  “Saturn returned!” he explains, laughing. “It made me hyper aware of how I had […]

May 06
Why I Chose to Come Out at 76

For most of his life, Bill Costello lived behind what he calls a mask.  Born and raised in Whanganui, Bill knew he was gay as a teenager, but the world around him made that truth feel dangerous. When he was young, his mother noticed how close he and a male friend were becoming and threatened […]

May 05
Jessie Lewthwaite: Lesbian Excellence is Out of This World 

From Sally Ride to Billie Jean King, Jessie Lewthwaite celebrates the queer women whose brilliance, courage, and innovation changed history on Earth and beyond  Last month, the world held its breath as the astronauts of the Artemis mission safely returned to Earth. Seeing such an impressive feat of science in a world that, at the moment, seems to […]

May 01
Indigenous Excellence: Theia Embraces Her Star Power 

For the first time in three years, proudly Māori and lesbian artist Theia is at home in Aotearoa for New Zealand Music Month. She has just returned from New York after speaking at the United Nations, and is juggling the realities of being an independent musician with side hustles, tours and study. Despite the weight on her shoulders, this wahine has […]

Apr 28
NZ Blood donation rules shift

This ends one-size-fits-all assumptions about gay, bi and takatāpui men More gay, bi and takatāpui men in Aotearoa may soon be able to donate blood, with New Zealand Blood Service changing its sexual activity screening rules in a move that shifts the focus away from sexuality and on to specific recent behaviour. For many queer […]

Apr 24
Takatāpui, Truth, and the Courage to Love: A Tribute to Sharon Hawke By Louisa Wall

The mother of Marriage Equality, Louisa Wall, pays homage to Sharon Aroha Hawke (13 April 1962 to 10 April 2026) I stood beside Sharon Hawke on 23 February 2025 at Albert Park in Tāmaki Makaurau as the call went out across the city: Defying Destiny, a day of queer power. It was loud, young, and […]

Apr 23
PICS: Late-Night Mischief and Good Vibes at Eagle Bar

Check out our photos from another massive Saturday night at Auckland’s Eagle Bar on 18 April 2026, with the K Road favourite once again doing what it does best: bringing people together for drinks, dancing and a healthy dose of late-night mischief. From the packed dance floor to the buzzing patio and relaxed lounge spaces, […]