Queer student groups ‘UniQ Auckland’ and ‘Out @ AUT’ are hosting this year's UniQ National Conference, where LGBT student leaders from around New Zealand will meet to discuss the question: 'What are we doing in our communities?' UniQ is a support network for non-heterosexual students and operates at many tertiary institutions throughout New Zealand. “With University often being the first time away from home for many young people, it is often the setting where non-heterosexual students first come out of the closet and begin to accept themselves for who they are,” says UniQ Auckland co-president David Do. Hosted in a different city each year, UniQ conferences are a chance for queer youth to converge, network and hear speakers (both gay and straight) from a variety of fields, and to bring those ideas back to their respective groups around the country. Do says this year’s theme ‘What are we doing in our communities?’ is "a pertinent question that we need to consider when thinking about the queer community generally, and how student groups fit into that. “It leads into logical questions of what UniQs are doing in their campus or area, and hence generate ideas on possible initiatives after this conference." The conference will include speakers on topics such as development of relationships with student associations, tertiary institutions and other community groups like NZ Aids Foundation, Rainbow Youth, and SS4Q. Transgender issues, police, sexual health promotion, queer spirituality drug and alcohol issues and mental health will also be featured topics. This year’s UniQ conference will be held at the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology over 30 June – 1 July 2007. Students wishing to attend can contact their local UniQ group, or email uniq.auckland@gmail.com for more details and a registration form. Ref: UniQ (m)