LGBT New Zealand - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

society is generally fairly relaxed in acceptance of gays and lesbians. The gay-friendly environment is epitomised by the fact that there are several Members of Parliament who belong to the LGBT

LGBT

LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...

community, gay rights are protected by the New Zealand Human Rights Act, and same-sex couples are able to have their relationships legally recognised with a civil union

Civil union

A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...

, which generally gives them the same rights as a married couple, although this is a relatively recent development, having come into effect in 2005. Sex between men was only decriminalised in 1986, and like all countries, there is always the issue of homophobia

Homophobia

Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...

with which to contend.

History

Same-sex relationships and activities appear to have been acceptable amongst pre-European Māori. Some stories, for example that of Tutanekei and Tiki, seem to be about same-sex couples. A British missionary, Richard Davis, found homosexual relationships between men to be a familiar part of Maori life, and although homosexual relationships between women have not been well documented, they were certainly not condemned. In modern New Zealand, a common label adopted by LGBT Māori is Takatāpui

Takatapui

Takatāpui is the Māori word meaning a devoted partner of the same sex. In modern terminology, a person that identifies as takatāpui is a Māori individual that is queer, in other words gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or transsexual...

, a term that has been revived from pre-European times and popularised since Homosexual Law Reform in 1986. The term roughly translates into English as intimate partner of the same sex.

Some of the earliest European settlers in New Zealand were Christian missionaries who arrived in the early nineteenth century and eventually converted most of the Māori population to Christianity. They brought with them the Christian doctrine that homosexuality was sinful. Despite this, one missionary, William Yate, was sent back to England in disgrace after being caught engaging in sex with young Māori men.

When New Zealand became a British colony in 1840, British law was adopted in its entirety, making sex between males illegal and a capital offence. In 1893, all kinds of sexual activity between men was criminalised, with penalties including imprisonment, hard labour, and flogging. Sexual acts between females were never made illegal, which could be the result of many social factors of the time.

Despite discriminatory laws, a small gay subculture developed. A number of gay men were involved in New Zealand's even smaller literary subculture, including Frank Sargeson

Frank Sargeson

Frank Sargeson was the pen name of Norris Frank Davey. He is considered one of New Zealand's foremost short story writers. Like Katherine Mansfield, Sargeson helped to put New Zealand literature on the world map....

. However even in these circles, homosexuality was not always accepted. Lesbian subcultures are more difficult to detect, but in late 1971, the KG (Kamp Girls) club for lesbians was formed in Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

.

Violence against gays and lesbians was often condoned. In 1964, Charles Aberhart was beaten to death in Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

's Hagley Park by a group of men who claimed he had propositioned them. They were tried for murder but found not guilty. As in many countries, homosexuals were often committed to mental institutions and given 'treatment' for what was rendered a mental illness.

In 1961, the Dorian Society

Dorian Society

The Dorian Society was the first New Zealand organisation for homosexual men. It was primarily a social club and avoided political action. In 1963 it took the first steps towards law reform by forming a legal subcommittee that collected books and other resources. It also provided legal advice to...

was founded in Wellington

Wellington

Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

. Two years later, it established a legal subcommittee out of which the Homosexual Law Reform Society emerged. In 1972, the Gay Liberation Front was formed in Auckland by Ngahuia Te Awekotuku. In the following decades, numerous gay and lesbian rights groups were formed across New Zealand.

After several attempts (see gay rights in New Zealand

Gay rights in New Zealand

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have most of the same rights as other people in New Zealand. At present, the remaining exceptions are the right to adopt children as a couple, and the right to marry. However, New Zealand enacted legislation that permitted civil unions in 2005, which...

), the Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986 was passed, decriminalising sexual activity between men over the age of 16. In 1993, discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation was outlawed. In 2004 the Civil Union

Civil union

Act was passed, giving same-sex couples an equivalent to marriage. New Zealand was unique in passing homosexual law reform in the midst of the AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

crisis. Supporters of reform argued that removing the stigma from homosexuality would help prevent the spread and aid the treatment of disease. AIDS has primarily affected the gay male community in New Zealand, and gay men are prominent in AIDS fundraising and in running organisations such as the New Zealand AIDS Foundation.

New Zealand's first gay pride week was founded in the 1970s in the wake of the Stonewall

Stonewall

The word Stonewall may refer to* a stone wall* a verb meaning "to refuse to cooperate, especially in supplying information" -Games and entertainment:* "Stonewall structure" of pawns in the chess opening theory:** Stonewall Attack...

riots in New York of 1969, the symbolic start of the modern Gay Rights Movement. In 1991, New Zealand's most prominent gay pride event, the Hero Parade

Hero Parade

The Hero Parade was an annual gay and lesbian Parade through the streets of Auckland, New Zealand, in the 1990s. The last Parade was in 2001. It was the showpiece of the Hero Festival in Auckland which runs to the present day...

, was founded in Auckland. This developed into a festival that became burdened by financial problems, and no parade has been held since 2001. Smaller scale parades were held in Wellington in the 1990s.

The Sisters for Homophile Equality (SHE), a Lesbian Feminist collective, formed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1973. In December of that year, they began to publish Circle, later renamed Lesbian Feminist Circle. The magazine continued to publish until 1986.

Prominent gay, lesbian and transgender New Zealanders

New Zealand has several LGBT people in parliament. Chris Carter

Chris Carter (politician)

Christopher Joseph Carter was an independent Member of Parliament in New Zealand, and a former member of the New Zealand Labour Party until his expulsion. Carter was a senior Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand, serving lastly as Minister of Education, Minister...

(Labour

New Zealand Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

, Minister of Conservation) became New Zealand's first openly gay MP when he outed himself shortly after being elected in 1993. Tim Barnett (Labour) was openly gay before being elected in 1996. Even earlier Marilyn Waring

Marilyn Waring

Marilyn Waring, CNZM, D.Phil., D.Litt. is a New Zealand feminist, a politician, an activist for female human rights and environmental issues, an author and an academic, known for her contributions to feminist economics....

, a National Party MP in the 1970s and 1980s, was also outed as a lesbian during her term and subsequently re-elected. She refused to comment at the time but "came out" in 1985, one year after her political career had ended. Since 2005 several more openly LGBT MPs have been elected, including for both the major parties. There have also been other openly gay government ministers

Minister (government)

A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....

including the World and New Zealand's first openly gay Attorney General

Attorney-General (New Zealand)

The Attorney-General is a political office in New Zealand. It is simultaneously a ministerial position and an administrative office, and has responsibility for supervising New Zealand law and advising the government on legal matters...

Chris Finlayson

Christopher Francis Finlayson is a New Zealand lawyer, politician and Member of Parliament, representing the National Party. He is a Cabinet minister and the Attorney-General of New Zealand...

, National.

New Zealand also boasted the world's first transgender MP. Georgina Beyer

Georgina Beyer

Georgina Beyer was the world's first openly transsexual mayor, as well as the world's first openly transsexual Member of Parliament, and from 27 November 1999 until 14 February 2007 was an MP for the Labour Party in New Zealand.-Early life:Georgina Bertrand was born and assigned male at birth, and...

was elected to Parliament in the 1999 election for the seat of Wairarapa

Wairarapa

Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...

, and left Parliament on 14 February 2007. Before entering parliament, Beyer was the world's first transgender mayor, of the small town of Carterton

Carterton, New Zealand

Carterton is a small town in the Wellington Region of New Zealand and the seat of the Carterton District. It lies in a farming area of the Wairarapa in New Zealand's North Island. It is located southwest of Masterton and northeast of Wellington...

.

As in many other countries, there are numerous gays and lesbians involved in various branches of the arts. They include Whale Rider author Witi Ihimaera

Witi Ihimaera

Witi Tame Ihimaera-Smiler, DCNZM, QSM , generally known as Witi Ihimaera , is a New Zealand author, and is often regarded as one of the most prominent Māori writers alive.-Biography:...

, dancers Michael Parmenter http://michaelparmenter.inza.co.nz and Douglas Wright

Douglas Wright (New Zealand dancer)

Douglas Wright is an openly gay dancer and choreographer in the New Zealand arts establishment from 1980 until his retirement from dance in 2008 on the occasion of the publication of his first book of poetry, Laughing Mirror ....

, award-winning teen book author Paula Boock and former Chief Censor

Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)

The Office of Film and Literature Classification is the government agency in New Zealand that is responsible for classification of all films, videos, publications, and some video games in New Zealand...

Judge Bill Hastings

Bill Hastings

His Honour Judge William Kenneth Hastings was New Zealand's tenth Chief Censor, from October 1999 to July 2010. He is currently a District Court Judge and Chair of the Immigration and Protection Tribunal.-Biography:...

. The creator of the Rocky Horror Show

The Rocky Horror Show

The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...

Richard O'Brien

Richard Timothy Smith , better known under his stage name Richard O'Brien, is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze...

also spent most of his childhood in Hamilton

Hamilton, New Zealand

Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...

.

Openly gay people are relatively rare in the world of sport. Equestrian

Equestrianism

Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

Olympic

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

medal winner Blyth Tait

Blyth Tait

Blyth Tait is a New Zealand equestrian. Tait has competed at four Olympics and has won four medals, one of only four New Zealanders to do so....

and Olympic speed skater Blake Skjellerup are exceptions.

Gay and lesbian life in New Zealand today

New Zealanders are generally accepting of gays and lesbians, although low level homophobia

Homophobia

(such as the use of the word 'gay' as an insult) is still common. Same-sex partners are accepted as the equivalent of heterosexual couples for immigration and most other purposes.

The gay scene in New Zealand is reasonably small by international standards. However Auckland has multiple LGBT venues and festivals, as well as being voted the 15th gayest city in the world. Outside Auckland, larger cities and some towns host one or two LGBT pubs, clubs or sex venues. Many smaller centres have LGBT organisations and social networks that cater to their community.

The internet is often used by gay men in New Zealand to meet others, especially in areas which lack specifically gay venues. Since at least 2005, the most popular LGBT site in New Zealand is the not-for-profit site gay.co.nz

Gay.co.nz

gay.co.nz is the leading Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender personals website for New Zealand.It provides daily local and international news stories, monitors fundamentalist anti-gay pressure groups, and provides a safe online meeting place for New Zealand's LGBT community...

, started as a community project by a New Zealand internet company.

A fortnightly lesbian event called 'Flirt' is held in Auckland, on the first and third Saturday of each month.
Elaborate Lesbian Ball events are held annually in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Auckland and Wellington also hold regular lesbian social events.

There are a number of gay and lesbian festivals in New Zealand. Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin host annual Pride Weeks, usually operated by the local UniQ

UniQ

In New Zealand, UniQ is the Queer Students Association at New Zealand Tertiary Institutions.UniQ is active at most New Zealand universities and several polytechnics...

, related youth-focussed organisations, or the New Zealand AIDS Foundation as a community-building initiative. The Out Takes film festival

Out Takes: A Reel Queer Film Festival

Out Takes: A Reel Queer Film Festival is an annual film festival screening New Zealand and international homosexual films. The festival takes place in late May/early June in three cities: Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. OutTakes used to premier in Dunedin with selected film screenings at...

was a popular event in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and while the organisation pulled the 2008 festival due to funding issues, it returned in 2009.

Until 2008, the Hero Festival was held in Auckland each February, and included the Hero Parade

Hero Parade

, which attracted huge crowds, both gay and straight. Financial problems in 2001 led to the parade's demise, but the festival continued as a celebration of the city's LGBT citizens and comprised many events throughout February, including the popular Big Gay Out (in contrast to the music festival Big Day Out

Big Day Out

The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...

held in January), which is still held on the Sunday closest to Valentines Day each year. Hero was wrapped up in March 2009 but plans are advancing for a new LGBT Festival for Auckland beginning in 2010.

Gay and lesbian publications

express - Auckland, New Zealand, originally 'Man to Man', 1991–present
Tamaki Makaurau Lesbian Newsletter - Auckland 2, Aotearoa, New Zealand, 1991-?
Lesbian Feminist Circle
Lesbian Feminist Circle
Circle was a lesbian journal collectively produced by the Sisters for Homophile Equality in Wellington, New Zealand between December 1973 and 1977...

- Wellington, New Zealand, "For Lesbians only" collectively produced c1973-1976
Out!, 1976-2009
Pink Triangle, 1979-1990.
Bitches, Witches, & Dykes - Auckland, New Zealand 1980-1981
Lesbians in Print - Auckland, New Zealand, 1987
Sapphic star Auckland, New Zealand c1989-1991
UP magazine
UP magazine
UP magazine was a New Zealand youth-orientated magazine for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of New Zealand.The first issue of UP appeared in 2002 as an A3 tabloid newspaper specifically for the Wellington, New Zealand gay community. It expanded to nationwide coverage in...

- Wellington, then nationwide, 2002–2006

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Prominent gay, lesbian and transgender New Zealanders

Gay and lesbian life in New Zealand today

Gay and lesbian publications

See also

External links