aotearoa - New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

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TAT OU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
whanganui-a-tara
aOTEAROA
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND
OCTOBER 2011
Chief Human Rights
Commissioner
Rosslyn Noonan
Outgames crew
are supreme
winners
Rainbow
Wellington’s
questionnaire
Enjoying
the body
you’ve got
Adoption:
The next step
Featuring
Wellington raised
Sara Chez and her incredible journey
proudly brought to you by
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
Me Karakia Tatou
Whiti ora ki te whai ao
ki te ao marama.
Whiti ki runga, whiti ki raro.
E ngungu ki te pohatu
e ngungu ki te rakau - taha
titaha ki tenei
- - taha.
titaha ki tera
Tihei mauriora.
What’s it all about:
TAPATORU?
Focus on the present:
Tapatoru would like to share with
its Maori trans and wider trans
whanau the importance of making
the most of the present! This is
the time when people are too
focussed on other aspects of their
lives and that we forget about
enjoying ‘today’:
• we believe we are a whanau/
family and we look after each
other and get on;
• our uniqueness is what
contributes to our vibrant
and colourful community;
• keeping things simple is
what is more effective than
complex and full of jargon;
• we show our support in
numbers and a unifed voice
with good intention toward
our people;
• always it is about uplifting
our wairua/spirit, and leading
proudly by example;
• We have no boundaries to
our successes!
• savvy in today’s world
means living in both worlds
confidently
Our history:
Our Maori trans whanau are a
part of our Maori trans history
also and it is important that
we remember those who have
passed on and that we keep their
memory alive.
Tapatoru invites contributions
from whanau, friends, and
companions, to share their story
with us. We welcome any material
on our brothers and sisters. Our
email is: info@tapatoru.org.nz
What the future holds:
To have a place for our aging
indigenous trans whanau in
Wellington. To encourage
a lifestyle that respects our
trans people as they age and
either require support to live
comfortably or want to live in a
facility that is supportive.
OCTOBER 2011
From the editors
Kia ora Whanau.
Nau mai haere mai (welcome) to the October
issue of Tatou where I acknowledge our dear
whanau (family) and friend Dana de Milo who
celebrated her 65th birthday on 27 August (her
actual birthday was 29 August). It was a lovely
gathering of many of Dana’s nearest and dearest
turning up at the Green Parrot Cafe here in
Wellington.
THE EDITORS
Page 2
until seeing it on the big screen. It was hilarious,
the fundraiser’s mascot ‘Hospi’ (characterised as
a lion), was doing his thing in entertaining the
crowds. Oh how comical he was on the night, and
everyone melted when these toddlers arrived,
(and they must’ve met Hospi while in hospital),
and the shrills of delight from them on seeing
Hospi - they absolutely ‘adored’ him and all his
antics. Keep up the good work Hospi!
We (as in Tapatoru) were delighted to be advised
that our application to the Outgames legacy
fund was successful (see page 16). As we had
received so much positive feedback regarding the
calendar we produced in time for the Asia Pacific
Outgames in March this year; we have decided to
do another one. We applied to the legacy fund
for $2000 which will cover the cost of production.
All costs for the first calendar were paid by us.
However, as we are now on one salary, we are
unable to continue without some support and
the grant from the legacy fund was a key factor in
producing another calendar (see Page 29).
The people of Aotearoa (New Zealand)
commiserate the passing of Sir Paul Reeves on
14 August 2011. He was 78 years and among
many titles he was Archbishop of Aotearoa in
the early to mid 80’s; and became the first Maori
Governor General of Aotearoa 1985-1990. His
televised state funeral was acknowledgement
of his commitment, and an article (see Page 5)
acknowledges his humanity and support for all
people and especially his role of patron with Last week (27 September 2011), we attended the
NZAF.
farewell of Chief Human Rights Commissioner
Just over a week after Sir Paul Reeves, we were Rosslyn Noonan held in Wellington, at Parliament
shocked to hear news of a friend (Charles Jones), in the Banquet Hall. Her farewell drew a large
who was taken tragically while in Thailand on crowd which gave us an indication of the breadth
22 August 2011. He was president of the World that Rosslyn works and it was an impressive
Croquet Federation and was on his way home gathering, for an impressive and highly respected
from a tournament in the UK. We got to know person. Her message was clear in that while alot
Charles through volunteer work at the soup has been achieved - there is still much more to
kitchen, and when Peri joined the local Wellington do. The reward for us is the opportunity for
croquet club back in 2007 (where Charles played Rosslyn to say farewell to you - in her article on
and was on the executive). When he was brought Pages 10-11.
back to Aotearoa, two funeral services were held The cover picture (photographer Adrian Malloch)
simultaneously; in his home town (Westport), plus the picture on Page 11 were taken at
and here in Wellington, which gave me the Rosslyn’s Auckland farewell (held in August), on
opportunity to pay our respects.
Orakei Marae. The korowai (cloak) she is wearing
On an uplifting note, I had a great time with new is called Te Kahui Tika Tangata (the cloak of the
friends Amie and Kim as we celebrated Amie’s 40th Human Rights Commission), and was presented
birthday on 20 August 2011. They contributed to to her at this event.
the Queer Avengers article that was in our July We would like to convey our congratulations
issue of Tatou. It is great fun meeting new people, to young Cherise Witehira in her appointment
and also meeting ‘their’ friends too (who are just as President of Agender NZ. We are always
as lovely). As soon as our work and study load very proud to hear of our young Maori people,
eases, we are looking forward to organising some stepping up and taking on key roles like this and
family gatherings as the summer heads our way. we send our support. We have kept abreast
The world rugby competition has certainly been via online communication with Cherise in
an enjoyable time for Peri! Not me, I don’t know the incredible work she has done in keeping
much about rugby. I admire his ‘double standards’ Agender Christchurch striving; especially the new
in that when he has assignments or an exam, he premises called Te Whare Puakitanga, Transition
needs his quiet and focus. But oh! That’s all out House; amidst the earthquake disaster and falling
the door if there is a rugby game on TV. One night economy. Aside from winning the presidential
I caught him watching a game on TV with the seat, she certainly deserves accolades for her
sound on mute instead of studying - (you had to achievements to date.
be there to see it - very cute). Best thing though The NZ Police Diversity Liaison Officers will
- he was given a ticket to see the Wales vs South be recruiting at Police College on 26 October
Africa ‘plus’ 2x tickets to see Tonga vs France. 2011. For me, it is an opportunity to network,
Lucky boy is all I can say.....and he still did okay educate, learn, listen and build relationships with
with his exams and assignments.
these awesome people. Some stories I’ve heard
Just recently we went along to a fundraiser charity involving DLO’s have been hugely rewarding and
screening at the Embassy theatre. The event it is always a pleasure to be called up and asked
was put on by Wellington Hospitals and Health to attend these.
Foundation and the movie was Footrot Flats. Arohanui (much love),
Gee! I never knew how violent that movie was Karen & Peri
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
FEATURE
Page 3
Necessity is the mother of invention
introducing Sara Chez
Ever had to do something a different way because there
is no other way to do it? That is what my whole life has
been like.
Surprisingly trying to turn a negative
situation into a positive can sometimes
be extremely hard, but this is how it
is for us now and will be for a long
time to come. The ability to reinvent
ourselves is one of our many facets.
We are chameleons who are forever
changing and trying to improve
ourselves to make us feel complete. I arrived in Wellington in the early
80’s after running away from home
and finding sanctuary in my aunt’s
home in Island Bay. My aunty was
extremely kind and always knew I was
different from the others. She gave me
enormous support and understanding.
She was my foundation to create the
new persona I desperately needed to
become. Acceptance is so important
for us and to have that is indeed a
gift. We need to be accepted, we
want to be accepted and we tend
to search for this our whole lives.
Wellington was so enormous to me.
My aunt worked in The Harry Squires
Memorial Hostel for the Elderly (on the
corner of Vivian and Taranaki streets.
My uncle Ben would take us in the car
at 10.30pm to go and collect aunty
from her afternoon shift at 11pm.
While we patiently waited in the car
outside the hostel, I notice a lot of
women dressed very glamorously
walking across the pedestrian crossing,
tossing their hair and twirling their
beautiful dresses. I was instantly
mesmerised by these people who I
would later find out were exactly what
I was going to become. I enquired to
my uncle as we waited as to who they
were, and he told me that they all had
come from aunty Carmen’s Coffee
Shop and were on their way to the
Purple Onion (a strip club). He finally
divulged to me their secret and then I
wanted to meet them.
of my head from my aunt (preventing
me from seeing what was happening
under that table). A small argument
ensued, and one of them flicked her
hand in the air and knocked something
out of the fish net they had in the roof
and headed out the door. We spent a
few hours there at that Coffee Shop
and this was the start of my new life. I annoyed my aunt for ages until one I eventually moved out of my aunts,
night she took me to The Balcony Club and secured my own place (a small
when I was 14 where we met another unit on Russell Terrace), near the
aunty called Gypsy. My aunt and Gypsy zoo. I was now in control of my own
talked for a while and we
were told that Carmen was I was enrolled at the Gloucestershire
at the Coffee Shop so we College of Arts and Technology where I
headed down there; utterly
amazed as we walked into passed a Business Diploma in Secretarial
the Coffee Shop. I could Studies for the next two years passing
see them everywhere. with honours.
There was an argument
going on in the corner, another was life. I looked for work and became a
under a table, and when I went to look Chef’s apprentice at the Grain of Salt
underneath our table to see what was on Oriental Parade, where I began my
going on, I received a clip to the back love affair with food.
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
intriguing as I did him. I was
totally spoilt with dinner at
restaurants, gifts and jewellery
and we became lovers and
best friends. His name was Jim.
Jim’s mother passed away so he
left to return home to the UK;
and upon his return he asked
me to move there with him,
as he inherited their family
home in Gloucestershire. I
immediately said yes.
My curiosity now was getting the
better of me, and I wandered down
to the Harry Squires Hostel one night
and then saw the ‘ladies of the night’,
as uncle Ben would call them. They
headed into the local pub where they
all met up and were having a great
time.
So now was the time for ‘me’ to have
a go. I went to my aunts the following
weekend and borrowed a ladies suit
and a pair of high heels (two sizes too
small for my feet), and some makeup.
I was now ready to hit the streets of
Wellington and learn more about
these ‘ladies of the night’. Of course I
needed a name. Being a great fan of
the Sara Moon pictures, I thought Sara
sounded nice and hence I was reborn.
The first person I met that night
was Colleen White, who would later
become a dear friend and we would live
together for a time. She taught me how
to apply makeup, hair styles, clothing
ideas (she was very fashionable) and
eventually Colleen and I would go out
(most nights) working. She was like
my drag mother. She introduced me
to the scene and before long I had
met everyone. I began to crack it with
Colleen and one night met a wealthy
Englishman who would eventually
fall in love with me, as I did him,
and still do to this day. He found me
I nearly drew blood out of his
hand (I was holding) as the plane
took off and we left Wellington
for Heathrow. Jim had organised
a Rolls Royce for us and we
headed to our new home. The
home was a beautiful two story
English home with stain glass
windows, complete with a glass house,
two car garaging and a summer house
at the rear of the property.
I thought I would be happy here. Jim
had to work in London so I was left in
Gloucestershire to my own devices.
Eventually after exploring most of the
town and shopping every day, I grew
bored and mentioned this to Jim and
he suggested I undertake tertiary
studies.
After thinking long and hard, I decided
that an executive assistant/secretary
would be what I wanted to do. I
enrolled at the Gloucestershire College
of Arts and Technology where I passed
a Business Diploma in Secretarial
Studies for the next two years passing
with honours.
My life was nearly complete. And now
FEATURE
Page 4
it was time to make the final changes
to my new existence, surgery! I was
given a referral by a GP to go to have
psychological counselling for two years
before surgery could be considered.
I arrived and saw some girls from all
over the world waiting for their ticket
to freedom/surgery! Having seen
the psychologist, he put me straight
through as I had already lived as a
woman for more than two years. I
was 19 at the time and was sent to
the Gender Reassignment Doctor,
Mr Phillip, (who had performed this
operation for the past 30 years and was
performing four surgeries a month).
He was about to retire and he told me
I would be one of the last he would do
and I would benefit from all his years
of knowledge. He also did the famous
Tula (Caroline Cossey). So through
the private health system, I chose the
date of the operation and went to
Charing Cross Hospital for 10 days to
become the woman I am today. I was
not nervous or anxious as this would
make me complete and I never looked
back. I had the breast augmentation
done a year later on my hormone
breasts, completing my change.
Over the next few years Jim and I
travelled throughout Europe, Asia and
the Middle East. We wined and dined
at such fabulous places as Maxims in
Paris. I used my Diploma and started to
work as both a fashion model in London
and also did some secretarial work in
between. I was now ready to go out
into the world myself and prove that I
could do it on my own. I spoke to Jim
and then I headed back to New Zealand
to show the girls what I had done. Since this time, I was
married to Jeffrey in
Australia in 1999 and we
bought the Les Girls Show
and we toured Australia
for the next five years with
a lovely group of queens.
Jeffrey passed away in
2008. I currently work
for one of the big banks
in Australia (head office)
as an Executive Assistant
and look forward to my
50th birthday in 3 years.
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OBITUARY
OCTOBER 2011
Page 5
Sir Paul Reeves remembered
as a community friend
GayNZ.com
14th August 2011
The gay and HIV communities are
acknowledging the close support they
received from ex-Governor General
Sir Paul Reeves who died this morning
(Sunday August 14) due to cancer.
join the Board. And everyone was
devastated. And I said: ‘Look, he’s
about to become Governor-General’.
And so it was sort of automatic that
he became patron.”
A senior and moderate figure in the
Anglican Church at the time of the mid1980s final push for decriminalisation
of homosexuality, Reeves helped
counter anti-gay elements in that
church and other conservative
denominations. Soon after he became
Governor General he signed into
law the groundbreaking legislation
decriminalising homosexuality.
“But he wasn’t just a passive patron,”
says Logan. “There were points at
which there were conflicts within
the Foundation, the kind of conflicts
that happen in every organisation in
New Zealand between Auckland and
Wellington - you know, Queen St is
full of people walking up and down
the streets kicking the parking meters
swearing about their Wellington
branch, and Lambton Quay is full of people
walking up and down swearing about their
Auckland branch. There was one of those
kinds of conflicts and it was quite unable
to be resolved. I was in the Wellington
branch and not on the Board at this later
stage and we had these disagreements and
the Board just wasn’t being at all helpful. It
would never meet or talk or anything. And
eventually I suggested we go to the Patron.
We bowled up at Government House and he
said ‘Yes’, he’d intervene. He wrote a letter
essentially saying: ‘Be sensible, talk to these
guys’, and it sorted things out completely.”
Reeves also became the first patron of
the NZ AIDS Foundation, bestowing much
mana on that organisation at the height of
the terrifying first appearance of the thendeadly virus which was decimating the gay
community.
By becoming the organisation’s patron
Reeves drew attention to the fact that,
although HIV/AIDS was overwhelmingly
affecting gay men, it was an issue which the
whole population needed to be concerned
about, says the NZAF’s Executive Director
at the time, Warren Lindberg. “We needed
to organise as a gay community to fight HIV
and we couldn’t have done it without the
support of the wider society,” remembers
Lindberg. He says Reeves was not content
to just lend his name to the cause, he was
prepared to be actively involved. “He was
always available when we wanted his advice
and was generous with his time.”
HIV activist and early NZAF Board member
Bruce Kilmister says Reeves was “out there”
in his support for initiative supporting
people with HIV. “He was right there at
the beginning of World AIDS Day and
the decision to use it as a fundraiser for
the Wellness Fund supporting financially
stressed people struggling with the virus.”
And in embracing positive people and
the NZAF’s fight to stop the epidemic
“Sir Paul helped enormously with the
destigmatisation of the virus and of the
people with it or at risk of contracting it,
nearly all of whom were gay men.”
Kilmister says Reeves also helped provide
political and bureaucratic stability to
underpin governmental backing of the
battle against HIV and its effects. “There
were people within the corridors of political
power lobbying strongly against the use of
public money to counter HIV,” says Kilmister.
“But once Sir Paul as Governor General lent
his name and the prestige of his office to
the cause, that particular part of the fight
was effectively over.”
However, Reeves was supportive of the gay
community’s fight against HIV even before
becoming Governor General says a noted
gay rights activist and early NZAF trust
board member. Bill Logan says the NZAF
was set up just as Reeves was coming into
office as Governor-General. “We had sorted
him out, Bruce Burnett and I, as a potential
trustee of the AIDS Foundation, and he
accepted. And I heard from contacts in the
Government that this was an outstandingly
sensible and fortuitous choice for us to have
made,” Logan recalls.
“Then I heard that he was to become
Governor-General and the Board got this
message that unfortunately he couldn’t now
Logan says that was a very unusual thing for
a Patron to do, pointing out that Reeves did
not take sides but was active in a way that
you wouldn’t expect a Patron who was the
Governor-General to be active in sorting
out disputes.
Of Reeve’s important part in our history
when he signed the Homosexual Law
Reform Bill into law “I don’t think he had
any difficulty doing that at all,” Logan says.
“He was on our side.”
Logan says Reeves was very down to earth,
as is his wife Beverley, Lady Reeves. “I think
he was more human than most people
that get to that position. And he kept that
humanity in a way which is admirable.”
Wellington Rainbow Bowling
Bowling every Sunday at 5pm
Strike Entertainment Centre, 399 Hutt Road, Lower Hutt, Wellington
We welcome you to come and join us
Phone: 04 568 3168 Email: Rainbow Bowling Website: www.strikenz.co.nz
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TATOU
Ch
c
i
t
iroprac
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
Total Health
chiropractic
Spicing Up Your Life
You already know that spices can add some incredible taste sensations to your food – but
did you also know that many spices have significant health benefits? In fact, many herbs
and spices have been used for natural healing for thousands of years, and are still used
today in place of medications that may cause unwanted or adverse side effects. And…
they are fat-free and extremely low in calories!
Some herbs and spices that are better known for their healthy properties include:
• Cinnamon – Helps stop the growth of bacteria and fungi in the body and may help to
increase brain function. It is also reduces blood sugar levels in diabetics and helps to
lower cholesterol. As for antioxidants that help fight disease, cinnamon ranks at the top
as an antioxidant source.
• Parsley – Known for its cancer-fighting properties, parsley is also rich in antioxidants and
heart healthy vitamin C and beta-carotene.
• Ginger – Great for digestive health, ginger is used to calm motion sickness and stomach
upsets associated with pregnancy. Ginger is another spice with antioxidant properties.
• Turmeric – The spice that gives the yellow colour to mustard, turmeric is also loaded
with antioxidants and it may help to guard against cancer and the inflammation that
contributes to joint problems and Alzheimer’s.
• Oregano – Armed with powerful antibacterial compounds, oregano helps fight infection
and, when eaten fresh, has more antioxidant properties, per gram, than apples,
blueberries, oranges and potatoes!
Many spices have been around for centuries, and were used for all types of medicinal
purposes long before the first pharmacy ever appeared on the scene. Maybe our ancient
ancestors were wiser than we give them credit for!
As you know, we chiropractors seek to help your body heal itself without drugs or surgery.
Herbs and spices, mixed in with chiropractic care, proper diet, sleep, and a lot of laughter
– these are the ingredients of a great meal and healthy lifestyle!
This article has been retrieved with the permission of Dr David Comely via his monthly e-newsletter and link: http://
www.wellingtonchiropractor.co.nz/doctor.asp?chiropractor=10639S. For more interesting topics, please feel free to
visit Dr Comely’s website on www.totalhealthchiro.co.nz.
Dr David Comely
BSc.(Chiro), Cert. AK
74 Park Road, Miramar, Wellington
Phone: 04 891 0911
Fax: 04 891 0912
email: drcomely@totalhealthchiro.co.nz
www.totalhealthchiro.co.nz
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
LOCAL
OCTOBER 2011
Page 7
Labour releases rainbow policy
www.gayexpress.co.nz
22 September 2011
but it’s consistent with our commitment to
equality.”
Promoting safety and dignity for all
New Zealanders
The New Zealand Labour Party has released
its rainbow policy platform for the 2011
election, which includes gay marriage
and GLBT youth safety among the party’s
primary concerns.
MPs Charles Chauvel and Jacinda Ardern
(pictured above) visited the express offices
this week to deliver the policy, which
has three basic tenets – bringing about
formal equality before the law, promoting
safety and dignity for all New Zealanders,
and promoting safety and dignity
internationally.
Bringing about
formal equality
before the law
Labour’s policy states,
“New Zealanders in a
same-sex relationship
may enter into civil
unions, which are
not fully equivalent
in a legal sense to
marriage, and they
may not enter into
marriage. They may not offer themselves as
the adoptive carers for children. Transsexual
and intersex new Zealanders face numerous
barriers to full participation in society.”
To bring about formal equality before the
law, Labour pledges to review laws and
practices that offend section 19 of the New
Zealand Bill of Rights. Specifically, the party
will:
• modernise the law relating to the care of
children, to ensure that the widest pool
of suitable adults is lawfully available to
provide care to children in need;
• review and update relationship and
relationship property law; and
• implement the 2007 Human Rights
Commission report To Be Who I Am,
which focused on improving the lives of
trans and intersex New Zealanders.
“It’s our policy to open up the right to
marriage so that people can make the
choice,” says Charles. “I imagine there will
be some who have some difficulty with that,
Labour’s
policy
platform states, “Every
New Zealander should
be able to live a life
of safety and dignity.
Many GLBT New
Zealanders continue
to be subject to insult,
verbal and physical
abuse, and to be made
to feel inferior, most damagingly in schools.
Too often, this results in high rates of selfharm and suicide amongst young GLBT New
Zealanders.”
Labour’s policy is to support safety and
dignity for all, including in school. In order
to support safety in schools, Labour will
encourage the establishment of queer /
straight alliances, as well as other diversity
groups.
Charles says Labour will also require schools
to operate policies that prevent bullying of
GLBT students.
“All our young people have to pass through
schools and we all know how unsafe we can
feel through bullying, negative comments
or not being made to feel the same as
your straight friends. It’s going to be a
requirement of every school to have an antibullying policy that specifically mentions
GLBT youth and is reported on regularly
through the ERO mechanism. Parents will
be able to know if their kids are going to a
safe school.”
To those schools that have refused queer/
straight alliances in the past, particularly
on the grounds of religion, Charles says,
“Just as we wouldn’t find it acceptable for
any school that receives state funding to
discriminate on any other ground, they
can’t discriminate against our queer youth
either.”
Labour’s policy platform also affirms the
place of the last Labour-led government’s
rainbow desk within the ministry of social
development, which facilitated the planning
and delivery of public services to the GLBT
community.
The policy states, “Labour will ensure that
the planning and delivery of public services
continue to take the needs of GLBT New
Zealanders into account. This includes the
needs of an aging population.”
Charles says, “There’s no agency in central
government that’s tasked with looking
forward and finding out the needs of our
queer populations going forward; there’s
no one ensuring that existing public services
are delivered safely. Nobody’s looking at
the fact that we figure higher in suicide
and self-harm statistics. Our policy puts a
mechanism to deal with this right in the
heart of central government in place.”
Promoting safety and dignity
internationally
Labour’s pledge is to maintain and grow
New Zealand’s participation in international
bodies dealing with human rights, especially
at UN level. The policy platform states
a belief that New Zealand should raise
its voice on these issues, including as an
advocate on individual cases.
Charles says, “New Zealand should be saying
– at a minimum – that it’s not acceptable
to criminalise adult consensual same-sex
behaviour and wherever we encounter
this in the international community we will
speak out against it.”
After the election
Both Charles and Jacinda assure us that
regardless of the election’s result, Labour are
committed to implementing laws outlined
in the party’s rainbow issues policy.
Charles says, “If we are not successful
in November, our policies become the
agenda we’ll be advancing through private
members’ bills and the like.”
Jacinda says, “If we become government,
we do the work ourselves and it gets sped
up significantly.
“If we’re not, my care of children bill will be
kept in the ballot and I’ll keep progressing
it, along with these other policies.”
CROSSWORD ANSWERS
The answers to the August 2011 issue. If
there are two or more words, there will be
no spaces or symbols in between, they
will be written as one word.
ACROSS
4. Purefunk, 6. Gloriousmiracles
12. Porirua, 15. OkarekaDanceCompany
17. QueerAvengers, 20. BelindaLeeBorlase
21. Lolabar, 22. Dargaville, 23. Annie
24. RandyCrawford, 25. Gayparenting
DOWN
1. WhetuTirikateneSullivan
2. Chocolateandpearpudding, 3. SheliaMcCoy
5. TrueBlood, 7. BalianBuschbaum
8. ArtFacts, 9. TheRedEarSlider
10. DrDavidComely, 11. IknowaShelialikethat
13. Poi, 14. Waiheke, 16. Cherie
18. MoiIhakara, 19. LiliElbe
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
LOCAL
OCTOBER 2011
Page 8
Making a safer environment
for Queer Youth
www.greens.org.nz
16 September 2011
for civil unions which had immeasurably
improved the social environment for adults,
most queer and transgendered young
people still had to navigate a very hostile
world.
On Saturday 17 September, Green Party
spokesperson on Rainbow issues Kevin
Hague (pictured right) will launch a new
report: How do we make it better? Mapping
The Steps Towards A More Supportive
Coming Out Environment For Queer Youth
In Aotearoa New Zealand.
The report has been researched and written
by Murray Riches, an undergraduate student
at the University of Waikato majoring in
social policy and public relations. Mr Riches
is passionate about social justice and
environmental issues, and is involved with
multiple activist groups, including local
queer youth groups, Hamilton Pride, and
the Campus Greens.
Mr Riches completed this project as part
of an undergraduate directed study under
the supervision of Associate Professor Shiv
Ganesh in the Department of Management
Communication.
“Murray took the initiative on this from the
start. He looked for funding for this project,
got support from Trust Waikato, traipsed
up and down the country to talk with
people, and worked on the report design
and recommendations entirely by himself.
He has really delivered, and it is completely
fitting that a report on queer youth issues
in Aotearoa should be written and led by
“As adults we have a responsibility to make
things better for our young people.
“Murray’s report provides an excellent
summary of the issues and a really practical
programme for improving things, which I
hope our whole community — regardless
Despite legislative changes like of sexual orientation or gender identity —
Homosexual Law Reform, anti- will be able to unite behind and commit to
discrimination legislation, and the implementing,” said Mr Hague.
provision for civil unions which had
immeasurably improved the social
environment for adults, most queer
and transgendered young people still
had to navigate a very hostile world.
a queer youth. Murray’s report spotlights
some major changes in policy and practice
that are required to make coming out
safer for queer youth, and I hope that as
many people as possible will read it,” said
Associate Professor Ganesh.
Kevin Hague said that despite legislative
changes like Homosexual Law Reform, antidiscrimination legislation, and the provision
Mr Riches said that he had really enjoyed
working on the project.
“For me, the real highlight has been the
opportunity to spend time talking with
queer youth leaders from all over the
country.
“Having the chance to meet with so many
people dedicated to empowering the queer
youth of Aotearoa has really opened my
eyes to the wonderful work already going
on, as well as the dire need for immediate
concerted action. Their insight and passion
for the work they do is truly inspirational,”
said Mr Riche
Opening day in Kilbirnie at Wellington’s
new ASB Sports Centre
Source: http://futsal4all.com/2011/08/
futsal-on-show-as-wellington%E2%80%
99s-indoor-stadium-opens-nz/
26 August 2011
Futsal will be one of the sports helping to
christen Wellington’s new ASB Sports Centre
in Saturday’s (27 August) grand opening.
The 12 court, $47.5 million venue opened in
Kilbirnie and around 10,000 were expected
through the doors during the open day from
10am to 3pm.
Futsal activities will be held throughout the
day at the 2500 seat venue with the Futsal
Whites, New Zealand’s national futsal team,
kicking off festivities at 9.30am with a match
against a St Pat’s representative team before
competing against ethnic-based local teams
in a futsal Cup of Nations.
One court will also be set aside for people
to try futsal in half hour blocks created for
different gender and age-groups.
Futsal wasn’t originally considered in the
planning for the centre but was included
by the Wellington City Council following
rapid growth in recent years and will now
base its Capital Football Futsal office at the
stadium.
“Futsal is one of the fastest growing sports
in the country and with the growth of the
sport in Wellington and combined with the
huge popularity of football in the region
generally, a venue like the ASB Sports
Centre will allow the sport of futsal to really
kick on,” said New Zealand Football’s Futsal
Development Manager Dave Payne.
“It has top of the line facilities right down
to the details of the sprung floor and
The Editors (Karen is pictured) enjoyed
opening day at ASB Sports Centre.
imported goals and it will be a great venue
for local and hopefully international futsal
competitions.”
Up to six futsal courts will be in action every
Monday, Tuesday and Friday night beginning
in October, and a range of tournaments run
during the October school holidays. Close
to 300 futsal teams will play in leagues
and tournament s at the ASB Sports Centre
between October and December.
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
TRIBUTES
OCTOBER 2011
Toni Taylor and Marsha Hunt
Kia ora Whanau,
Page 8
TRIBUTES
Connecting and acknowledging our people
You may recall in the last issue of Tatou that I was heading off
on holiday to some beautiful places in Aoteaora (New Zealand),
called Ahuriri and Heretaunga. While I was there I managed to
catch up with some whanau of the two girls I am going to talk
about (which was one of the reasons apart from attending a hui
(meeting) that I was in that region.
The reason for visiting the home towns of the two girls and asking
whanau about them is because I didn’t know them well enough
to know share as I have done with previous sisters. I always say
that if you have more information on these beautiful girls, please
do contact me. If you want to stay anonymous, that certainly is
respected; or if you have pictures too, I would love to hear from
you. So, aroha mai (I’m sorry) whanau, that this story doesn’t
have any pictures to accompany my talk (korero).
Toni Taylor aka Mutz
She hailed from Tangoio, Ahuriri. I met her in Melbourne in the
late 70’s to early 80’s. She seemed really easy going and was a very
likable person. And did I say attractive....she was a ‘very’ attractive
girl with golden skin. From my asking around in her home town
(Kahungungu), it seemed she was very ‘out there’ and very ‘hypo’,
(as likened by one person) described as a ‘butterfly flitting around
from place to place, room to room’. They said that she always
seemed happy. One other thing that I was told was that she was
much loved and cherished by her mother. Unfortunately, I can’t
even recall what year she was born, or died. All I know is that she
died in the early 80’s.
Marsha Hunt
Our next sister is Marsha Hunt (don’t know if that’s her real
surname). I know Marsha a wee bit more than Toni, but not any
of her (family history) whakapapa, except that she came from
Gisborne. She had a very upfront personality (or on the face of it),
she seemed fearless. Actually, she was very vulnerable (as most
of the girls were back then, as are we all). She always entered the
room tossing her hair, (which was thick and lustrous) and made a
statement. She had dimples which makes me think she may have
been a born under the zodiac sign of Leo, (as in very attractive
and voluptuous). Being a fashion-conscious lot, we girls often
used drugs to keep thin, especially if on hormones, as it puts fat
on you, (some more than others though). But to me, they looked
stunning, although at the time - thin was ‘in’ plus its a woman’s
prerogative to always want the ‘opposite’.
Marsha was also a very welcoming, loving person, and yet I found
that she was sometimes very sad. I would catch sight of this when
visiting her at the different flats that she lived in when she was
living Melbourne. I didn’t know where she came from here in
Aotearoa (New Zealand), as I only met her in Melbourne back in
1977. Like Toni, I can’t tell you when she died but I think it was
between 1978 and 1981 at the latest, (unless she came home and
passed. I was in Adelaide from 1978 to end 1980 and I don’t think
she was around when I got back.
When I think about it - those years between 1976 to early 1980’s
was quite a challenging time for the girls especially in Australia
with access to copious amounts of pills from all over. Not to
mention street drugs mixed with little or no knowledge of what
drugs not to mix. The contributing factor was their feeling as
though they were ‘bullet proof’ as we all did in our younger years.
So whanau, as I said, aroha mai (sorry) for a smallish article on
these two lovely ladies. Until next time.
Ka kite ano whanau
(See you later family)
Arohanui
Dana de Milo
Email: danademilo@clear.net.nz
Hunt underway for Wellington’s next queen
By GayNZ.com
21 September 2011
Wellington’s Next Top Drag Queen will be
crowned in what’s probably the campest
event on the capital’s calendar, at Garden
Club on Sunday 23 October.
With the theme “camp as a pair of tits,”
organisers are confident the pageant will
deliver a truly stunning array of Wellington
drag talent.
Nikita van der Kamp currently holds the title,
which was formerly won by Rhubarb Rouge
in 2009.
“This pageant has been hugely anticipated
and we are delighted to be producing the
show for 2011,” says promoter and club
owner Greig Wilson.
“Interest has been pouring in from queens all
over Wellington and further-afield.
“This time around we are adding a slight
twist to the show; we invite the audience to
get involved this year. Put on a frock or a suit,
slap on your fake titties or a moustache and
dress up. It’s going to be a fun night!”
Hosted by Steve Gray, Wellington’s Next
Top Drag Queen will also include a special
performance by drag kings. The panel of
judges includes Scotty and Mal of S&M’s and
diva Amanduh La Whore.
“We’re rolling out the red carpet, stocking up
on glitter and getting our glam on. We invite
you to do the same,” Wilson says. Straight
after the pageant the chairs are all cleared
and Garden Club turns into a dance party
with DJ Wixmix.
Tickets are available from Cosmic Corner
stores and online at dashtickets.co.nz
Early birds - $15; General admission - $20;
Door - $30 (if any available).
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AOTEAROA
OCTOBER 2011
Page 10
Rosslyn Noonan
immediate-past
Chief Human Rights Commissioner
Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou
As I complete my time as Te
Amokapua, Chief Commissioner at
the Human Rights Commission, I want
to record my immense respect for the
many whakawāhine, Queens, tangata
ira tane, and members of the wider
‘trans’ whānau who have supported
the Human Rights Commission’s work
upholding the dignity, mana and
human rights of your communities. I
have learnt so much from you.
Thank you to all those who gave
submissions to the Transgender Inquiry,
took us on to Ngā Whare Waatea
marae, hosted us at NZPC, came to our
two national human rights training hui
at Tapu te Ranga marae, or have spoken
on panels in Wellington, Auckland,
Palmerston
North,
Whanganui,
Christchurch and Hamilton. Thank
you too for taking the Inquiry report
back into your communities and for
staying involved in ongoing projects
such as the recent resource for health
professionals created by Counties
Manukau DHB.
One of Tapatoru’s many strengths,
particularly in the newsletter Tātou, is
how you celebrate those who make this
all possible by just being themselves
and standing up for their rights. I know
that you also remember those who
have passed away. I would like to take
this opportunity to remember Serena
Barrett who came with others from
NZPC to one of the meetings at our old
Wellington office in Aitken St. She was
very ill at the time but came all that
way across town because she wanted
to be part of the Transgender Inquiry.
It was privilege for me to work with
Commissioner Joy Liddicoat, Jack
PHOTO by Jane Ussher
Byrne, Julie Watson and other staff on
the Transgender Inquiry. The Inquiry
was powerful because it heard from
so many of you about what it is like
for trans people in Aotearoa / New
Zealand. The report documented for
the first time the obstacles trans people
face just trying to get on with your
lives. It also captured the dignity and
mana of your communities and what
steps were needed to make changes
that were long overdue.
The Commission was very grateful to
those people, including Peri Te Wao,
Gemmah Huriwai and Dana de Milo
who shared their stories and images in
the Inquiry’s final report. That report
(and the Assume Nothing exhibition)
took your stories and images around
Aotearoa and then around the world.
Trans people have a real leadership
role to play not only in this country but
across the Pacific and Asia. That was
powerfully shown when Tapatoru and
others hosted visitors who came from
across Asia, the Pacific and beyond to
the Outgames human rights conference
in March.
The Tātou newsletter is a wonderful
vehicle for celebrating indigenous
takataapui and trans identities and
I know it has subscribers all over the
world.
Sometimes change can feel like it is
very slow, especially trying to change
laws and societal attitudes. When the
Human Rights Commission released
the Transgender Inquiry’s final report
it made a three-year commitment to
work with trans people, government
agencies and health professionals
on implementing the Inquiry’s
recommendations. I was very pleased
to be with the Commission through all
that period. At the end of June this year
the Commission analysed what had
been achieved to date. There has been
some significant progress. It is clear
that trans people’s stories, whether
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AOTEAROA
OCTOBER 2011
Page 11
written as profiles in the Inquiry report
or spoken aloud in workshops or
meetings with government officials,
have the power to win people’s minds
and hearts. Workshops often created
a safe place for people to learn new
terms, ask questions and get a real
sense of the difference they could
make for trans people.
There is still much work to do. The
Commission does not have the
resources to continue at the same
intense level as during the Inquiry,
but it will continue advocating for the
remaining Inquiry recommendations.
The cartoon below was used in the
second national trans human rights
training hui last year. It illustrates that
trans people themselves have the
power to realise their human rights and the Commission is one of the allies
here to support that work.
I know Jack and Julie in Auckland, and
staff in the Commission’s Wellington
and Christchurch offices would like
me to encourage people to continue
to share your successes and struggles
with the Commission. Where it can,
the Commission will provide support
- or suggest other groups you can
approach. Your experiences at school,
at work, with health professionals and
trying to change sex details on official
documents help the Commission
understand where progress is being
made and where more work is needed
to bring the Inquiry recommendations
to life.
It was great that Peri and Karen
could come to my formal farewell at
CARTOON by Sam Orchard
PHOTO including cover by Adrian Malloch
Parliament - and that they had an
opportunity to meet the new Chief
Commissioner David Rutherford. He
shares the Commission’s commitment
to
the
Transgender
Inquiry
recommendations including the need
to improve the human rights of intersex
people.
While the Transgender Inquiry
email newsletter won’t come out as
frequently now, the Commission is keen
to keep in touch with trans people.
To receive the free To Be Who I Am
e-newsletter, you can sign up on the:
Human Rights Commission website on
www.hrc.co.nz, or you can email
jackb@hrc.co.nz.
The next issue due out in October will
launch some new online resources
including 2 FAQs for schools about
supporting whakawāhine, tangata ira
tane, fa’afafine, akava’ine, trans and
qender queer students. It has really
practical information including how to
support trans young people who want
to play sport at school.
Thank you again for the opportunity
to acknowledge what we have
achieived together and to celebrate
the resilience and leadership of
Tapatoru and others. Whatever I do
in the future I will carry with me all I
have learned from you.
Rosslyn Noonan
Kia hora te marino,
kia whakapapa pounamu
te moana, kia tere
te kārohirohi i mua
i tō huarahi.
May peace be widespread,
may the sea glisten
like greenstone, and may
the shimmer of light
guide you on your way.
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
LOLAAA!
OCTOBER 2011
Having a chat with
LoLaa!
mammogram
I have recently (for the first time ever) had a mammogram to
check for breast cancer. I was a little apprehensive to say the least
about having one done considering I am trans and thought that I
wasn’t at risk.
My endocrinologist asked me to have one as I am over 50 and
have been on hormone therapy for many years.
I waited for about two months for the appointment to arrive in
the post. I thought I would do a little investigative research on why
trans women should have a mammogram. I found on the internet
alot of valuable information why we (trans women) should. It is
so important to have a mammogram and I think that the biggest
reason of all, is that many of us take estrogen. For many of my
generation (in their 50+ years), we started taking hormones at a
very early age. As for me, I was 14 years old when I started and
got mine from the only doctor prescribing such hormones for us
in Wellington back in those days.
Anyway - the day of the appointment finally arrived and off I went
to the hospital to the Breast Screening Unit. I had to answer a
general questionnaire. One of the questions on the questionnaire
was ‘are you on hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?’ and
Page 12
of course I answered yes! After I had finished my questions,
I proceeded to the waiting room which seemed like eternity
waiting.
Then my name was called up and I was shown in and asked to
remove all my top layers of clothing including my bra, and put a
cotton cape over my shoulders. The Radiologist asked me if I had
ever had a mammogram before. No! was the reply, and she then
proceeded to fill me in about the procedure itself. Your breasts
(one at a time) are placed between two plates and compressed
so that a digital image can be taken. This is done about times
on each breast at different angles, (see the picture below that I
have found thanks to about.com under the title breast cancer mammogram.
I have to say that I found this compressing aittle painful but
bearable. I think that the worst is waiting for the results and I was
starting to think the worst. However, once the letter arrived and
the results were negative, I was hugely relieved.
I recommend our trans
women to consider breast
screening. It is free and if
there was a problem, the
early detection is best in
treating it. If it is all okay,
you would have that
knowing as reassurance.
Plus - it is free!
http://breastcancer.about.com/od/breastcancerglossary/g/mammogram.htm
First-five Gran’s advice to ABs
Stuff.co.nz, 28 September 2011
By Michelle Duff
The avid All Blacks supporter first donned
a pair of rugby shorts in 1946, playing for
a Hawke’s Bay representative women’s side
in an era when women were more likely to
wash nappies than score tries.
Mrs McDavitt did both, playing first fiveeighth – the position now held by Dan
Carter – before raising eight children and
playing tennis, netball and basketball.
She could often be spied breastfeeding at
halftime.
“My parents were a bit horrified, but I did
my own thing actually to a certain extent,
even in those days,” Mrs McDavitt, 87, said
yesterday. “Oh yes, playing rugby wasn’t
heard of if you were a woman.”
KITTED OUT: A young Trish McDavitt in her
rugby gear.
She was playing rugby even before the All
Blacks were a twinkle in their mums’ eyes,
and Trish McDavitt has just three words for
the younger generation: “Do the job.”
The Hawke’s Bay women’s rugby team
members were taken from other sporting
codes and practiced against one another
in Dannevirke before their historic clash
against the Rotorua women’s side as a
curtain-raiser for a Maori v Pakeha men’s
game.
But after just a few hours’ kip at the local
marae, Hawke’s Bay was unprepared for the
feisty Rotorua team.
“They were serious; they had had more
experience and we hardly knew the rules.
We had hardly any training at all, and I
PHOTO by
Kent Blechynden
think we were more entertainment than
anything,” Mrs McDavitt said.
The Hawke’s Bay women lost 3-nil, but not
before Mrs McDavitt suffered an injury –
though she didn’t let that slow her down.
“A big Maori girl tackled me. Apparently I
was concussed but I played the rest of the
game. They reckoned I played really well –
they were sort of examining me every now
and again – but I didn’t even know where I
was. I thought I was in Dannevirke.”
Mrs McDavitt’s sons have paid for Sky so
she can watch the Rugby World Cup games,
and she has been glued to the television
since the tournament kicked off – especially
during the Australia v Ireland match.
“I’d like Ireland or Wales or Samoa to do well
and, of course, the All Blacks first of all.”
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OCTOBER 2011
AOTEAROA
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Fighting a losing battle against obesity
www.stuff.co.nz
By Tom Fitzsimons
19 September 2011
MOVING NORTH: Robyn
Toomath - Anti-obesity
campaigner and Wellington
hospital clinical director.
For 10 years now, Robyn Toomath has been
leading a campaign against our bulging
national waistline.
She is a social gadfly, the Cassandra of the
obesity epidemic.
She has given countless interviews, on
everything from the sex lives of overweight
people to school tuckshop guidelines,
from sleep-deprived kids to KFC’s Double
Down burger, always making the case for
regulating junk food.
Unfortunately for her, and for the public
health system, she has very little to show
for it. “I can’t see anything appreciable,
anything I can hang my hat on and say
‘Gosh, look what we’ve achieved’,” she
says, laughing as she sits in a Wellington
cafe.
“So either I decide it’s all been a complete
waste of time, which, you know, would be
a completely credible stance to take, or I
say that, who knows? Maybe my campaign
is like water dripping on a stone, where
little bits can change slowly.”
There were good signs for a while, she says.
New guidelines in school cafeterias were a
start, but they were pulled by Education
Minister Anne Tolley – “for no reason other
than perverseness as far as I’m concerned:
that was a terrible thing to do”.
She initially criticised a big project called
Healthy Eating Healthy Action as too
“soppy” – but in retrospect, she says, at
least it was a “cross-government approach
to obesity, of which we’ve got nothing now,
nothing at all”.
A review of public health legislation that
was moving towards regulating advertisers
has been buried.
“So everybody in the public health sector
feels a bit crushed. I think the response
from government is appalling.”
Dr Toomath, 56, has mostly grey hair, a
black leather jacket. She has a stern look
about her, but she turns out to be talkative
and open.
As well as founding and speaking for the
lobby group Fight the Obesity Epidemic
(FOE), a job she does in her spare time, she
is clinical director and a general physician
at Wellington Hospital.
That means she divides her paid work
between hospital management, with all its
squabbles and challenges, and hands-on
medicine. She trained as an endocrinologist
– her diabetes work first got her worried
about obesity – but she has mostly given
that away for general medicine.
Now, after 30 years in Wellington, Dr
Toomath and her husband, the poet
and writer John Newton, are moving to
Auckland.
They have a bach on Waiheke Island. They
are going to pull it down and build a new
eco-house, with solar panels on the roof
and a big, self-sustaining vegetable garden
on the northward slope.
“Somebody Facebooked me the other day
when they heard I was leaving. And they
said, `Oh my God, we think of you as the
quintessential Wellingtonian – how can
you be leaving?’ It does feel very strange, I
have to say. I adore Wellington.”
Her new job is the same as her old one,
except it is at Auckland Hospital. She
applied after being asked up there to
review a service. (“It had got into a sad
state and there was low morale ... they lost
their way a bit,” she says.)
She has a long family connection to Waiheke
Island, where she has always imagined
herself retiring. Her two daughters have
their first jobs in Auckland, too, so she
is excited about going north. And what
about the campaigning role? Will she keep
talking about obesity? She sighs. She has
been thinking for years about flagging it,
wondering if things are too hopeless. And
she hates doing live TV. But then again, she
does not have to look for the work.
“And I haven’t lost my determination as
to what should happen. I haven’t gone off
the boil in terms of thinking it’s not worth
it or this has been the wrong approach or
whatever. My desire to get things changed
is still very strong.”
DR TOOMATH’S thesis is simple, but great
fodder for libertarians and the talkback
radio crowd. It goes like this: it is not their
fault. Obese people did not choose to be
that way. No-one would. Instead, they are
at the whim first of their genes – especially
those that control appetite – and then of
an environment that is saturated in energydense, crappy food options.
The combination means a population
that is getting fatter with all the health
problems that causes – exploding rates of
diabetes chief among them.
You might have already noticed this, but
this view violates a core belief of people
everywhere, of the modern mind even:
that we are free to make our own destinies.
That we are free to go to the gym and run
off that beer belly – or just stop drinking
the beer.
Dr Toomath is honest about this. She is
not a big believer in free will at the best of
times, she says, and especially not in this
case.
“The idea that we can describe the problem
in terms of personal responsibility, you
know, that it can be called a choice, a
lifestyle choice, its crap. There’s no choice
... To think that people choose to be obese,
and if you educated them better, or if they
were more steely and determined, selfdenying, that they could not be the shape
they are, is just rubbish.”
For evidence, she says; look at famous
people who cannot control their weight –
the Oprah Winfreys and Sarah Fergusons.
They have every reason, every resource, to
try to stay slim, and yet they cannot.
“And yet here we are expecting our entire
population, just ordinary folks, who walk
past McDonald’s on their way home from
school and what-have-you, we’re expecting
them to show resources that people like
Oprah Winfrey can’t amass. It’s just crazy.”
Or sit at a World Health Organisation
conference, as she did, and watch country
after country around the world present
a picture of skyrocketing obesity rates. A
massive decline in global willpower?
Or spend years telling people if they just
lost three or four kilograms, they would
not have to go on insulin – a powerful
motivation – and then watching them fail.
“In the hospital clinics, you’d have records
that go back years and years and years.
And you’d see people – they’d lose weight
and then they’d regain it. I was thinking
`What am I doing here? This is crazy’.”
IF YOU accept Dr Toomath’s premise, the
justification for intervention becomes
more understandable. A fat tax, subsidised
fruit and veges, school bans on tuckshops
selling junk food, advertising regulations –
she has backed them all.
There is opposition, of course. Columnist
Kerre Woodham wrote that “if Toomath and
her ilk had just shut up about this burger, I
would never have known it existed”, before
chowing down on a Double Down.
Writer Joe Bennett invited her to play him
in squash (something to do with a gripe
about the Body Mass Index) – “just name
the day and I’ll thrash the medical pants
off you”. She regularly gets painted as “a
fruitcake”, or “the fat nazi”.
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Fighting a losing battle against obesity
(continued).
“Which is hilarious, actually. I’m actually
deeply, deeply conservative in my views
with regard to this ... There are thousands
of academics and public health specialists
for whom this is absolutely boring, breadand-butter, routine stuff.”
She is not ideological about it, she says.
She did not start out wanting to control
the environment so much. “It was a purely
practical response to a problem. And that’s
still my view. If somebody came up with
a pill, if somebody came up with genetic
modification – you know, if anything
worked, I’d be all for it.”
OCTOBER 2011
about trying to harness that energy.
“They whinge a bit, and they complain
about this and that, but in actual fact,
they’re exactly the same now as when I
was a medical student.”
She could never give up working with
patients, she says. That has always been
part of the deal since she went up the
chain. It is why she still thinks medicine is
the best job.
“It’s not just about fixing people, because
you often don’t. It’s about providing
comfort for people who are frightened and
ill.”
About 10 years ago, Dr Toomath stopped
telling her obese patients to lose weight.
There was no point, she says. It was just
adding misery to a lot which is already
very hard. Instead, she just tries to care for
them however she can.
Her new Auckland life will see her catching
the ferry from Waiheke Island each day,
maintaining her 55-hour-a-week job, with
obesity campaigning on top of that. She
does not have time for passions outside of
work, she says, though her dedication to
her family is obvious.
“I think obese people in hospital for a
long time had a really rough time. I think
the discrimination shown towards obese
people is worse than any racism or any
other kind of discrimination certainly that’s
been experienced in New Zealand.”
The only sadness in her life at the moment
is that her burmese cat, Woody, has gone
missing. He has not been home in a couple
of weeks. She is hoping he has been
weathering the big chill in some stranger’s
warm house.
DESPITE her lack of policy success, Dr
Toomath is not gloomy. It does not
seem to be her style. She’s actually a
little optimistic, she says, after some of
her recent conversations with people.
She is heartened, too, that the Labour
Party has backed taking GST off fruit and
vegetables.
She finishes up her coffee. Maybe it is
chance that she is leading the anti-obesity
charge. It is almost like she has not had a
whole lot of will in the matter.
“I’m a pollyanna maybe, but I kind of feel
as though maybe the general community
is starting to get it,” she says.
Obligatory down note: “The terrifying
thing, though, is that it’s all going to be too
late. It’s all going to be too slow and too
late.”
Dr Toomath should be used to intractable
problems, you would think. She is in
management in the healthcare system,
after all. She has been through junior
doctor strikes and hospital revamps and
the public release of information about
serious medical blunders.
So how do you run a good hospital? She
laughs. God knows, she says. It is about
the most challenging work environment
around – doors always open, insufficient
resources, people in pain.
“You can’t fix things in a hospital. To
think that you can make it all alright is a
nonsense. There’ll always be challenges
that exceed your ability to fix them.”
But at the same time, she says, almost
everyone who goes into health is highly
dedicated. She thinks management is
AOTEAROA
“I know it’s just been the circumstance
in which I’ve found myself, that having
been a diabetologist, and having been in
a position where I can speak, that I kind of
feel I have to, really.”
FAST FACTS
• A 2006-07 survey found 63 per
cent of Kiwis were overweight or
obese.
• That number was expected to be
even larger now.
• More than a third of children were
overweight.
• Those figures put New Zealand in
the same bracket of obesity as the
United States – one of the fattest
countries.
• According to the Health Ministry,
about 826,100 (26.5 per cent) of
New Zealanders are obese. Another
50,000 are extremely obese.
Page 14
Letters
to the editors
Dear sisters,
It’s always such a great pleasure to see
a new issue of Tatou and reading this
magazine makes me feel so proud of all
my great sisters around the globe. And
icing of the cake was your interview after
the Outgames with my dear sister Ms
Shabeena Francis Saveri who’s activism
and research will make us all so proud,
Many hugs from
Ms. Maria Sundin
Member of the Board RFSL
Secretary Transgender Europe - TGEU
Thanks again Karen for a wonderfully
Newsletter. I always look forward to
receiving your Newsletter and reading. It is
very inspiring and empowering and we at
Rainbow Women’s Network are emulating
what Tapatoru is doing.
Thank you again.
Lorraine Foster
Kia Ora Karen,
Hope you are doing well. We met in
wellington last March at the Asia Pacific
Outgames conference. I participated in
your workshop and bought this wonderful
Tatou calendar.
It was a great pleasure meeting you. Thank
you very much for sending us the latest
issue of Tatou. We always enjoy reading it.
Arohanui from Berlin
Kia Kaha
Carla
Kia ora Peri and Karen.
What a fantastic edition of Tatou. I am
going to print it and keep it so I can re-read
some of the articles.
The Wellington community is extremely
fortunate to have such dedicated folk as
yourself producing such a high quality
magazine.
Kia kaha
ROSE
• The ministry’s Nutrition and the
Burden of Disease report showed
being overweight was a risk factor
in 11 per cent of all deaths.
Thanks Karen for sending me the
newsletters have not read them all yet,
you put so much work into them, I think
it’s great to keep the community together
like that. I’ve always been very impressed
with the work that you & ‘Peri do to keep
everyone in touch, we would be lost
without it.
• Obesity is more common among
Maori and Pacific people.
Love you both Karen
Karen Bates-Timbs
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
Our Pets
Page 15
What to do if your pet goes missing?
By Kathryn Ching
For many of us our pet is a constant around
the house. They are there when we wake
up, get home from work and are seemingly
always there round about tea-time. Yet
when that routine is upset and for whatever
reason the pet goes missing it can become
a very stressful time for all of the family.
So, what can we do to try and ensure this
doesn’t happen, and manage the situation
if it does.
Let’s look at the different types of domestic
animals and why they might leave the
family home.
DOGS
Dogs are probably one of the easiest animals
to ‘contain’ within a home situation. A good
owner will ensure their property is fenced
so there is no chance the dog can escape
– either jump over or digging under, and
this will also ensure no unwanted visitors
(even more important if you have a bitch in
season on the property).
The most common reason dogs go missing is
often due to human error. Someone comes
on to the property and forgets or chooses
not to close the gate or door, and the dog
simply wanders out.
Now the problem start – if your dog,
wanders and causes a motor vehicle
accident, then you (as the owner) can be
held responsible – can mean a big claim
on your insurance (or paying for years if
you have none). Dogs must be under the
direct control of their owner or handler at
all times, a wandering dog isn’t.
So, what can we do to ensure the dog
doesn’t get out and go missing? One - make
sure gates have a self-closing mechanism
on them. That way if the courier or meterreader simply doesn’t close the gate then
it will of its own accord. Have your dog in
a totally secure area on the property at all
times – regularly check boundary fence for
possible escape routes – especially if you
have a little dog – small hole + bit of digging
= dog has escaped!!!
The other reason a dog may go missing
is because it is targeted because of its
breed – ie: a valuable one for breeding, or
worse-case scenario – for fighting, or used
within the bounds of dog fighting. Again,
the simplest method is to ensure you have
control of your dog at all times – at home
on your property, when out walking on a
lead and not letting it run off over great
distances where it may not be able to hear
(or chooses not to hear) your commands.
This is a common situation, especially on
wide expansive beaches, for dogs to be
taken.
Part of the registration process now ensures
all dogs are micro-chipped. This can prove
invaluable. A small ‘chip’ injected under
the skin around the area of the shoulders
contains ownership details, so if the dog is
found wandering, the pound, vet, or SPCA
can wave a reader over the animal’s back
and the code for that animal will show
on a screen, then it is simply a matter of
contacting the data base to retrieve the
info and re-unite the animal with its family.
A recent story about a dog from the Hutt
found hundreds of kilometers away shows
the importance of micro-chipping. Had
this dog not had this done, then it would
have been next to impossible to re-unite
them – how many owners would expect to
find their dog in a rural town a long, long
distance away?
X-ray of micro-chip under the skin over the
neck. Its size is slightly bigger than a grain
of rice.
CATS
Cats by virtue of their nature are a lot harder
to contain, they are very independent beings
and don’t take well to leads, collars and
restraints. And the fence which surrounds
the property is looked at, as no more than a
challenge to get over, through, or under, to
see what lies beyond its palings!
Why do cats go missing? Some will become
disoriented, especially after a move from
one house to another, and will try to find
their own way home. Some do successfully,
some don’t. A cat might get ‘spooked’ in its
home situation and take off, unaware of
where it is heading and then simply not be
able to find its way home. Other cats may
simply wander, have a regular routine of
houses to visit and other cats to hiss at; yet
on an unfortunate occasion a trip across a
road may prove fatal.
For some pedigree cats, they simply
become targets of thieves. Whether they
are stealing to order, it is not known, yet a
year or so back, Burmese cats seemed to be
the target of this and were literally being
picked up off the street, never to see their
families again.
Some cats will choose to go missing, and
you sometimes see this with elderly, sick
animals. If you suspect your animal has
become ill (or you know it may well decline
due to illness) then try and pre-empt this. It
is often nicer for older cats to be kept inside,
or brought inside to sleep at night, this way
you can control the situation and intervene
if euthanasia is required – far nicer than
dying without their family, all alone.
How can we stop our cats from going
missing? – apart from keeping them in
a purpose built catorium – which they
would never leave. It can prove virtually
impossible. But we can do a few things to
minimize any risk. As we mentioned with
the dogs, have your cat micro-chipped and
registered on the database. That way if the
cat turns up at a vet clinic, SPCA, or pound
then they can be identified.
Take regular pictures of your pets, that way
if one goes missing, you can put together
a flyer. These need to be eye catching, and
simply worded, and often a reward will go a
long way as an enticement.
Have a picture of your animal – good
quality, an accurate description – colour,
markings, sex, (desexed if male) collar and
anything else you consider important. A
contact number or two and a reward if you
are offering one.
Print out as many flyers as you feel
necessary and take them to all vet clinics in
your city (some people will take an animal
they find injured to a clinic they are familiar
with, even if there is another one close
by). Take flyers to the local SPCA, pound,
animal rescue facilities, schools, kindys,
libraries, post shops and anywhere a notice
board is available for public use, and of
course do a mail-drop in your street and
those surrounding. If you get a chance, ask
people to check in sheds, cars or anything
an animal may have got locked in - a great
way of meeting your neighbours!
Ring up ALL the vet clinics in your area and
keep phoning back on
a regular basis, same
applies with SPCA and
the pound (though if
your animal is microchipped, hopefully
this will make reuniting a simpler
process).
Hopefully this plan of
attack will have the
desired effect and
you and your pet will be re-united. In some
situations, sadly, this may not happen – it is
so much easier to scan a deceased animal,
-
TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
Our Pets (continued)
contact the owner and give them closure –
a body to take home and bury or cremate
gives them something tangible to deal with.
When you never find your pet, this is when
it becomes a hard situation for all the family
to deal with and you are left constantly
hoping it might return.
• So what can we do so we don’t get
separated from our furry family
members? Microchip, secure property,
and under your direct control when out
and about – dogs.
• Cats kept in if becoming elderly or
unwell, micro-chipped, and if the animal
will tolerate it (both cats and dogs) a
collar with a contact number. Make sure
this is updated if you move or change
phone companies.
So there are lots of little things we can do
to ensure we don’t get separated from our
‘special’ friends and if we are separated;
that we are hopefully quickly re-united!
Gay, Lesbian, Trans,
Questioning?
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OCTOBER 2011
OUTGAMES
Page 16
Outgames crew
honoured with award
By GayNZ.com
29 September 2011
The organisers of the March AsiaPacific
Outgames are the Supreme Winner of
the 2011 Wellington Airport Regional
Community Awards.
2011 Inc, hosted the second Asia-Pacific
Outgames in Wellington, which contributed
between $1.3m and $1.7m to the local
economy.
The awards, presented at a ceremony
hosted by Mayor Celia Wade-Brown in
the Council Chamber, acknowledge the
contribution of voluntary and non-profit
organisations and their volunteers. They
are sponsored by Wellington International
Airport in partnership with The Community
Trust of Wellington.
Wade-Brown said the event was a
celebration of the community and
volunteer sector, which was the driving
force of Wellington’s community spirit.
The Supreme Award winner, Wellington
“I’m delighted for Wellington Inc, organisers
of this year’s Outgames. The event was a
huge success and made a significant impact
on Wellington’s culture, diversity and our
local economy,” Wade-Brown said.
Pictured above (left to right): Kevin Haunui (secretary); and David Hindley (co-chair).
Outgames legacy fund
recipients announced
By GayNZ.com
22 September 2011
The first of the legacy grants from the
proceeds of the March Wellington
AsiaPacific Outgames have gone to
everything from a hui for queer youth, to
projects to research our history, a national
GLBTI swim meet and further development
of a programme for schools.
The legacy grants committee has transferred
$35,000 has just been transferred to the
bank accounts of lgbti groups around the
country.
The committee says it faced a difficult job in
making its decision, as 48 applicants asked
for funds, with the amount requested
totaling over $180,000, many times the
funding actually available. “In a few cases,
grants awarded were for less than the
amount requested,” Outgames co-chair
David Hindley explains.
Recipients of grants include:
Wellington Gay Welfare Group
Pride NZ
Tapatoru
Waikato Queer Youth
Lilac Collective
Different Strokes Swimming Club
Lesbian Elders Village
Homophones
Youth Services Trust (Wanganui)
Charlotte Museum Trust (Auckland)
The committee says it’s likely a smaller
amount of funding will be available in
October. Existing applications will be reassessed at that time, and announcements
made later in October.
The Outgames legacy group is also working
towards support for lgbti groups in the
Asia/Pacific region, including projects that
support community building and human
rights in developing countries.
-
TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
The Village People
are on their way
GayNZ.com
4 October 2011
The Village People are bringing their catchy
camp disco to New Zealand in March.
The group known for seemingly timeless
party hits like YMCA and In The Navy and
Macho Man will play at Party in the Vines
at the Matakana Ascension Estate on 9
March. GayNZ.com Daily News will have
details of their other shows soon.
After being created to play on gay fantasy
personas, The Village People erupted into
the mainstream in the late 1970s, and
most of the current touring line-up were
there in the group’s heyday.
Notable exceptions are original leatherman
Glenn Hughes who died from lung cancer
in 2001, and original lead singer Victor
Willis who left the group in 1980.
According to the The News, Australia
the performers are “Still as sexy as ever audiences warmed to their enthusiasm,
strong versatile vocals and choreography,”
while the London Evening Standard said,
“Fabulous! Village People took the crowd
by storm, singing live and performing
brilliantly!”
Adoption: The next step
GayNZ.com
By Craig Young, 7 September 2011
The adoption reform debate seems to be
heating up once more. Why might this issue
become the next remaining LGBT inequality
to be tackled in New Zealand?
Legislative reform is likelier to occur if
there have been earlier Law Commission
Reports on the matter, and professional
organisations and associations have had the
chance to think through the issues, assess
evidence-based professional research
within their disciplines and professional
associations and undertake public policy
positions as a consequence. If overseas
professional associations have undertaken
supportive stances, and there is also
affirmative research evidence within peerreviewed publications and journals, then
this increases the likelihood of professional
support and legislative momentum. Other
parenting options are already available
to LGBT New Zealanders, including in
vitro fertilisation, fostering, guardianship
and informal whangai adoption amongst
whakawahine and takatapui.
Hence, one has witnessed the formation of
Adoption Action as a coalition of concerned
professional associations active in the field
of child health, welfare and development
who want reform to occur in this context
and replacement of New Zealand’s archaic
Adoption Act 1955 with Law Commission
recommendations. Much has changed in
adoption practice since the passage of
this half-century old legislation. Whereas
most adoptions occurred in the context of
‘unwed mothers’ before the access of the
Pill in 1961, recent New Zealand statistics
indicate that only three hundred or so
adoptions occurred in 2007/8. These are
often married heterosexual step-parent
adoptions of the children of the biological
mother or father. Recent adoption case law
also indicates that the courts are willing to
extend this right to long-term unmarried
cohabitant de facto partners of straight
biological parents. Individual lesbians and
gay men can adopt in New Zealand. Due to
the rise of solo parenting, contraceptive and
abortion access, the adoption catchment
AOTEAROA
Page 17
has contracted over the last forty years.
The legislation also lacks reference to Maori
customary parenting values like whangai
adoption, which may have advantages
in terms of continuity of care related to
adoption procedures. Indeed, it could
be argued that the Adoption Act 1955
obstructs takatapui and whakawahine from
undertaking parental responsibilities in case
their biological parents are incapacitated or
indisposed. I imagine the Mana Party would
consider that, as might some Maori Party
MPs.
The United Kingdom, Western Australia,
Victoria, New South Wales, Israel, the
Australian Capital Territory, all Canadian
provinces and territories, Tasmania,
Andorra, Argentina, Belgium, Denmark,
the Netherlands, Iceland, Norway, South
Africa, Sweden, Uruguay, Finland, Germany,
Greenland and Slovenia all have either coparent or full eligible same-sex parental
access to adoption.
In the United States, the District of
Columbia, New York, New Jersey, Indiana,
Maine, California, Connecticut, Illinois,
Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont and
Florida have no restrictions on eligible samesex parental adoption. Unlike same-sex
marriage, the US Christian Right has been
conspicuously unsuccessful in obstructing
or preventing adoption reform. Florida is
a particularly cogent example. In 1979, it
passed an anti-gay adoption ban under
the malignant influence of fundamentalist
anti-gay campaigner Anita Bryant, only
to see it struck down in 2010. Mississippi,
Wisconsin, Utah and Michigan are the only
states that bar eligible same-sex parents
from adoption, while only Utah and
Nebraska explicitly ban co-parent adoption.
Moreover, there are few US Christian Right
resources available that target same-sex
parenting. Added to which, the Catholic
clergy paedophilia scandal has adversely
affected the credibility and authority of
statements about child welfare from that
quarter of the Christian denominational
spectrum.
Added to which, it doesn’t seem to have
struck the Christian Right that we’re
monitoring related overseas developments
with keen interest. Family First is parroting
the UK Christian Institute on this issue,
even given that the Christian Institute
conspicuously failed to halt any of the Blair
administration’s LGBT affirmative reforms
during the last decade, including adoption
reform back in 2002. In the case of New
South Wales, the Australian Christian
Right seemed to behave in a particularly
derivative manner, even going so far as to
include references to discredited not so
ex-gay ‘psychiatrist’ George Rekers, as well
as importing references to ‘rebuttals’ of
same-sex parenting from Patricia Morgan
Robert Lerner, Althea Nagai, Stanton Jones
-
TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
“The Visit”
by Jonathan Marden
It had been thirty-four years past since he’d last walked in this field
A ten year old’s place of pain, never spoken of, never healed
Where alone in the early sunrise, feeling frightened and without hope
The boy had held his ghostly mother’s hand – telling her he couldn’t cope
Then years and miles had rolled by, leaving behind this awful loss
And seemingly did the goodness drain away, retaining only the dross
Yet now crossing over the fence style – such an unexpected return
Retracing childhood steps where grief and fear had been his concern
And so much to his amazement – nothing seems to have altered
The same group of trees and hedges, as if time had been halted
And there the single row of houses, standing all semi-detached
Made out of 1930’s brick, with windows and chimneys matched
And in the stillness of this rolling countryside - on this bright sunny day
All the memory banks erupted letting familiar demons come out to play
The haunting of so many sorrows let alone the condemning despair
Rose up and out of inner depths, ferocious wolves leaping from their lair
And he remembered now with unchecked tears - flowing as if in a flood
How he’d been torn between the withered twig and the yearning bud
As there in the hawthorn hedgerow, where the stinging nettle still grew rife
Had been a small fruiting tree – by which he could have escaped this life
Oh how he’d wanted those red berries – their poison juices in his mouth to melt
To have removed him from the ogre of his stupid self - so frequently had he felt
Instead to seek somewhere kind and caring – so desperate for such a find
Away from this place where paternal fear had had him so gagged and blind
But the hidden hand that gently guides us all - throughout our thick and thin
Had better plans for life ahead - not a time for death to swallow him in
Instead the gay man now understands and compassionately seeks to bless
While the hidden hand caringly lays upon the boy - the cloak of loving kindness.
Pictured below: Hurley Common 1999
POEM
Page 18
Adoption: The next step (continued)
and Mike Yardhouse that do not recognise
that mainstream child health, welfare,
paediatric and developmental psychology
research has developed a consensus around
same-sex parenting. Mainstream research
points out that lesbian and gay eligible
parents have excellent spousal and parental
communication skills and that samesex parenting does not adversely affect
educational and later adult employment
outcomes. In fact, young women are likely
to take up well-paying non traditional jobs
and young men have better interpersonal
skills than children of straight couples.
The Christian Right is isolated on this issue.
The rise of Adoption Action and Jacinda
Arden’s private members bill bode well for
the eventual resolution of this remaining
area of LGBT parenting inequality in this
country.
Sex change on
passports for
transsexuals
www.stuff.co.nz
19 September 2011
Letting transsexuals carry passports in their
preferred gender without the need for a
sex change will save them from needless
embarrassment and delays, transgender
advocates say.
The Australian Coalition for Equality said
people would now be able to travel overseas
without being stopped by officials because
their passport doesn’t match their public
identity.
“From that point of view, it’s a huge step
forward,” spokeswoman Martine Delaney.
“It’s an incredible embarrassment to be a
woman for years but still have a passport
that says they’re male.”
Ms Delaney said she knew of a man who
had lived as a woman for 25 years but was
unable to have a sex change for medical
reasons.
In this case, US customs officials had
detained her because they were confused
about her gender.
Ms Delaney, 53, was born a man but
underwent a sex change eight years ago. She
spent two years in a “transition” period, but
did not travel overseas during that time.
She met senior advisers to Foreign Minister
Kevin Rudd at Parliament House in Canberra
in July to be told about the new guidelines.
Ms Delaney commended Mr Rudd and
Attorney-General Robert McClelland,
-
TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
Sex change passports for transsexuals
(continued)
saying the changes would give “greater
recognition” to transgender and intersex
Australians.
“The flow-on effects acknowledge these
people are human beings with rights,” she
said.
Under new rules unveiled this week, gender
reassignment surgery will no longer be a
prerequisite for “sex and gender diverse”
people to get a passport identifying them
the way they wish.
But they will need to present a statement
from a doctor supporting their preferred
gender.
The changes are expected to affect only a
handful of people.
Mr Rudd said the reform was in line with
the government’s efforts to remove
discrimination based on gender identity
and sexual orientation.
Topps to help
show ‘real’ NZ
to Cup visitors
GayNZ.com
14 August 2011
New Zealand’s favourite crossdressing
lesbian twin entertainers will take a starring
role in a promotion designed to entertain
Rugby World Cup visitors a sample of
traditional rural New Zealand.
The Topp Twins, in the guise of their
country bloke aliases Ken and Ken, will
be commentators for a ‘running of the
sheep’ event which will see 1,000 sheep
shepherded down Auckland’s Queen
Street as part of the Cup entertainment
programme.
The sheep will take over Queen Street at
lunchtime on Monday October 17, just a
few days before the Cup final. The flock,
which will be accompanied by shepherds
and bikini-clad models on quad bikes, will
start near Aotea
Square and head
for Quay Street,
echoing by-gone
days when such
flocks frequently
passed down the
city’s main street
heading for the
docks on the
waterfront.
AOTEAROA
OCTOBER 2011
Page 19
Man tells of battle with
flesh eating bug
www.stuff.co.nz
By Kate Newton
28 September 2011
A Canterbury fishing guru’s loss of his legs
serves as a warning as a flesh-eating disease
affects more Kiwis.
Researchers are alarmed by a dramatic
increase in necrotising fasciitis, a disease
that kills one in five people who get it.
Ross Millichamp will never know if it was a
fish or a sandfly that got him.
The Canterbury fishing guru, a keen
outdoorsman, was on a boys’ trip to
Stewart Island in February 2007 when he
came down with what he thought was the
flu. “It was bad enough that I didn’t go out
hunting for the rest of the trip.”
The day before the group was due to go
home, he felt an intense pain in his shoulder
and knew he needed medical help. The
last thing he remembers clearly is walking
to the rescue helicopter that flew him to
Invercargill Hospital. “All I remember [after
that] is someone saying we’ve figured out
what it is, you need surgery and there’s a
possibility you’ll lose an arm.”
Instead, he woke up in Christchurch
Hospital’s intensive care unit three weeks
later to find both his legs amputated, after
the necrotising fasciitis he’d contracted on
the trip had ravaged the tissue from his
knees down.
How he became infected will never be clear.
“All they know is that it came in through
my left hand and it was either a cut from
unhooking a fish or from a sandfly bite.”
Two prosthetic limbs have helped Mr
Millichamp, 47, head out on a few fishing
trips but his more extreme outdoor exploits
were over, he said.
FLESH EATING BUG CASES RISE
A University of Otago Wellington study, published in Journal of Infection yesterday, found
that New Zealand numbers of people with necrotising fasciitis – a severe bacterial infection
that rapidly destroys soft tissue – increased from fewer than 10 cases a year in 1990 to
more than 70 in 2006.
The rise – which researchers say has continued since 2006 – is in line with increases in
other serious infections in New Zealand in the same period.
A study published earlier this year found the number of children taken to hospital with
serious skin infections had doubled since 1990.
Associate Professor Michael Baker, who co-authored the latest study, said the results were
“part of a very concerning rise in New Zealand of serious infections”.
“[Necrotising fasciitis] is now sufficiently common that people in high-risk groups need to
be aware of it and seek treatment quickly.”
Maori and Pacific people, along with the elderly and people with suppressed immune
systems, were more likely to contract the bug.
The researchers identified 812 cases of the disease, including 148 people who died – a
fatality rate of 18 per cent. Those who survived sometimes were severely disfigured by
amputation or surgical removal of muscle, Dr Baker said.
The infection, which can stem from something as small as an insect bite, was feared by
both doctors and the public because of its rapid onset.
“From the first wound to potentially being severely ill and perhaps dying is only two or
three days.
“People talk about this as advancing at a rate of two or three centimetres per hour.”
The causes of the disease were not well known, Dr Baker said. Nor were the reasons behind
its rise in New Zealand.
“We have quite a lot more people living with impaired immunity from things like diabetes
so that could be a contributing factor.
“We’re particularly concerned about the changing socioeconomic inequalities in New
Zealand. The reason we think that’s probably a major driver is we’re seeing the same
pattern with other skin infections and infectious diseases [associated with poverty].”
People with even minor skin injuries should seek urgent medical attention if they suffered
intense pain or fever that was greater than they might expect from the size of the injury.
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
AOTEAROA
OCTOBER 2011
Page 20
Our Communities
GayNZ.com
By Jacqui Stanford
22 September 2011
Gay, lesbian, bisexual trans and intersex
people who went to school in Marlborough
are being asked to share their experiences
from the schoolyard and the classroom,
in a campaign driven by the local police
Diversity Liaison Officer to push local
schools to wake up to the reality of life for
queer teenagers.
On top of her job in the Blenheim CIB,
Detective Kirsten Norton also volunteers
as the Marlborough DLO, a role where she
acts as something of a mediator and even
something of an interpreter between the
glbti community and the police, as well
as between glbti police officers and other
staff.
Part of her role is assisting with the
development of strategies for glbti victims
of crime and on the back of a meeting with
the sexual health co-ordinator at Wairau
Hospital one of the key issues raised was the
particularly ‘unsafe’ school environment
for students who are attempting to come
to terms with their sexuality or gender, or
who have been ‘labeled’ by other students
as being so - with no input from them.
“Recently there was an article in the
Marlborough Express relating to Luke
Hinkley, an ex Marlborough Boys’ College
Student and a letter to the editor from the
mother of a former student who struggled
immensely during his time at MBC. Both
highlight the real issues still present within
our schools,” Detective Norton has written
in an email calling for former students to
come forward.
“The general issue is that generally our
schools refuse to acknowledge that
students are struggling with this issue and
therefore tolerate behaviour from other
students which is having a very negative
effect on these students.”
“Schools should be
actively supporting
safe areas/support
groups within the
school.”
“Occasionally these
things come to a
head and schools
have to deal with
‘diversity
issues’
but I suspect they
can discount it
personally by, in a
way, laying some
blame at the student involved rather than
acknowledging the wider issue which is
the culture within the school.”
Detective Nolan says some groundwork
needs to be laid to try and make schools
see what they can’t or won’t see.
“But the current students affected are
not in a position to say it for fear of
intimidation, so a bit of a change in
strategy,” she says, explaining that’s why
she is trying to spread the word to as many
present and past students, or their parents,
in the hope they will write letters outlining
their own experiences at their school in
Marlborough.
In particular she is asking people to cover
the following topics:
1. Years at school and what school.
2. Where they were at in their school
years in acknowledging their sexuality/
gender?
3. What school was like for them in relation
to this?
4. If they were “out” how was this treated
by the school/teachers/students i.e. did
they try and keep it under wraps, was it
acknowledged, or the opposite?
5. How did their school experiences/
attitudes affect their behaviour at
school/how long they stayed/choices
they made at school?
Detective Norton says from her perspective,
like any organisation, this needs to come
from the top and unless the message
really gets through to the teachers and
counsellors then any positive gains will
come and go from year to year.
6. How important was the attitude/
treatment received by teachers
regardless of whether they were out
or considering it - ie: what messages
were being sent and how did this affect
them?
“Clearly there are a number of teachers
that really just don’t get it and are happy
to adopt a head in the sand approach or
else they would not turn a blind eye to
the behaviour going on around them from name calling to physical bullying to
assaults,” she says.
7. How has their experiences at school
affected life from here on in eg:
wanted to complete a school year but
felt couldn’t stay, leaving Blenheim,
counselling, work choices, since?
8. A snap shot of life now eg: occupation,
orientation etc.
“Obviously this will have greater impact if
the students are able to sign their name
and identify themselves because this in
itself will help break down stereotypes
but this is not necessary if people are
uncomfortable identifying themselves,
the important thing is to make it real and
personal rather than just stats,” Detective
Nolan says.
She is happy to receive and collate the
responses, in any format whether it be
email, a letter or another.
“The intention is to create a real life
document that we can take into the
schools to show teachers etc that even in
Marlborough what they do and how they
react does matter and although these
students feel safer remaining invisible at
the moment in our schools they still exist
and they still hurt,” she continues.
“There are some really successful exMarlborough students out there that can
add real value to this, there are also some
students that haven’t made it and I think
that the opportunity for parents of all
students to write as well.
“It is also an opportunity for those who
have struggled in the past to both be
acknowledged but also help those that are
struggling now.”
“Interest has been pouring in from queens
all over Wellington and further-afield.”
Here are the details to contact Detective
Norton regarding the questions asked
within this article:
Postal address at the Police Station is
Detective NORTON
Blenheim Police Station
PO Box 342
Blenheim
or Detective Norton can be emailed at
KNI555@police.govt.nz, or contacted
through the Blenheim Police Station
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TATOU
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HEALTH & WELLBEING
OCTOBER 2011
Page 21
Enjoying
Julz
People who exercise always presume us exercisy types have some
natural madness or unique ability when it comes to exercise, so
that something that makes what is a pain and a chore for most is
something that is easy for fitness folks. I wish!!!
I didn’t start out as an exerciser, in fact I barely broke a sweat by
choice until I got a Jane Fonda video (yep I’m that old!) and started
working out with it. Who knows what I was thinking at the time
but obviously Jane had some impact, as here I am 20 years later
still feeling the burn.
So after that initial rendezvous with Ms Fonda why did I not just
leave the video playing and stay on the couch instead of embarking
on a life of being a gym bunny?
1) While I’m happy being a girl I ain’t a very good one. I’m never
going to win a beauty contest, and you’ll never hear the words
delicate, feminine or slight in association with me. So I’m all
about strong, and to look strong I need to lift weights. It was
a choice between dumbells and being a builder or bricklayer,
and though I’m not very good at being all girly I’m truly useless
when it comes to hammers and nails!
2) I was the (self described) fat, stupid and ugly kid. I knew I was
crap at sport and looked daft when I did try so didn’t bother.
I exercise because now I know I can and sometimes when I’m
exercising that fat kid inside me sees me exercising she smiles.
(And sometimes she catches sight of me in the mirror and
laughs but all that loud music in aerobics classes has rendered
me virtually deaf so I don’t hear her).
3) Because of my job. OK so I’m in fitness so I should exercise,
as that’s what I tell other people to do. But that’s not what I
mean. I exercise because I have to go out and get around the
place from morning to night and if I get unfit it’s too much like
hard work and ultimately I’m pretty lazy.
4) Because I like eating - more than I should. Exercising means
I can eat 2 king-size blocks of chocolate rather than just the
one and still fit my jeans (whoever invented stretchy denim
deserves a sainthood).
5) Because I get depressed and exercise on a good day makes me
a much happier and self-aware person. (And on a bad day at
least I’m too tired to care)
julz@julzdarroch.co.nz
u
“I exercise because now I know
I can and sometimes when I’m
exercising that fat kid inside me
sees me exercising she smiles.”
6) When I’m not depressed I’m overly
anxious. Exercising means I spend
less time contemplating what could
happen in the world that would cause
me pain and suffering and can focus
more on what is causing me pain
and suffering at that moment (the
treadmill usually).
For lots of people exercise seems to be all
about changing the body you’ve got into
something better (smaller, more toned…)
but the best thing about exercise is when
you allow it to become part of your life
and it becomes about enjoying the body
you’ve got.
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
More gay and
trans parents
needed for panel
GayNZ.com
19 September 2011
OUTLine is looking for people who live in
or near Auckland, who are raising children
within same sex relationships or involving
trans parents, to take part in a groundbreaking Families Commission panel.
The Commission is including glbt households
in its panel discussions on the nature of
families in New Zealand, for the first time.
“Our goal is to ensure a broad cross -section
of people so that we can get a sense of
what it is like for people from the rainbow
community and their children growing up
in rainbow families,” says OUTLine General
Manager Vaughan Meneses.
“It is important that we also get to hear
from gay dads who play an active role in the
lives of their children - they may for instance
have a child with a lesbian couple and are
still part of the family unit,” he says.
“Although this is about the experience of
being a queer parent, it is also about the
experience of our children growing up in
the current environment with two mums,
two dads, or the variation on that theme.
This is definitely about queer families, and
the emphasis is on the experience of family
in same sex or trans parented settings.”
Meneses says OUTLine appreciates this
does not cover every possible configuration
of rainbow family life, but it has have to
start somewhere and does already have
some participants who fall outside of this
definition.
“Only one parent from each family can be
part of the panel - this is to ensure that
conversation flows freely and to get as broad
a range of families involved as possible,” he
explains.
There will be three forums per year and
they will generally run for 2-3 hours on a
Sunday with a shared lunch. The Families
Commission set us a general topic for
discussion, and there is also the opportunity
to discuss other topics that the group feels
are relevant. OUTLine’s aim is to have the
same people involved in each panel over
the next two years.
“In reality there are very few chances for
the voices of our families to be heard our needs are often seen as having less
importance or validity and we are often
silenced by an overwhelming dominance of
the ‘traditional’ family structures,” Meneses
says. “This is a chance for us to be heard, and
for our families to have a place at the table.
Too often the phrase ‘family values’ is used
NEWS
OCTOBER 2011
as a euphemism or blatant representation
of an arrogant sense of religious morality.
This is a chance for us to challenge this, and
the Families Commission has shown real
leadership and understanding by actively
seeking our voices.”
In consideration of the time and
commitment each participant will receive a
$75 voucher for each panel they attend.
Our first panel was scheduled for the 2nd
October. Cynthia Borne and Vaughan
Meneses will be the facilitators of the
panels. If you have further questions or
would be interested in attending please
contact Vaughan at vaughan@outlinenz.
com or by phoning OUTLine during business
hours on 0800 688 5463 (0800 OUTLINE)
Archie Comic’s
first gay character
Kevin Keller
to wed
www.pinknews.co.uk
16 September 2011
The first gay character in Archie Comics,
Kevin Keller, will get married in an upcoming
issue.
In the storyline, in Life With Archie #16,
Kevin returns to Riverside as an adult after
serving in the Army.
With friends keen to know how he met Mr
Right, he announces his wedding.
However, the happy news coincides with
Archie and Veronica’s split.
Kevin first appeared in Veronica last
autumn, with some critics expecting a token
character.
But that issue, 202, sold out, prompting
Archie Comics to issue a reprint for the first
time in its history.
The character appeared in a mini-series
this summer and will also have his own
eponymous solo title, to be released early
next year.
Veronica writer Dan Parent was nominated
for a GLAAD award for his creation.
Speaking last year, Archie Comics cochief executive Jon Goldwater said: “The
introduction of Kevin is just about keeping
the world of Archie Comics current and
inclusive.
“Archie’s hometown of Riverdale has always
been a safe world for everyone. It just makes
sense to have an openly gay character in
Archie comic books.”
Mr Goldwater added that people who might
be offended by a gay storyline “aren’t the
kind of people we want reading our comics
anyway”.
Page 22
Stonewall goes
global
www.gayuknews.com
2 September 2011
Stonewall is delighted that the Charity
Commission has approved a request to
extend its strategic lobbying to include
overseas work.
For the very first time, the charity will be
permitted to ‘promote human rights as set
out in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and subsequent UN conventions
throughout the world’.
“We’re delighted at the Charity Commission’s
decision,” said Stonewall Chair David Isaac.
“After our biennial supporters’ survey last
year a number of supporters raised the
importance of international work with us
now that the legislative landscape in Britain
is almost equalised. Having canvassed a
wide sample of our supporters during the
last 12 months and reviewed our obligations
under charity law, we’re clear that our
lobbying and research teams now have the
opportunity to influence overseas without
undermining the important work – such as
our pioneering Education for All programme
– to which we’re absolutely committed in
Britain. We look forward to working with
other groups seeking to deliver change
internationally. As Stonewall will seek to
influence from within the UK our focus will,
we hope, complement the work of others.”
“When we became a charity in 2003 there
was an extensive outstanding legislative
programme which we thought would
take 10-15 years to secure,” said Ben
Summerskill, Stonewall’s Chief Executive.
“Having achieved almost all of those legal
changes, we’re now in a stronger position
to commend Britain’s legislative framework
to other countries around the world. The
dogged support of tens of thousands of
individual donors means that we’re one
of the few charities in the country whose
income has continued to grow throughout
the recession. That commitment means
that involvement in overseas advocacy
will not dilute any of our existing domestic
activities; we retain our ambition to make
Britain a worldwide beacon for equality.
sourced from
http://www.gayuknews.com/latest-news/
main-news/politics/1455-stonewall-goesglobal
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
First ever international
intersex forum
Submitted by Mani Mitchell
Dated 6 September 2011
The world’s Ist International Intersex Organising Forum took
place in Brussels between 2-5 September 2011. The historic
event brought together 24 activists representing 17 intersex
organisations from all continents.
Around the world intersex individuals are being subjected
to inhumane and degrading altering surgical and hormonal
procedures, without consent of the intersex person, at
the discretion of doctors and outside legal regulation. This
is done to ‘normalise’ genitals and bodies in order to fit
intersex people within the sex binary of men and women.
Pathologisation of intersex individuals results in gross human
rights violations and abuse bodily integrity and personal
dignity.
The Forum agreed on the demands aiming to end
discrimination against intersex people and to ensure the
right of bodily integrity and self determination:
1. To put an end to mutilating and ‘normalising’ practices
such a genital surgeries, psychological and other medical
treatments, including infanticide and selective abortion
(on the grounds of intersex) in some parts of the world.
2. To insure that the personal, free, prior, and fully informed
consent of the intersex individual is a compulsory
requirement in all medical practices and protocols.
3. Creating and facilitating supportive, safe and celebratory
environments for intersex people, their families and
surroundings.
This newly established informal network will campaign for the
respect of intersex people’s human rights on international,
regional and national levels. The next meeting of the Forum
is expected to take place towards the end of 2012.
The Forum was facilitated and sponsored by ILGA (International
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association) and its
European Region, ILGA-Europe. The Forum also reached out
to representatives of TGEU (Transgender Europe) and IGLYO
(the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and
Queer Youth and Student Organisation) and will continue
building wider alliances with other human rights and equality
organisations working in such areas as women’s rights, the
rights of indigenous people and people with disabilities.
Ends.
INTERNATIONAL
Page 23
WPATH announces new standards
of care for transgender and
gender nonconforming people
www.thegavoice.com
By Dyana Bagby, 25 September 2011
There were champagne toasts and rounds of applause as the
World Professional Association for Transgender Health released on
Sunday its newest Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual,
Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People at a symposium
at the Emory Conference Center in Atlanta.
WPATH revision committee chair Eli Coleman launched the 7th
version of the standards of care to some 300 people who attended
the symposium as part of a partnership with the Gay & Lesbian
Medical Association and the Southern Comfort Conference, the
largest transgender conference in the nation that takes place
annually in Atlanta.
“This is a momentous occasion,” Coleman said before he conducted
a brief outline of the standards of care.
“This was a very, very important task. Just the title is a fundamental
change — you do not see Gender Identity Disorder,” Coleman said to
a warm round of applause from transgender people and physicians
and psychotherapists who work with transgender individuals.
“We’ve made a clear statement that gender nonconformity is not
pathological,” a pronouncement greeted with another round of
applause from attendees.
“We’ve set a whole different tone. It’s more about what the
professionals have to do” and not about transgender people having
to prove their health needs to the professionals, he explained.
And when Coleman announced that the new standards of care
state in no uncertain terms that “reparative therapy is unethical,”
there was even more applause.
“This is no longer about hormones and surgery — it’s about health
in a holistic sense,” Coleman said.
Ushers brought out champagne flutes to attendees and to members
of the standards of care revision committee and all raised several
toasts after version 7 was announced.
Walter Bockting, the outgoing president of WPATH, said in an
interview before the launch that the version 7 of the standards of
care represents a significant departure from the past six versions —
the original version was published in 1979 with revisions made in
1980, 1981, 1990, 1998 and 2001.
“Some of the changes we’ve made really incorporate the latest
science,” Bockting said. “Research in this area is really increasing
so it is still a growing area but there has been a boom in research
publications. Our standards of care are more evidence based.”
Some key revisions:
• Psychotherapy is no longer a requirement to receive hormones
and surgery, although it is suggested.
“It used to be a minimum amount of psychotherapy was needed. An
assessment is still required but that can be done by the prescribing
hormone provider,” Bockting explained.
• A number of community health centers in the U.S. have
developed protocols for providing hormone therapy based
an approach known as the Informed Consent Model. These
protocols are consistent with version 7 revisions of WPATH’s
standards of care.
“The SOC are flexible clinical guidelines; they allow for tailoring of
interventions to the needs of the individual receiving services and
for tailoring of protocols to the approach and setting in which these
services are provided,” Coleman explained.
(continued on Page 29)
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
KAI (FOOD)
&
Page 24
Potato Bread Bug Rewana
REWANA BREAD
TO MAKE THE BREAD
Rewana (Maori bread) is one of the best-loved dishes in the
Maori cookbook but it can take years to master.
Step 1: Make a well in the flour, add starter bug and mix well
with warm water.
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
3 slices of a medium-sized potato
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 cup of water
Step 2: Take a portion of the mixture in a jar. Add a raw potato
for flavour and leave in fridge for the next time you
want to make a loaf.
STARTER BUG:
Step 1: Boil the potato slices in water to mixing consistency
and leave to cool.
Step 2: When lukewarm, mix in all ingredients together
to a fairly firm texture.
Step 3: Add more warm water if needed. Cover and leave in a
warm place to rise.
This is the starter plant or bug from which you can make a few
loaves of bread by only using what is needed and storing what’s
left.
Step 3: Add sugar to your mixture for sweetening and mix with
warm water.
Step 4: Knead the dough, folding in as you go.
Step 5: Sprinkle flour over a flat board to stop sticking. Knead
until firm, roll into a big ball.
Step 6: Cover with a teatowel or cling wrap and leave to rise
for a few hours or overnight. (Hint: If you’re in a hurry,
try leaving it in the warming drawer of the oven or in
the back window of the car if it’s a nice day).
Step 7: Bake for one hour at about 200C.
Article sourced from nzherald.co.nz
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10453825
Thanks to this blog site, we found some
pictures to show you what a rewana looks
like. Taste wise - you’ll have to make one to
find out. Kia ora! http://curiouskai.blogspot.
com/2007/01/rewena-bread-conclusion.html
Beat around the Bush! This episode, ChooChoo reflects on his stay in Wellington.
I’ve enjoyed my stay in Wellington.
It’s very sanctuaried!
There’s a sanctuary for
marine-life at Island Bay...
There’s also a sanctuary for
native and wildlife - like me...
Just out of town in Karori
And a sanctuary for
humans too!..
in Courtenay Place!
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
ELECTIONS
Page 25
Rainbow Wellington’s
party questionnaire
GayNZ.com
By Rainbow Wellington
3rd October 2011
Rainbow Wellington has collated the responses it’s had from the
majority of major parties to a number of crucial questions heading
into the election. You can find out where the parties stand on the
major glbt issues here.
The questions were put to the parties ahead of Rainbow Wellington’s
candidate forum on 12 October.
New Zealand First declined to respond as it does not answer such
surveys as a general rule, while there has been no response from the
Mana Party.
The policies of the parties which have responded on the matters
Rainbow Wellington raised with them are:
1. What is your policy on or view of the need to make progress on the
extension of rights of adoption by same sex couples on the same basis
as mixed sex couples?
ACT
ACT supports ending the discrimination same sex couples face when
trying to adopt a child. The Adoption Act 1955 is out-dated and the
criteria for adoption should focus on how fit a person or people are to
be parents, not their sexual orientation.
Greens
The Green Party policy on this is that parenting skills are distinct from
sexual orientation or gender identity. We support equal criteria for both
rainbow and heterosexual couples in their assessment for suitability
and eligibility for parenting. Spokesperson Kevin Hague has formed
and convenes a cross party group to reform adoption law. Essentially
the 1955 Act is archaic legislation that is flawed at its very heart, in
that it does not place the interest of the child at the heart of decision
making. The Act requires either comprehensive overhaul or complete
replacement. It seems certain that while a small change to the law
would provide the change required on the specific issue of same
sex couples, the chances of achieving this change with the current
parliament are remote, and will be enhanced in any parliament by
being advanced as part of a larger reform. Steady and careful progress
in the cross party group provides the best opportunity to secure the
reform when that becomes possible in parliament.
Labour
Labour believes that the current adoption laws are antiquated and
discriminatory, which need to be modernised and updated. The
current Act fails to take into account the number of legislative changes
introduced over the past decade areas such as assisted reproduction
technology, surrogacy and the legal status of de facto relationships
and civil unions. A Labour-led government will enact legislation that
will require the Law Commission to review and update adoption law
to better reflect modern New Zealand. Labour has already drafted and
tabled a Bill to give effect to this.
Maori Party
The Maori Party is a strong believer that in issues of adoption, it should
be whanau who should be first port of call in adopting mokopuna
or children. In actual fact we see adoption as a legal fiction in the
presumption that biological parents can be replaced. It is our view
that the connection that we have through our whakapapa to our
genealogical history should be protected. Whangai arrangements
which operate within the broader context of whakapapa are a way
of maintaining those genealogical links while still supporting children.
Whanau is where children find the strength and support to become
productive, caring members of society
that we need them to be. If there is
a need for children to be cared for we
believe strongly that whanau, regardless of sexual orientation, must
be encouraged to care for these children within the family.
National
In the current internationally volatile financial environment National
is focused on providing stable government with a strong plan to create
jobs and certainty for households, reducing debt and returning to
surplus by 2014. We are aware of issue with the Adoption Act. It’s an
old piece of legislation and has been identified as an area for potential
review. We are currently running a very full justice agenda focused on
making New Zealand safer, putting more police on our streets, and
reducing crime. In the context of the current economic environment
reform of adoption laws is not a priority for the Government.
United Future
It is time to revisit all aspects of the Adoption Act.
2. Does your party have a policy or view concerning the need to
provide for same sex marriage?
ACT
When the Civil Union Bill came before parliament in 2004 it was put to
a conscience vote, meaning all M P s were allowed to vote according
to their personal opinion. Five of the then nine ACT MPs voted for the
Bill.
I was then leader of the National Party and voted for the first reading
of the Bill. But I opposed subsequent stages of the Bill, on the grounds
that the Bill was proposing to make such far reaching changes to our
civil institutions that the matter should instead be put to a referendum.
I said that I would vote in favour of allowing civil unions in such a
referendum. In other words, I managed to confuse everybody. To be
clear now, I should have voted in favour of the Bill in all its stages.
I admit I don’t understand why, having legalised civil unions between
two people; irrespective of their gender, there is still pressure to
provide for same sex marriage. In the English language I have always
understood marriage to be between a man and a woman.
Greens
Rainbow and heterosexual partnerships are equally entitled to
respect and support. We support the extension of all legal partnership
arrangements and rights to same sex couples. The Green Party strongly
supports full equality and believes that this will eventually be achieved
either through the amendment of the Marriage Act to include us, or
through the repeal of the Marriage Act (which would leave civil unions
as the method by which the state formally recognises relationships,
and marriage as a purely religious institution). All Green M Ps would
support a Bill to achieve this.
Labour
Our initial focus has been to ensure that existing rights under marriage
should also extend to civil unions, and we will complete that work. But
Labour believes in formal equality before the law for people in any
relationship status, including marriage.
Maori Party
The Civil Union Act to establish the institution of civil union for same
sex and opposite sex couples was passed by Parliament on 9 December
2004. The Act has been described as similar to the Marriage Act with
reference to marriage replaced by civil union.
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TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
Rainbow Wellington’s party questionnaire (continued)
National
In the context of the current economic environment and our strong
focus on providing stability, reducing debt, and returning to surplus by
2014 the government currently has no plans to amend the Marriage
Act.
United Future
United Future proposes no changes to the Civil Union Act but
acknowledges to need to clarify the discrimination issues referenced
[this refers to the problem of the legal status of same sex marriages
in other jurisdictions if the couple comes to New Zealand to which we
alluded in our questions].
3. What is your position on the need to complete and speed up the
implementation of the 2008 Human Rights Commission Report To Be
Who I Am?
ACT
ACT strongly believes that everyone should be treated equally by the
government and by the law regardless of their gender and their sexual
orientation. As such we would look carefully at any proposed changes
to laws such as the Human Rights Act to ensure everyone is protected
but would only support change if we thought it was necessary.
Greens
Rainbow communities are entitled to equal opportunities in law and
in practice. We support making the government comply fully with
the right to freedom from discrimination on the grounds that were
established by the Human Rights Act 1993 and its amendments.
We support programs that eliminate prejudice, discrimination and
harassment. Regarding surgical procedure, we would need to see the
results of the trial before committing to support the recommended
outcomes. We do support the inclusion of transgender and related
statuses as specific grounds for non-discrimination under the Human
Rights Act, and would support both sex and gender being specified as
prohibited grounds for discrimination.
Labour
Labour will advance the development of legislation to address
outstanding issues in transgender rights. It will also give clear direction
and support to government agencies in support of rights to services
and advocacy.
Maori Party
The Maori Party opposes any form of discrimination and prejudice. As
part of government we have negotiated the support of the government
for the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
a key part of which is about removing prejudice and discrimination
against indigenous people. We will support measures and initiatives
that remove discrimination based on sexual orientation.
National
Government agencies are making good progress in implementing the
To Be Who I Am report. A wide range of work is under way in a number
of agencies including the Department of Internal Affairs, Department
of Labour, Ministry of Education and New Zealand Police.
United Future
United Future supports the recommendations within the Human
Rights Commission Report
4. Will you make a specific commitment to a priority allocation of
resources to grapple comprehensively and realistically with the
problem of homophobic bullying in schools if you are a part of a
government following the election?
ACT
Bullying for any reason at schools is unacceptable and dealing with it
should be a priority for any government. When it comes to resourcing,
ACT believes that the individual school is best placed to allocate its
own resources because each school has bullying problems of different
degree; there is no one size fits all approach to a problem.
Greens
Green spokesperson Kevin Hague is on record as expressing a desire
ELECTIONS
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to rekindle the flame for collective action in our communities, not for
specific law reform, but to make a safe and supportive environment
for young people both before and after coming out. As an adult
gay man my life is actually pretty great nowadays, but for young
people many of the same forces that made me scared, confused and
desperate as a teenager are still there. To this end the Green Party
has commissioned an intern from the University of Waikato to work
with our communities and others, and review overseas experience, to
develop a program of measures to create a safer and more supportive
environment for young LGTB people. This draft program will be
released before the election, and the Greens will then work to secure
commitment from our communities to act together to campaign for
its implementation. The Green Party is committed to giving priority to
allocation of resources to this area.
Labour
Our schools can still be unsafe places for members of rainbow
communities. Too often, this lack of safety can lead to low self-esteem,
self-harm and even attempted or actual suicide. Labour will support
schools to ensure that they protect the safety of all students and staff,
expressly including members of rainbow communities, and monitor
schools’ success in achieving safe environments.
Maori Party
As Associate Minister of Social Development I have been working
towards reducing bullying as part of the broader context of violence
within our communities. I am a strong believer in the notion of
Mauriora that in order to achieve change in family violence we must
first dispel any notion that violence is normal and acceptable. I believe
that bullying is but one part of the spectrum of violence which we
must challenge.
National
Any form of bullying in schools is completely unacceptable. The
evidence is clear that bullying in schools can cause mental health
problems for victimised kids. I am personally very concerned about
the mental health of our youth and I have asked my department, the
Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, to lead a cross-government
project on youth mental health. One of the things I have included in
that work is a focus of the impact of conduct disorders, including
bullying, on youth. That is also why the government is investing $60
million in the Positive behaviour for learning Action Plan, developed
the Ministry of Education and eight education sector groups including
NZEI. During the next three years more than 7,000 teachers will receive
additional training in effective classroom management. Staff from 400
schools will receive training in how to promote positive behaviour and
lift student engagement as part of the school wide program. Feedback
the Minister has received from schools and teachers involved with this
initiative has been extremely heartening. This is a long run project and
we must continue to support and monitor it and evaluate the results.
Other support for schools includes a new rapid response service
following the most extreme behaviour incidents, and an Intensive
Behaviour Service to target the most complex and challenging
students. Families also have a very important role to play. More than
15,000 parents in at risk families will be supported to build more
positive relationships with their children.
United Future
United Future strongly supports comprehensive anti-bullying
programs.
5. Is your party committed to abandoning the legislation (present
initiatives) to end the compulsory student levy for membership of
student associations?
[Note: This Bill became law at the end of September]
ACT
ACT M P Heather Roy is the sponsor of the Education (Freedom of
Association) Amendment Bill and the ACT Party strongly supports this
legislation. Freedom of association is protected by S.17 of the New
Zealand Bill of Rights Act so it is appalling that students are forced to
join a students association. Students associations are not just welfare
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CROSSWORD
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ACROSS
3. Complete this title: Hunt underway for......
4.EclipseCrossword.com
Who became a successful recipient of the Outgames legacy fund?
6. Who did Rosslyn take the opportunity to remember in her article?
8. What is the title of the Chiropractic column?
10. What is Robyn Toomath fighting a losing battle with?
13. What is the name of the new sports centre in Kilbirnie?
15. Who is the new President of Agender NZ?
20. Who is our new columnist? She talks about enjoying the body you’ve got.
21. Tapatoru are advertising their new project which is to produce another .........
22. Where in Wellington is the native and wildlife sanctuary that ChooChoo visited?
25. Which 70’s music band is coming to New Zealand next year in March?
27. What was Rosslyn Noonan’s official title/appointment?
DOWN
1. The Greens Party spokesperson is?
2. Name the movie at the fundraiser where Karen and Peri met Hospi the mascot?
DOWN
5. What is the title of Jonathan Marden’s poem in this issue?
7. In Tributes - what is Toni Taylor known as (as in her nickname)?
9. The Canterbury fishing guru caught a F - - - - E- - - - - B- 11. Who does Cher take on to defend her son?
12. Name the person on the cover of this month’s issue.
14. Necessity is the mother of invention, was written by?
15. In the letters to the editors - who is from Berlin?
16. Which Wellington endocrinologist moved to Auckland?
17. What is the name of the Maori bread in the kai section?
18. Who was the ex-Governor General who recently passed away?
19. What city did Sara Chez grow up in the 80’s?
23. An Australian transman entered what competition?
24. Lolaa went to have what type of examination?
26. Who celebrated their 40th birthday that Karen attended?
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OCTOBER 2011
Rainbow Wellington’s party questionnaire (continued)
organisations; they frequently make political statements and lobby on
behalf of their members just like workers™ unions. No New Zealanders
should be forced to join and pay money to a political organisation.
Some students associations do provide popular services, including
support for gay and lesbian students, and if those are high quality
services students will be lining up to voluntarily join. I would point
you to Rainbow Wellington as an excellent example of an effective but
voluntary gay lobby group. All your great work would be undermined
if people were forced to join.
Greens
The Green Party has been strongly opposed to the VSM Bill, in part
because of the marginalisation of minority groups which would likely
result.
Labour
Labour is opposed to the Education (Freedom of Association)
Amendment Bill because it removes the right of student to choose via
referendum whether association membership should by compulsory.
Voluntary student membership will severely curtail student services
like media, welfare, clubs and orientation as well as destroy the
student advocacy. Labour has put forward several options for a
compromise on this bill which would have led to an enduring and
fair solution but National and Act are driven by ideology and have
refused to cooperate. If this Bill passes, when Labour is returned to
government it is our intention to move to repeal this legislation.
Maori Party
The Maori Party worked closely with NZUSA to reduce the impact
of the Voluntary Student Membership Bill, including proposing a
Supplementary Order Paper to the bill which would have delayed the
enforcement of the bill to give student unions the chance to better
transition into the new situation. We voted against this bill and would
be open to reversing it.
National
The Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill seeks to
ensure that no student is compelled or unduly pressured to join
students associations. It aims to uphold the right of students to
freedom of association. This Bill is about choice. The National Party
believes in freedom of association and encouraging personal choices.
In no other sector of New Zealand is union membership compulsory,
we are hoping to remove this anomaly. Student associations will still
be able to support students, tender for commercial contracts from
institutions, and advocate on behalf of their members. Their rights
will be unchanged. This Bill will not destroy unions. They will still be
able to offer all the services they currently do, including advocacy/
lobbying; they just have to attract members on merit, not legal force.
United Future
United Future supports voluntary student union membership
6. Will you vote to repeal the provision of 90 day no appeal workplace
legislation if you become a part of the government after the
election?
Act
Act strongly supports the 90 day probationary period for new
employees. It gives people who would otherwise be on the unemployed
scrap heap (such as some school leavers or those with convictions) a
chance to prove themselves in the workplace. The vast majority of
employers act in god faith and treat their employees fairly.
Importantly, the ninety day trial period has to be agreed by both
employer and employee; it is not mandatory and has to be negotiated
in good faith. Also, employees who feel they have been discriminated
against due to their sexual orientation during the 90 day period can
still bring a personal grievance under the Employment Relations Act
2000.
Greens
The Greens are completely against the 90 day workplace legislation,
would vote to repeal it, and won’t allow any of their parliamentary or
ELECTIONS
Page 28
party staff to be placed under such a contract.
Labour
Labour believes that the Employment Law changes that took effect
earlier this year whereby every wage and salary earner who starts a
new job are now subjected to a 90 day no-rights trial period, are unfair,
unnecessary and will do nothing help the nations stalling economy
and bleak outlook for jobs. They allow employers to fire staff without
having to give any reasons for dismissal and the worker has no means
of challenging the decision. Labour believes that this law erodes the
protection of all New Zealander workers and will disproportionately
impact on those already disadvantaged in the labour market, the
un-unionised, low paid, women, Maori, Pacific, younger and older
workers. A Labour-led Government will move to repeal this legislation
as soon as possible.
Maori Party
We voted against this legislation because it penalised those who need
the most support, the unskilled and the unqualified. We will continue
to support any measure that will help protect the most vulnerable
members in society.
National
The Government is committed to creating more jobs and lifting
the long term performance of our economy. We want to see New
Zealanders in work. We want them to be successful and we back them
to make the right decisions for their families. Our introduction and
extension of 90 day trials is pragmatic, credible and effective. Its one
more on the road to growing the economy, helping New Zealanders
find work, and encouraging employers to hire new staff. Trial periods
have brought opportunities to many New Zealanders and we want
to see more people benefit from this great policy. New Zealanders
deserve every opportunity they can get and we want families to
succeed. That’s why we extended trial periods to all businesses on
April 1. We expect to see increased hiring as larger businesses provide
more opportunities for job seekers through the 90 day trial period.
The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research report last year
found that 13,000 New Zealanders got jobs in small businesses they
otherwise wouldn’t have.
United Future
United Future supports the status quo
7. Will your party return to the status quo ante of the right of prison
inmates to vote in accordance with our international commitments if
in government following the election?
ACT
Voting is an important right but it also comes with responsibility. ACT
supported the Electoral (Disqualification of Sentenced prisoners)
Amendment Bill because we feel those who have committed crimes
serious enough to warrant a prison sentence have broken the social
contract, and should forfeit the right to vote for the duration of their
incarceration. Prisoners sentenced to a term longer than three years
have not had the right to vote for some time and this legislation
simply extended that to all prisoners. The right to vote is returned
upon release of course, and ACT believes that that should always be
the case.
Greens
The Green Party opposed this when the Bill passed. We believe
prisoners should have the right to vote and would vote to return to
the status quo ante if the opportunity arises. The Bill constitutes an
unjustified violation of the right to vote in the New Zealand Bill of
Rights Act (noted by the Attorney General in his report on the Bill),
is contrary to Article 25 of the United Nations Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights which New Zealand has ratified, and is out of line with
international law on this subject.
Labour
Labour opposed the Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners)
Amendment Bill when it went through Parliament last year. Given the
bill amended electoral law, it would have been far more appropriate
for it to have been referred to the Electoral Legislation Committee,
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ELECTIONS
OCTOBER 2011
Rainbow Wellington’s party questionnaire (continued)
or at least the Justice and Electoral Committee in the first place.
Furthermore, the Department of Corrections was assigned as the
advising agency for the bill, even though the Department of Corrections
does not have any experience with electoral law. Labour and Green
members on the Law and Order committee asked that the Ministry
of Justice also be invited to provide advice on this bill, given that the
Ministry of Justice is the agency that deals with electoral law. However
that request was blocked by the National and ACT majority on the
Committee. A Labour-led Government will repeal this legislation.
Maori Party
We opposed this bill and support the reversal of this law
National
The government has no plans to reverse the Electoral (Disqualification
of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act
United Future
United Future has no policy in this area
8. Does your party intend to proceed with the change to the right
to silence in alleged criminal matters under proposed legislation if in
government after the election?
ACT
ACT strongly believes that the state must prove guilt beyond
reasonable doubt in all criminal cases. The ACT Party is committed to
the retention of the right to silence.
Greens
The Green Party was the only party to oppose the Criminal Procedures
(Reform and Modernisation) Bill at First Reading. In fact, the Bill
substantially reverses a number of the fundamental bases of our
criminal justice tradition. We are strongly opposed to these changes
and will work to reverse them if they become law.
Labour
The Labour Party wrote a strongly argued minority report (http://
legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2010/0243/latest/DLM3865700.
html?search=ts_bill_criminal+procedure_resel&p=1&sr=1)
against certain provisions in the Criminal Procedure (Reform and
Modernisation) Bill, particularly the provisions restricting the right
to silence. This Bill is currently stalled as Labours opposition to the
Bill is now shared by the Greens, Maori and ACT parties. Labour has
approached the Minister offering support for the bill if the offensive
provisions are taken out. We have had no response. In the event
that the bill in its current form passes, Labour would repeal the
constitutionally offensive parts of the legislation.
Maori Party
This issue is currently being discussed in caucus. The right to silence
needs to be balanced with the need to remove “Stonewalling” in
criminal investigations.
National
The Criminal Procedure (Reform & Modernisation) Bill does not seek
to remove the right to silence. It contained a provision that simply
required prosecution and defence counsel to meet before a trial to
discuss whether there are any issues that they are voluntarily willing
to agree on. After listening to public submissions on the Bill, this
clause has now been removed.
United Future
United Future supports the right to silence
WPATH announces new standards of care for transgender and
gender nonconforming people (continued from Page 23)
“Access is more open and acknowledges transgender care is being
provided in community health centers. This certainly makes it
easier to access hormones,” Bockting added.
• There are now different standards for surgery, as well. For
example, a transgender man who wants a hysterectomy no
longer has to live one year as a male in order to receive the
surgery. Likewise, a transgender woman who wants her testicles
removed does not have to live one year as a female.
For people who want genital reconstructive surgery, however,
the standards of care recommend living a year in the role of the
gender they are transitioning.
• Another major change, Bockting explained, is that the standards
“allow for a broader spectrum of identities – they are no longer
so binary.”
“There is no one way of being transgender and it doesn’t have to
mirror the idea of a change of their sex,” Bockting explained.
“These standards allow for a gender queer person to have breasts
removed without ever taking hormones,” he said.
The WPATH conference in Atlanta, along with the Southern Comfort
Conference and the conference of the Gay & Lesbian Medical
Association, was a joint effort to show the world what is being done
in the area of LGBT health.
But, Bockting added, the new WPATH standards of care also show
the tremendous effort that transgender people themselves are
doing to ensure their access to healthcare.
“Oftentimes the standards of care were perceived as a barrier even
though they were meant as access to care for hormone therapy
and surgery,” he said.
“The new standards showcase the important role [transsexual,
transgender, and gender nonconforming people] have played in
changing the landscape of transgender health in the U.S.,” Bockting
added.
We are going to do another
calendar starting very soon!
Would you like to feature in
our Calendar?
Contact us today either by email or facebook so we can discuss
the concept with you.
Email: info@tapatoru.org.nz
Facebook: tapatoru
Postal: Tapatoru
PO Box 19008
Courtenay Place
Wellington 6011
New Zealand
Election Day in New Zealand is 26 November 2011
You can vote at a polling place between
9.00am and 7.00pm on election day.
If you are not going to be in your electorate
on election day you can vote in advance from the
Wednesday 17 days before election day.
Page 29
Txt: 022 602 3199
inspiration from
.org
toru
.tapa
www
.nz
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www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
The ‘GYPTIANS’ Club
The ‘Gyptians’ Club will bring to you any readings or exerpts of interest on Egyptian
culture, history and mythology. If you have an interest in Egyptology and would like to
share with our whanau, please email us your contribution(s).
Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
http://www.ehow.com/about_6317476
_art-ancient-egypt.html
The daily life in ancient Egypt was actually
much different than the vision that
commonly comes to mind. Relics found
in archeological digs as well as paintings
and drawings on pyramid and tomb walls
depict images of life in ancient Egypt
that was, in some regards, not that much
different than life in Egypt today.
Life in ancient Egypt was primarily centered
toward a polytheistic religion, the pharaoh
and the importance of family. In ancient
Egypt family life began early. Men and
women tended to marry quite young in
ancient Egypt and everyday life reflected
their commitment to the sanctity of the
family unit. Divorce was known to have
existed but does not appear to have been
that prevalent or common. Marriages
were generally polygamous; at least in the
royal and noble circles, with the husband
having several wives. In most cases there
was usually a senior wife or chief wife;
however it is apparent that husbands were
quite fond of all their wives.
Children were a very important component
of life in Egypt and were considered to
be a great blessing from the gods. Also
in the noble and royal families, children
were highly regarded. Paintings of King
Akhenaten and his wife, Queen Nefertiti,
indicate they had a very close and loving
bond with their six daughters.
The role of women in ancient Egyptian
society is often a surprise. It is usually
assumed that women were relegated to
the role of a second class citizen, when
actually the opposite was true. Women
were allowed to own property, testify in
court and conduct business dealings. More
than one woman even ruled the Egyptian
land as pharaoh. While women were highly
regarded and given rights that most of
their contemporaries in other lands could
only dream of, daily life in ancient Egypt
for women also involved responsibilities
for most of the duties of the home. It was
the woman’s responsibility to raise the
children, see to the home and prepare the
meals.
The daily life of people of ancient Egypt
was very involved with the various gods
and goddesses who ruled Egyptian
mythology. It was quite acceptable to
THE ‘GYPTIANS’ CLUB
worship more than one deity and most
towns and villages throughout Egypt did
so, although a city would normally claim
a patron god. Temples were built and
scattered throughout Egypt, reflecting a
religion that involved frequent rites, rituals
and practices.
Peasant life in ancient Egypt was not always
pleasant. Most peasants made their living
off the land through agricultural means.
Grain, particularly wheat, was a staple
crop of life in ancient Egypt. As a result
of few grazing lands and the expense of
meat, most peasants subsisted off a diet
of ground wheat foods, subsidized with
meager vegetables. The Egyptians were
one of the first people to introduce the
use of the ox-drawn plow; however the
work of plowing, planting and harvesting
would have still been very difficult. Taxes
were also imposed on the crops, which
would have also made it difficult for most
peasant families to move beyond their
poor means.
Modern views on slave life in ancient
Egypt are largely contradictory. Many
scholars theorize that slaves in ancient
Egypt actually performed more in the role
of servant than actual slave; while other
others have contended that those who
were less fortunate in ancient Egyptian
society were forced to work in humiliating
and degrading positions. A long held
theory indicates that the great pyramids of
ancient Egypt were built upon slave labor,
although this theory has been open to
much conjecture.
Life in Egypt today is a reflective blend of a
modern society who still appreciates a rich
and cultured past. In many ways, not much
has changed. The Egyptian people still have
a very strong regard for family and children
and feel very bonded to the land.
Page 30
Maryland teenager
jailed for five years
over attack on
transgender woman
www.pinknews.co.uk
by Jessica Geen
15 September 2011
A teenage girl from Baltimore, Maryland,
has been sentenced to five years in jail
for attacking a transgender woman in a
McDonalds’ restaurant.
The attack on Chrissy Lee Polis, 22, was
recorded on a mobile phone and showed
her being verbally abused, kicked and
pulled across the floor by her hair.
The end of the film, recorded by a restaurant
employee, showed her apparently having
convulsions.
Teonna Monae Brown, 19, pleaded guilty
last month to first-degree assault and a
hate crime.
She was sentenced to ten years in jail with
five years suspended, plus three years of
supervised probation.
Brown cried in court as she was
sentenced.
As her lawyer asked for her to be given
probation only, she said: “My mother
didn’t raise me like this. I would really like
to apologise to the victim.”
Baltimore County Circuit Judge John Grason
Turnbull II called the attack “absolutely
outrageous behaviour”.
The teenagers apparently attacked Ms Polis
after seeing her come out of the women’s
toilets.
Ms Polis, in a statement read to the court,
said she did not forgive Brown and her 14year-old accomplice.
The victim, who did not come to court,
wrote: “While being beaten, I felt like I was
going to die that day.
“My private life has been exposed to the
world. I lost my job. I cannot go anywhere
without the fear of getting hurt again. I
want to go into a hole and hide.”
Following the attack, Ms Polis said she
would have been injured more seriously,
had a middle-aged female customer not
come to her aid. The woman was punched
in the face for trying to help the victim.
Brown’s accomplice has admitted her part
in the attack and remains in a juvenile
detention facility.
The McDonald’s employee who filmed the
attack, Vernon Hackett, has now been fired.
McDonald’s condemned the incident.
The attack made headlines around the
world and renewed calls for more to be
done about transphobic violence.
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TATOU
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OCTOBER 2011
Transman has X-Factor
www.samesame.com.au
Local News by Travis de Jonk
2 September 2011
Earlier this week transman Chaz Bono
was announced to be on the next season
of Dancing With The Stars in the US.
Closer to home, a fascinating and talented
transman is making headlines, capturing
the attention of Australian TV audiences
last night on reality talent TV show
X-Factor.
“Music is the thing that means the most to me, and I would love it to be the thing that I do in
my life… and I haven’t been ready until now,” Phoenix told judges as he took the stage.
When X-Factor judge Ronan Keating asked why he hadn’t been ready, Phoenix explained how
he hadn’t been overcoming both physical and mental barriers associated with his transition
from female to male.
“I’ve needed a whole bunch of things to fall into place in my life… and um, probably the most
significant thing was a gender transition… I’m a female to male transsexual,” Phoenix said, to
much applause.
“My decision to live as a man has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. Living as a female
was really hard and really painful… The transition that I went through has enabled me to
become the person and the artist that I am now… I couldn’t have auditioned for X-Factor as a
woman. It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me.”
Keating commended Phoenix for his bravery sharing his story and auditioning for the show.
Check out Paige Pheonix’s amazing performance below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyZIagtyiUo&feature=player_embedded#!
Phoenix’s husky soulful rendition of the INXS hit Never Tear Us Apartwon massive favour with
the crowd, resulting in a standing ovation as well as a triumphant three thumbs up from judges
Natalie Bassingthwaite, Ronan Keating and Mel B. He progressed to the next round of the
show.
www.stuff.co.nz
4 October 2011
IT WAS LOGICAL: The man behind the original
Mr Spock, Leonard Nimoy, has retired from
attending Star Trek conventions.
Leonard Nimoy has attended his final Star
Trek convention.
The 80-year-old actor, best-known for
playing Mr Spock in the original TV series
that began in September 1966, formed four
fingers into a V sign and intoned to fans
Spock’s most famous phrase: “Live long and
prosper.”
Nimoy has said the convention in suburban
Chicago celebrating the 45th anniversary of
Star Trek would be his last.
He spoke for an hour about his life and
career, and thanked fans for their support
over the years. Some held signs saying: “We
love you Leonard! Live long & prosper.”
Page 31
stupid bigots who (mess) with their
children!” the 65-year-old singer wrote.
Bono, 42, is paired with pro dancer Lacey
Schwimmer on the reality show, where
celebrities and their professional partners
perform various ballroom dances for judges’
scores and viewer votes.
Dancing with the Stars fans have posted
both angry and supportive comments on
the show’s message boards. One called
the casting choice “disgusting” and said
“ABC should be ashamed of theirselves
for harassing mainstream Americans and
Christains.”
When hunky Paige Elliot Phoenix took to the stage for his X-Factor audition, he clearly already
had the attention of the crowd and the judges.
Nimoy retires from
Star Trek cons
INTERNATIONAL
Cher takes on
Twitter to defend
son
www.stuff.co.nz
1 September 2011
Cher is taking to Twitter to defend her son
Chaz Bono.
The superstar posted several tweets
defending his participation on the upcoming
season of the US version of Dancing With
the Stars. Bono is the first transgender
competitor on the hit ABC show.
Cher says her son, who was born female
and underwent surgery to become a man,
is being “viciously attacked” on blogs and
message boards since the new cast was
announced Monday.
“This is Still America right? It took guts 2 do
it,” Cher wrote, adding that she supports
him no matter what he chooses to do.
“Mothers don’t stop Getting angry with
Another wrote: “I never and mean NEVER
watch DWTS but will this season to support/
vote for (Chaz).”
On his own Twitter page, Bono described
himself as “the luckiest guy around” and
thanked his fans for their support. He also
thanked Cher.
“Thanks for all your support mom,” he
wrote. “The haters are just motivating me
to work harder and stay on DWTS as long as
I possibly can.”
The 13th season of Dancing With the Stars
is set to premiere in the states September
19
DC Comics’
Stormwatch
features gay male
couple
www.stuff.co.nz
By Jase Peeples
6 September 2011
Gay superheroes in
mainstream comic
books have often
had an easier time
beating the bad
guys than they have
gaining
visibility.
Marvel Comics made history in 1992 when
Northstar uttered the words, “I am gay”
in Alpha Flight #106. While the issue sold
out, the controversial nature of a superhero
sailing the same-sex seas proved to be a
hot-button issue for the comics company
and no reference to Northstar’s orientation
was made for several years.
Since then, gay characters have been
introduced in a variety of comic books,
and while they have been allowed to come
out of the closet, very few of them have
done little else. Because of this gays have
become like many minority characters in
pop culture—portrayed as tokens or, even
worse, eventually removed from books
altogether.
-
TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
Lest We Forget
GayNZ.com
Posted by Craig Hoyle
13 August 2011
Rudolf Brazda died a few weeks ago. Like
you, I had no idea who he was till I heard
of his passing. Brazda was an unassuming
elderly man who lived out his last days in a
rest-home in eastern France, and on the face
of it there was nothing to distinguish him
from any of the other rest-home residents.
Yet he will be remembered as a symbol of
a by-gone era that will hopefully never be
repeated. 98-year-old Rudolf Brazda was
the last surviving person who was sent to
a concentration camp by the Nazis because
of his homosexuality.
Rudolf was born in 1913 and grew up in
a post-World War One Germany. He was
sent to Buchenwald after clashing with
the Nazi authorities over his sexuality.
Homosexuality was forbidden by the Nazis,
who condemned it as being contrary to their
Aryan ideal of marriage and children. They
sent between 10,000 and 15,000 gay men
to the concentration camps where they
were forced to wear pink triangles on their
uniforms. (This is one of the earliest links
between the queer community and the
colour pink.) Few of those men survived.
Concentration camps seem very distant
these days. We vaguely know what they
represent, but most people are hazy on the
details. They are seen more as a symbol
than something that actually happened,
and they are distant enough that they
can be made light of – a recent radio
advertisement joked that New Zealand
should have concentration camps for
smokers. My attitude was similar until I
visited Auschwitz Concentration Camp last
year.
Walking under the sign “Arbeit Macht
Frei” (work sets you free) at Auschwitz is
a surreal experience. The things I saw that
day will remain with me for the rest of my
life. Mountains of shoes, mountains of
suitcases with names like “Klara Goldstein”
scrawled over them, and mountains of
curled locks of human hair. (The Nazis
shaved camp inmates and wove their hair
into rolls of fabric.) The torture cells, the
rooms used for medical experiments, the
death chambers – these things remain as a
stark reminder of the potential brutality of
the human race. Nearly seventy years later
the pungent odour of burnt flesh still hangs
over it all.
Modern Germany has gone to great lengths
to ensure the atrocities of the Nazi regime
will not be forgotten. It’s impossible to
walk around Berlin without coming across
a memorial to a group of people who were
persecuted – a tribute to the dissenting
German politicians who were silenced by
the Nazis stands outside the Reichstag,
INTERNATIONAL
OCTOBER 2011
and a memorial to the gypsies is round the
corner. The enormous Memorial to the
Murdered Jews of Europe is a bit further
down Eberstrasse, as is the Memorial to
Homosexuals. The Germans are adamant
about the importance of these memorials,
explaining that in remembering the
tragedies of yesteryear we will hopefully be
able to avoid repeating the mistakes of past
generations.
I am a firm believer in this concept of
remembering the past. I think it’s important
that we remember the horrors that earlier
members of the queer community were
forced to endure, and that we keep their
memory alive. It is for this reason that
I support events like Pink Shirt Day. Such
events are a tribute to those who have
endured persecution for expressing their
identity, and make a powerful statement
that such atrocities should not be repeated.
It’s easy to treat these subjects lightly as the
memories fade with time, but the memories
must be kept alive. As George Santayana
said, “those who cannot remember the
past are condemned to repeat it”.
Brazda moved to France after his liberation
from Buchenwald. He dedicated his later
years to speaking out against the persecution
he and other gay men endured, and was
appointed a Knight of the French Legion
of Honour in recognition for his work. His
ashes have been interred alongside those
of Edouard Mayer, his partner of more than
fifty years.
Leonardo DiCaprio
to play gay
J Edgar Hoover in
film penned by
writer of ‘Milk’
www.pinknews.co.uk
20 February 2011
Former teenage heart throb Leonardo
DiCaprio will play J Edgar Hoover, in a biopic
of the FBI’s first director as a cross dressing
repressed homosexual.
J Edgar, which is directed by Clint Eastwood
will see DiCaprio play Hoover as an
“emotionally tortured figure trapped in
a highly charged relationship with his
mother,” who is played by Dame Judi Dench
according to the Sunday Times.
The newspaper says it has seen copies of
the script of the film that while containing
no over sex, show Hoover struggling with
sexual feelings for his protégé, Clyde Tolson.
The pair would often dress identically,
holiday together and were buried a few
yards apart from each other.
The film has been written by Dustin Lance
Page 32
Black, who won an Oscar for Milk, the biopic
of America’s first openly gay politician
Harvey Milk. Last week Mr Lance Black said
he would deal with Hoover’s sexuality in
“in a human, realistic way: homosexuality
without gay stereotypes”.
Although the script makes reference to
Hoover’s alleged cross-dressing, DiCaprio
said that he was unlikely to be seen onscreen in a frock. “We have not done the
fittings for those,” he said when asked if he
would be cross-dressing. “So I don’t think
so.”
In 1995, DiCaprio depicted the gay
relationship between poets Arthur Rimbaud
and Paul Verlaine in the film Total Eclipse.
In 2009, papers revealed the investigations
that the FBI under Hoover conducted into
the sexuality of well known individuals
including presidential aide Jack Valenti.
Gay marries
transsexual in
Cuban first
www.stuff.co.nz
14 August 2011
A gay dissident
and a transsexual
woman married on
Saturday in what
was said to be a
first for Cuba, then
draped themselves
in the rainbow flag
of gay pride and
rode through the streets of Havana.
In a simple civil ceremony surrounded
by much hoopla, Ignacio Estrada, 31,
and Wendy Iriepa, 37, signed a marriage
certificate, exchanged rings and kissed
before a state official, who wished them
much happiness.
It was not technically a same-sex marriage,
which is prohibited in Cuba, and drew no
interference from authorities because
Iriepa is legally a woman after undergoing
Cuba’s first state-sanctioned sex change
operation in 2007.
But the wedding, held on Fidel Castro’s
85th birthday in what the couple had called
a “gift” to the former leader, was aimed
at advancing homosexual rights in Cuba
and tinged with politics as some of Cuba’s
best-known dissidents participated and
US diplomats attended in a public show of
support.
It also signaled changing attitudes on
the island, where homosexuals were
placed in camps in the 1960s for being
“counterrevolutionary” in a part of history
that prompted a mea culpa from Fidel
Castro last year.
Applauding supporters, a throng of reporters
-
TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
CELEBRITY
OCTOBER 2011
Page 33
and dozens of curious Cubans awaited the
couple as they arrived at a government
marriage office in the Havana suburbs.
The bride, wearing a strapless white
wedding dress, made an exuberant arrival
in a 1950s Ford convertible, sitting up on
the backseat and holding the gay pride flag
high with both hands as she smiled with
happiness.
“I’m very happy and very nervous,” the
statuesque Iriepa said as she stepped down
from the car. “This is really the happiest day
of my life.”
‘A STEP FORWARD’
Estrada, decked out in a white suit and
red tie and arriving separately in a white
Mercedes, said he was also happy and
nervous, but that the day’s importance
extended beyond him and his bride. “This
is a step forward for the gay community in
Cuba,” he said.
The couple met three months ago and fell
in love, said Estrada, who has AIDS.
After the ceremony, they had their
photographs taken in front of a two-tiered
wedding cake, kissed again and then
followed Cuban tradition by riding through
the streets in a convertible, the horn blaring
a few notes of wedding music.
The only difference was the rainbow flag
they draped across their shoulders.
They were to honeymoon in an undisclosed
location.
The reaction of Cuban onlookers, who
crowded the sidewalks and watched from
apartment windows, ranged from applause
to derisive laughter to bewilderment.
“What does she have here, mami?” a young
girl asked her mother, putting her hands to
her chest.
“I don’t think they should be able to marry.
It goes against nature,” said middle-aged
Iris Gonzalez, who also asked “Where did
she get those breasts?”
Prominent dissident bloggers Yoani Sanchez
and husband Reinaldo Escobar participated
in the wedding, while Laura Pollan and
Berta Soler, leaders of the dissident Ladies
in White attended.
“We are very happy with what has occurred
today. A big step in a small Cuba,” Sanchez
twittered from the ceremony.
The United States government has spoken
of giving financial aid to gay dissidents
as part of its long-standing campaign to
promote political change in Cuba, but it is
not known if money has begun to flow.
Notably absent was Mariela Castro, Cuba’s
biggest proponent of gay marriage and
daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro.
Mariela Castro, who heads Cuba’s National
Centre for Sex Education, said earlier she
had not been invited to the wedding, but
congratulated the couple.
Iriepa recently left a job at the centre.
Whitney Houston
sourced: http://www.whitneyhouston.com/
us/content/biography
With over 170 million combined album,
singles and videos sold worldwide during
her career with Arista Records, Whitney
Houston has established a benchmark for
superstardom that will quite simply never be
eclipsed in the modern era. She is a singer’s
singer who has influenced countless other
vocalists female and male.
Music historians cite Whitney’s recordsetting achievements: the only artist to
chart seven consecutive #1 Billboard Hot
100 hits (“Saving All My Love For You,”
“How Will I Know,” “Greatest Love Of All,” “I
Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves
Me),” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So
Emotional,” and “Where Do Broken Hearts
Go”); the first female artist to enter the
Billboard 200 album chart at #1 (her second
album, Whitney, 1987); and the only artist
with seven consecutive multi-platinum
albums (Whitney Houston, Whitney,
I’m Your Baby Tonight, The Bodyguard,
Waiting To Exhale, and The Preacher’s Wife
soundtracks, and My Love Is Your Love).
In fact, The Bodyguard soundtrack is one
of the top 10 biggest-selling albums of alltime (at 17x-platinum in the U.S. alone),
and Whitney’s career-defining version of
Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” is
the biggest-selling U.S. single of all-time (at
4x-platinum).
Born into a musical family on August 9, 1963,
in Newark, New Jersey, Whitney’s success
might’ve been foretold. Her legendary
heritage is as familiar as America’s greatest
icons: the daughter of famed singer Cissy
Houston (who made her name in the
Drinkards gospel quartet, and later the
Sweet Inspirations vocal group of Aretha
Franklin and Elvis Presley renown); and the
cousin of singers Dee Dee Warwick (who
introduced the original ‘60s versions of
“You’re No Good” and “I’m Gonna Make You
Love Me”) and her sister, superstar Dionne
Warwick. Whitney’s mother and cousins
nurtured her passion for gospel music since
birth. As a teenager, Whitney was already
singing on the scene in New York, and
records with her first young performances
in the ‘70s and early ‘80s album credits with
such eclectic acts as Michael Zager, Chaka
Khan, Herbie Mann, the Neville Brothers,
Bill Laswell’s Material, and others are much
sought-after collectors items.
In 1983, near the end of Arista’s first megasuccessful decade of operation, Clive Davis
was taken to a New York nightclub where
Whitney was performing and signed her on
the spot. Two years went into the making of
her debut album, but the results were worth
it. The self-titled Whitney Houston (March
1985) launched Arista’s second decade,
and yielded a string of hits including “You
Give Good Love” and three consecutive #1
singles, the Grammy-winning “Saving All My
Love For You,” “How Will I Know,” and “The
Greatest Love of All,” which has become a
veritable anthem. Not only did the album
establish her as an important new recording
artist, but it went on to sell over 12 million
copies in the U.S., plus many millions more
abroad. This LP set the record as the biggest
selling debut album by a solo artist.
-
TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
OCTOBER 2011
“Not the Lesbian Ball”
coming to Wellington
GayNZ.com
22 September 2011
The organisers of the event, Rockstar Productions,
have arranged a special rate at the James Cook for
out-of-towners who want to head to Wellington
for the night.
They are planning the event, which they have
jokingly dubbed ‘Not the Wellington Lesbian Ball
2011’, on the back of a successful first outing in
2009, and because everyone publicly asked them
to do it again.
“At the last Ball everyone brought out their inner
rockstar, we are soooo looking forward to what
costumes will be created this time with added
Halloween theme. There will of course be prizes...
for everything and anything.”
Uber-hot DJ Sandi Hotrod is flying over Sydney
to play along with DJ Bullit, and there will also
be burlesque, shows from other artists and food,
lashings of food. “There will also be hundreds of
women dressed up in fabulous outfits,” they add
for anyone not yet convinced. The pair is also
thinking of having a business card draw, for single
girls only.
“But really the highlight will be the wonderful
gorgeous women that attend and make the night
one of fun,” they say.
“This is an event aimed at lesbians and their
partners. We can assure you there’ll be no gender
or sexuality policing on the door. We’d love you
to join us and have a good time if it sounds a bit
like you.”
The special James Cook rate is $150 room only and
$185 with breakfast for 2. Bookings can be made
from group reservations on reservations04@
NAU MAI HAERE MAI
We welcome you to make contact
with us to be a part of our next
calendar project.
Contact us if you would like
to know more.
Karen
Tapatoru
email: info@tapatoru.org.nz
facebook: tapatoru
phone/txt: 022 602 3199
PROJECT ‘WHANAU’ starts end of this month
Page 34
“We broke a glass
ceiling” - Chris Carter
GayNZ.com
6 September 2011
After a long career
which ended with
a year of stinging
controversy, New
Zealand’s
first
openly gay MP
Chris Carter has
farewelled Parliament with a comparatively
low-key and placid valedictory speech
where he proudly stated he and two of his
colleagues broke a glass ceiling by being out
and proud MPs.
Those mourning the apparent demise of
Auckland’s annual Lesbian Ball are being
invited to head to the capital and get their
bad selves on the dance floor for ‘Rockstar
Halloween’ at the James Cook Hotel on
Saturday 29 October.
The previous ball was rockstar themed, and the
organisers are excited about what people might
come up with based on the added thematic
component of Halloween.
AOTEAROA
jamescookhotel.co.nz or phone +64
4 495 0279 or fax +64 4 499 9800
and quote Wellington Lesbian Ball or
the group booking number 27995 or
27996.
Please note there are 2 group booking
numbers. One is for bookings at room
only rate and the other one is for
bookings at breakfast inclusive rate.
More info, especially for Auckland
women: Online ticket sales are now
open, please email lesbianball2011@
xtra.co.nz for tickets. Earlybird price
is $40. Full price sales of $45 start
3 October, both online and at Unity
Book and D’vice Willis St. Please join
the group Not the Lesbian Ball 2011
on Facebook for regular updates of
information.
*The long-running Auckland Lesbian
Ball has an uncertain future after the
group which ran it, LESO, decided
earlier this year it had served its
purpose, and it was time to call it a
day for the organisation. It expressed
hope someone would take up the
challenge of producing events like
the Ball in the future.
The independent MP who was expelled
from Labour in a storm of controversy last
year, wore a red rose on his chest as he
spoke. He explained that he was the first MP
to openly acknowledge being gay, as being
a former teacher he knew that gay and
lesbian teenagers faced huge amounts of
prejudice and had few affirming messages
or positive role models.
“By being open and honest about my
sexuality, and joined soon after by my
industrious gay Labour colleague Tim
Barnett and my remarkable transsexual
colleague Georgina Beyer, we broke a glass
ceiling” he said.
“Today having gay and lesbian MPs is no big
deal and thank goodness for that”.
Although he slammed the media for its
intrusion into his personal life and pointed
out the impact it has had on both his
partner and their three children, Carter
spent most of his final say in Parliament
thanking those who have stood by him and
listing his proudest achievements through
his 15 years at the Beehive.
During his time in Parliament Chris Carter
started one of the first branches of Rainbow
Labour, and held a number of Ministerial
portfolios, including Education and
Conservation.
He particularly thanked the Green Party for
its support over the past year.
Carter received applause and hugs from a
number of MPs after his speech.
The next issue of Tatou
will be December 2011
If you would like to contribute
an article, picture(s), or
information that would benefit our
communities, please email us your
details. Thank you.
info@tapatoru.org.nz
-
TATOU
www.tapatoru.org.nz
Agender
Christchurch
NOTICES
OCTOBER 2011
Page 35
Advertising in our Panui section is simple. Just send us an email with your details and we
will coordinate with you. Space is first-in, first-served and open to all whanau and friends
of Tapatoru. All emails and inquiries are welcome at: info@tapatoru.org.nz
By Cherise Witehira
As we all know, Christchurch City was
rocked by a devastating magnitude 6.3
Quake on February 22nd 2011. For many
people, this date will be forever ingrained
as the worst natural disaster to hit
Aotearoa in modern times. Not only was
the city decimated, but 182 people lost
their lives. It was a truly devastating day
that many will never forget.
Located in the Christchurch Community
House in the heart of the city, were 52
community organisations. One of the
organisations was Agender Christchurch
Incorporated, which is the Trans support
organisation that supports trans people
of all ages encompassing all of Te Wai
Pounamu, Te Waka a Maui.
Six months following the quake, Agender
Christchurch has risen from the ashes, has
a new Chairperson (whom, for the first time
in its history, is Maori) and is now operating
out of larger, safer premises on the fringe
of the city called Te Whare Puakitanga,
Transition House. Puakitanga meaning to
flourish, to blossom, to transition. It is a
safe, secure, accessible premise where
trans people of all ages and backgrounds
can come and relax, talk, seek support
and just be themselves without the fear of
discrimination from the outside world. They
also offer temporary accommodation for
the community at a very reasonable rate.
For more details on this, please contact
them at the office. Their resource library of
books, pamphlets and videos were in the
Christchurch Community House. Agender
Christchurch is working on recouping the
resource library as best they can. They are
accepting donations towards the library, so
please contact them if you can help with
this.
A support group open to all trans people,
significant others and supporters used to
be held in the Community House. There
hasn’t been a support group meeting since
December 2010. Agender Christchurch will
be restarting this on the Transgender Day
of Remembrance at Te Whare Puakitanga,
Tuesday, 29th of November 2011 from
7pm-10pm. Nau mai, haere mai koutou!
Contact Details
Cherise Witehira
Chairperson and Regional Coordinator
PO Box 261437
North Avon
Christchurch 8148
DDI: (03) 372-9298
Fax: (03) 372-9288
Email: agenderchch@clear.net.nz
TOP WEBSITES
www.hrc.co.nz
www.maoriartmarket.com
www.pinknews.co.uk
www. outlinenz.com
www.wellington2011.org
www.julzdarroch.co.nz
www.roostertailscomic.com
www.sanctuary.org.nz
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/footrotflats-a-dogs-tale-1986
TOP YOU TUBES
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=TZ860P4iTaM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1ljDeBiPo
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Cz3wscJMbuo&sns=fb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyZIagt
yiUo&feature=player_embedded
- Closing Prayer Me Inoi Tatou
Kia tau ki a tatou katoa,
te atawhai o to tatou
Ariki a Ihu Karaiti
Me te aroha o te Atua
me te whiwhinga tahitanga
ki te wairua tapu
Ake! Ake!
Amine.
The contents of TATOU are a collective of articles and advertisement related material sourced from whanau and friends of
Tapatoru. The views expressed within this publication are solely for the purpose of providing communication and marketing
opportunities to it’s community. Tapatoru’s community are Maori trans, some Non-Maori trans who affiliate to, and some
agencies, community groups and individuals who support the work of Tapatoru. We welcome your comments, advertising,
stories, ideas, feedback and contributions.
Please email: info@tapatoru.org.nz. Facebook (tapatoru). Contact details are: Tapatoru, PO Box 19008 Courtenay Place,
Wellington 6011, New Zealand. Ph/Txt 022 602 3199.