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Waerea i raro, Waerea Ki Waho [00:00:30] Oh kahui o nga riki Maie tawhiwhi atu ke matua Hei Whakawata ke i runga o te rangi, Kei ngā pito maha o te whenua, Kei ngā tini wai o te [00:01:00] moana. E rungo, whakihiriaki ki kua wātea, ho! [00:01:30] [00:02:00] [00:02:30] Welcome, welcome, welcome to Inside Out's [00:03:00] 10th Birthday celebrations. You can totally make noise if you want. In order for us to begin our proceedings appropriately, we started off with a wairea. Wairea to clear the air, clear the space. Did you hear how quickly the noise and the energy went? That is the power of tikanga Maori. Following the wairea, we had a karakia. That karakia is to set the [00:03:30] intention of our night. To bring together all peoples under the banner of this kaupapa, this kaupapa that we are so grateful to have each and every one of you present here. In order for us to kickstart our kaupapa, we have the beautiful Tiwhanawhana Ropu Kapa Haka ke konei, uh, hei tuara mā tātou. Um, and, uh, who better to speak on behalf of the ropu than our beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Māreikore e tuana ki konei. Nō mā. Give it up for Tīwhanawhana. [00:04:00] Kia ora koutou. Ko tā mai nei i tēnei wā. Um, uh, we would like to, um, acknowledge, um, uh, inside out on their birthday. Uh, we've got a lot of history with, um, with, um, inside out. Uh, we've [00:04:30] had Hui with inside out, uh, on tapa. Uh, we've gone and we've, um, And it's always been our pleasure, as, as, as it ought to be, to go with the, with these wonderful young rangatahi when they go on to Horouta Marae and, um, and, uh, and sing a waiata, go on with them, sing a waiata, and then lead them to do their work. And, and, and it's always been a pleasure and it's, um, and it's always nice to see West Abbey. She's somewhere here. Oh, there you are. Sorry, [00:05:00] darling. Um, yeah, so, uh, Emi, uh, Nunu, Kia koutou. Um, um, I've met you so many times, and you're, and you're just, um, a lovely, um, young lady. So, um, we're gonna do a couple of waiata for you. Uh, uh, So, [00:05:30] [00:06:00] [00:06:30] [00:07:00] Yeah, wait. Woo! [00:07:30] [00:08:00] [00:08:30] Mo o oké, Mo o oké. Eh'aha te mea nui ko te alo. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Ha'a'ea mai tata, mai ki a'o. Ka piri taua Ka wai Ko mei ra te [00:09:00] tangata nui, aroha He aha ko takeru, he mui no, he koreru taua e [00:09:30] And thank you. Thank you so much for joining us for Inside Out's 10th Birthday [00:10:00] Celebration. We are all so grateful that you're here and tonight we will be leading you through the festivities. How are we doing tonight? I don't think I felt that in my soul, I felt it in my body, but not my soul. Can I hear that again? Okay, okay. Kia ora, tēnā tātou. Um, sup fam, I'm Cam, I'm uh, I think that's the bit that I'm at. Kia ora. Ke kuna, [00:10:30] kuna tāku, kia ora kia ora, technical difficulties, I'm the difficulty. Kia koutou, my name is Amber, I'll also be one of your MCs this evening. And I am Keefa. Um, as mentioned in our invitation, tonight has a theme inspired by a well known tōngi kura. Which is a form of like or a prophetic type of saying where somebody had this inspiring thought that they could, um, and they saw the [00:11:00] future. And this is the that came from that. Um, the is, there is, but one eye of the needle through which the white, red, and black threads must pass. This Tongikura, or prophetic saying, as Cam was saying, uh, was made by Potatau Te Whirowhiro, first Māori king, in 1858, at his [00:11:30] koroneihana. It speaks to unity amongst everyone and between tribes. So the black thread represents the past and all of the people who've come before us and who have set the foundation for the present. Uh, the red is the present and specifically the chiefly lineage under all of this kaupapa. Um, and the white represents the future and what is yet to come and also. Eternal Enlightenment. Kia ora. Kia ora. Ooh, we felt that, Kia ora. Can we hear another? Kia ora. Kia ora. Tēnā mai [00:12:00] anō. So tonight, we ask you, as you gather under this space, To reminisce on the past and celebrate those who have come before us and laid the foundations upon which we stand upon. We enjoy and celebrate tonight's party as a culmination of the, of all the important rainbow people in, uh, Te Whanganui a Tara. And that you look towards the future and what more can be done for the next generation. Nō reira e rau rangatira mā, we welcome you, we welcome you, we welcome you once more to our, [00:12:30] to this shared space of ours. Um, and we give a big mihi to our hosts. At, uh, I know how to get here, uh, 257, the design office space for allowing us to use this area and to not only instill more Modi and more spirit into these wars, but also to be supported by those that have come before us in this space that have allowed us to be here today. Um, so to begin, we will look at our humble beginnings and, uh, we've, uh, um, [00:13:00] Of Inside Out and how it came to be. Um, and who better to speak on this, on this kaupapa other than the founder and director, Tabby Best. Applause I'm going to take these off so I can't see. Laughter And I can read my phone, it'll probably be easier. [00:13:30] I am the [00:14:00] black, the black thread tonight. Thank you all so much um, for being here tonight to celebrate this occasion with us. It is just so wonderful to see, oh dear. So who had 45 seconds down? Okay, bear with me, it's going to be a wee bit of a long talk. Um, and I'm going to try very hard not to cry any more than I already can. Um, [00:14:30] yeah, it's amazing to see so many people that have contributed to the organisation in so many different ways tonight. Um, as those in the organising committee have kind of borne witness to, I felt very daunted, um, every time I thought about having to do the speech. You got this. Ooh, yes. That sounds good. Thank you. That's fun. Um, I think that's just because there are just no [00:15:00] words that could sum up like, all of that history um, adequately. So, it feels like a task that you could never perfect, but that's okay. Yeah, so while I've often been the public face of our organisation, Inside Out Koaro is the product of so many people over the years, so many that when we tried to put together an invite list I got super overwhelmed because I was like, I'm never going to remember everyone. So many people ended up just putting on Facebook, hey have I [00:15:30] forgot you, if you want to come please message me. And all of those people wouldn't even fit in a room like this, so, um, thank you to the, the special ones today. Um, but also let's keep in our minds all the people that couldn't be here, especially those all around the Motu that, um, couldn't make it. Um, we are a much bigger team now than we were when we first started ten years ago as six, um, six people sitting around the table. Um, but the tale of our beginning started first with my own journey growing up as a queer young person. [00:16:00] When I was nine years old, I remember me and my best friend getting called lessies at our Anglican primary school, um, in a small town in England. Um, this was done as if it was a really terrible thing to be. In 2006, um, a year after moving to Aotearoa, I attended a school that was rife with homophobia in kind of a small town. Um, in 2007, I was really lucky to get to move to Nelson and attend what we know was the first school in Aotearoa, um, most likely the Asia Pacific region, to have a rainbow diversity or queer straight alliance group. [00:16:30] Having kind of come from environments where I'd kind of had to repress my sexuality due to the kind of, the context, the homophobia, um. Uh, when my friend suggested going along to this, um, group, I initially convinced myself that I was going along as an ally to support them. I can assure you that did not last for long. Um. The group is now known as Naland Pride, it was then NAGS, Naland Alliance of Gays and Straights, later changed to [00:17:00] Queers. Um, uh, it was set up in 2003 between a gay student who was being, um, experiencing homophobic bullying at the school, and a school counsellor who later, um, when she kind of saw the inside out, had started emailing me and letting me know that she was an out lesbian at the school, um, as well, and that was a really important part of the history for me to hear, um, and I think important to honour here as well, because that's kind of where this all, all came from. Um. Having that group in my school provided me for that safe place to just kind of, yeah, be who I was, [00:17:30] um, be proud of my queerness, um, but it also led to a lot of, um, infuriation, just kind of learning about the inequities, um, present for our communities, and it kind of fired me up to start change, um, start fighting for change. I went on to become the leader of the group, um, became increasingly aware that our school and the space that we were creating was not like other schools. Um, as one of you out young people in my community had lots of people coming to come by to me, um, seek support. [00:18:00] It's worked out, so just in a couple of weeks we'll finish my counselling and detections degree. We've got some good practice, um, so it was really great that our school could be that place. Um, and we did start to have young people moving to our school, um, so that they could be more openly themselves. rangatahi. So, um, I went on to be involved alongside many others in helping, um, the other schools around the Nelson Tasman region to set up these [00:18:30] groups in their schools, um, and then we set up QYouth, which is a community organisation, uh, I think it's about 13 years old now, um, still going, um, that runs after school youth support groups, um, training the communities, range of events, and just incredible activities, um. Um, yeah, so, um, was lucky to be one of the founding board members and later co [00:19:00] chair for Q Youth. And after I finished high school, they, um, very thankfully for me employed me, um, part time and yeah, I got to start doing that youth work and started to hear from young people across the country. Um, who were having really, really tough times in their schools. A lot of it was things like school principals saying, no, you can't start a group, not allowing that space for young people to come together. There was a kind of sense of, okay, well it's awesome we've got kind of all the [00:19:30] support in Nelson now. People thought that was a bit weird. It's, you know, a bit of a conservative kind of place. Um, yeah. So it was sort of like, okay, what about the rest of the country? So, um, one night I was sitting in my room with my friend Tommy from Wellington. Um, he was part of a QSA up here and we were preparing to run a workshop for one of our Hui at QYouth about, um, yeah, QSAs and that kind of youth leadership, um, vaguely recall our conversation saying, I wish there was an organization that would support and advocate for young people to lead, start and sustain those [00:20:00] groups and make their schools safer. It was one of those ideas where you're kind of like, Oh, wouldn't it be nice if someone did that, but I can't remember a lot about the conversation, but I really don't think I thought it was something I could or would go on to do. One day at work at Q Youth, I shared this idea with my colleague Seb, and he jumped on it with much more enthusiasm, um, well, a lot of enthusiasm, and much more experience than me in the NGO world. He said, let's do it. This was in 2011, so technically we're kind of [00:20:30] 11 years, but we're, but today is 10 years since we got our approval as a registered charity in Aotearoa, so that's why we're celebrating the 10 today. Um. Seb took the lead initially and, um, found some funding to go on an assembly tour of some rural schools in Aotearoa alongside Blake Scalarup, who was an Olympian, um, gay speed skater from New Zealand. And they, um, went and talked in these rural schools from Kaitaia to Invercargill about homophobic bullying. Um, we had both planned to leave our roles at Kewth and [00:21:00] move to this beautiful city that we're in now, the next year, um, but at the end of the year, Seb decided to move to Melbourne instead. Um, at the time that contributed to a lot of self doubt and nervousness, how could I, at the time I was a 19 year old queer woman, um, start something like this and get people to take it seriously, take me seriously. Um, over the last 10 years through doing that I've developed skills in so many areas where I often joke that most workplaces would have like 50 people to do the job I do, [00:21:30] um, probably all with university degrees, um, let's just say I don't think my teenage self who hated maths would ever have thought I know as much about accounting as I do now, um, but now I know that the way this has all happened was meant to be and it's really contributed to our strong kind of bi youthful youth approach. A big lesson I took from that experience was that if you've got an idea, something you're passionate about, even if you think it's wild, you have no idea, um, how to do it, don't have the resources, share it, start talking [00:22:00] about it, um, you just don't know what might happen. And if the first plan falls through, that doesn't mean it's the end. I really want to acknowledge, unfortunately they couldn't be here tonight, but um, Marnie Bruce Mitchell and Tommy Hamilton, um, for their support in the first stages of our organisation's life. They were our first, um, executive advisors on our board of trustees, so they're kinda, um, over 27. Um, for folks. Um, and at the time, Marnie was the executive director of Intersex Aotearoa Trust, and Tommy was the director [00:22:30] of Rainbow Youth, so. Um, I just really wanted to acknowledge the mentorship of Marnie, um, Tommy, and also Elizabeth, um, Kevin and Te Whanau Whanau. Um, so that's just been incredibly vital for me, especially in the early years of, um, Inside Out, as a wee, wee baby making mistakes. Um, I had the privilege of meeting all those humans, um, in my teens, kind of through National Kui Kui that would come together and, um, started to build working relationships. I have really fond memories of, um, Marnie [00:23:00] taking me to the bank. Um, hosting us in the office. Staying up talking with Tommy until at least 2am as we did our final rounds of Is Everyone Safe? and Embedded Art. Um, shift hui. Um, getting emotional like I just did at the end of one of our hui and Elizabeth telling me to stand in my mana. Um, Kevin taking time out of his weekend to come and teach our roku waiata. I also wanted to acknowledge the late Kathleen Quinlivan who I first met at high school when she was doing research on rainbow [00:23:30] diversity groups. Um, I was briefly part of a network called SS4Q, Safety in Schools for Queers. Um, Kathleen, Marnie, Tommy and others were. Um, also involved in, and that was a collaboration across organisations, um, that advocated for safe schools for both rainbow young people and rainbow teachers. Um, and it was agreed to kind of, to wrap up SS4Q at the time Inside Out Koaro started. Kind of, um, that. Those people were involved sort of acknowledging this time for more youth leadership in that space to kind of take the arako from there [00:24:00] um, and the hope that having the infrastructure of a charity would kind of help that more. But it's really important to me to acknowledge the advocacy work that was done four years before our organisation popping up um, whether that is in the education space like SS4Q, um, but also things like the AIDS crisis, um, homosexual law reform, um, the kind of finding spaces for reclamation and um, Decolonisation of kind of our history, um, like the long standing Hui Taka Tāpui space, um, [00:24:30] or all the small communities and organisations that have been built around the country, um, that have given queer people a sense of home. So to those who have mentored and supported me, I cannot thank you all enough. Thank you very much for your time, and I hope to see you again soon. Thank you. Particularly for the [00:25:00] leadership you have and continue to demonstrate for our communities. Um, sometimes people remark about, um, how I have kept up this mahi for so long. You are the people that come to mind when I think about that. I've been doing this for decades. And just hope for the, the, um, rangatahi, like our future leaders, that I can give them just some of the same api that you have [00:25:30] all It's so hot. Um, being led by young people has always been central for our kaupapa, so I also really wanted to acknowledge our first youth trustees, Griffin, Tommy and Joseph, who are all shared in this vision. I revisited some emails from around the time we were first starting recently and came across an email thread from the start of 2013 that contained 32 emails just trying to schedule a board meeting. [00:26:00] Our current board would be horrified by this. Including Joseph actually saying that they would be in Nelson and their internet wouldn't be good enough to Skype in. So I kind of thought that as a little story in itself showed how much is just Um, and the ways, ways that we work. Um, I also really wanted to acknowledge, um, Oh, there's so many people. But, um, particularly Alex, um, Jay, Neo, Kate, Compass, Maggie, Connor, [00:26:30] Um, and the many others who I first got to meet when you were all in high school yourselves, Um, and have gone on to witness you become incredible leaders and advocates for our communities. Um, okay, trying to get to the bumper. Um, um. A few, uh, memories come to mind as I reflect on the 10 years, um, been. I've tried to not put too many in because this is already going to be too long. Um, of course, I kind of have to start with our shift hui. Um, give, give a little wave, yell if you've [00:27:00] been part of Shiftui in the past. Yeah, um, we like to sort of refer it as Inside Out's favourite project. Um, and that's where we bring young people from around the country together to be on marae for several days, um, taking part over the years in workshops ranging from kind of... Um, intersectionality in rainbow communities all the way to how to change a tire. Um, the talent show that pretty much goes to 1am without fault. Um, although when we did it online it was a lot faster. Um, [00:27:30] and how participants can articulate how much it has meant for them to just be in that space for those three days. Um, how it has transformed them and given them hope for their futures. And, um, for many of them the lives we get to see them kind of go on to lead as well. Um, the year that I did not put a closing date on the registration form, we had 180 people turn up, aka complete chaos. Um, after that we were like, okay, there's a limit. Um, and in recent years, um, through the COVID pandemic, moving [00:28:00] to, um, hold, have to hold that space online, but still learning how we can create such incredibly powerful connections. And that's still same sense of whānau and community, um, digitally. And so now we're looking at moving forward, hopefully doing one in person and one online each year, and it also helps create more accessibility for our communities too. Um, before we had staff based in every region, we would do outreach trips across the country, which was always a lot of fun. Um, like in Queenstown, where a group of us decided we should most definitely relocate our office to a boat on the [00:28:30] lake. That one has not, not gone past the board. Um, I remember, um, Emmett and I meeting with the Catholic Education Office in Otatahi and making them take a photo with us in the rain underneath the organisation's sign, um, because it was such a big deal for us that we were, you know, having that conversation, building that relationship with them. Um, I just love meeting so many people all around the country who, um, are doing their bit, I guess. So many people in schools and communities, um, like the school dean who makes scones [00:29:00] for their QSA every week, um, known as scones squad, um, this family in Gore that welcomed Emmett and I into their family home to stay, having never met us, and were just so lovely and fed us, um, yeah, there's just countless of those examples and, and people, and I think that's. That's, yeah, that's also what contributes to change, like we, yeah, we need that community, we need those, that person in Gore doing their bit, um, to, yeah, to really have an impact. I remember one year taking [00:29:30] a, um, having a bit of dread about taking part in a pride parade, um, but then seeing the faces of the young people that, um, lined the streets to march with us and just getting so many warm fuzzies, flags, and just seeing that pride in their faces and kind of recognising how much, um, that meant to them. I've really enjoyed presenting workshops to all sorts of audiences, getting to speak, um, everything from all of the chief executives of the public sector to, um, a few months ago getting to speak in a church to an association of retirees in Upper Clutha. Um, that was an [00:30:00] interesting one. But in more recent years my role has become much more about supporting our team to deliver the mahi on the ground. I don't get to do so much of the fun stuff myself, but that in itself is also so special. Just last week I got to sit on a rangatahi advisory group meeting for our healthy relationships program that's in development. I just felt so grateful and proud to, um, see the beautiful work that, um, Dando and Johan were, um, kind of doing to hold that space, uh, let alone the [00:30:30] incredible contributions of the participants. And that's a, yeah, a project that we're really excited to, to kind of implement in future. Um, and a few of us discussed this and we decided this had to make the speech highlight a few months ago. Um, our team all got to delight in was the work of. Edie, who's going to be our new operations and engagement lead, um, who mildly accidentally accepted a donation of five pallets of Lego. Which is a lot, and we really want this to go down in the organisation's [00:31:00] history. We've still got some, including Queer Eye Lego sets, if you want some. So, before I finish, I must give some more thanks, um, to our current board and all those that have served it previously, many of you in the room. Thank you so much for your dedication to our kaupapa, um, and the strange magic we have together that always seems to bring us to the end of a board meeting more energised than when we came in. Um, to those that have chosen to invest in us, whether that has been 1 or more recently [00:31:30] hundreds of thousands, um, thank you for seeing us and recognising the importance of the work that we're doing. Particularly to any earlier funders. Thank you for taking a chance on us in a time where there were hardly any paid rainbow roles in the country, uh, where most rainbow orgs were solely run on volunteers and most of them young people themselves. And for many years, um, volunteers inside out were entirely kind of fundamental, um, to what we were able to do. And those volunteers took upon huge responsibilities. So I just wanted to say to all the volunteers that have supported, um, our here across the years, thank you. [00:32:00] Yeah! To our staff and contractors, I am so proud to lead an organisation that has all of you in it. A really unexpected highlight of my time with Inside Out, especially these last few years, has been getting to employ so many queer people. Often young people. Um, in preparing for this event, I found some, um, photos of post its from a strategy who we held back in 2015. We had, um, a post it with, or [00:32:30] probably quite a few, with funding for paid staff and an office space on the wish list. Um, it's quite mind blowing for me to look at how we've kind of gone from zero people, um, in paid roles to now, including, you know, a good chunk of them are contractors on eight hours a week, but now it's over 40 people, um, that are paid to support our mahi. People frequently compliment the amazing team that we have and often amongst ourselves we joke about how we hire the best people. But that's really no joke. You're incredible and make such a difference to people's lives and the [00:33:00] work that you do in particular. I wanted to really acknowledge Alex, Neo, Emmett and Rosie, who have all been amazing. Um, around in one way or another for at least half of this journey with us. Um, thank you so much for your passion and, um, Um, ongoing commitment. It's not, not always easy in, in the NGO world. To the other rainbow organisations and community partners we work with, like Te Whanau Whanau and GMA in the room tonight, Um, it is a privilege to work with you to make things better for our communities. And in recent years we've been really [00:33:30] increasing the ways that we collaborate and support each other. And I'm so excited for what we can, um, continue to do. And achieve working together. Finally, um, Well, there's still more to go after that, but Finally, for the thanks, um, To some of my best humans, Tarn, Jess, Grey. [00:34:00] Thank you, for consistently being there for me. And, can't see you, but Thank you to my sibling, Dylan. I love you. Um, for being on the queer journey with me all these years and always trying out with the best vegan trips for us. Whether that is a wee hangover cake after shift or the incredible spread that they've done tonight for us as well. Um, [00:34:30] do not want to see my face right now. Almost there. The landscape has changed so dramatically since our organisation first began. We've seen really key legislation pass marriage equality, um, very recently, the conversion prohibition bill, the BDMRR bill. We've seen the government slowly, [00:35:00] slowly start to invest in some rainbow organisations, um, name us a lot more and consult, um, with us on social policy. We've seen Aotearoa go from this kind of handful of, um, schools engaged to the point where we're now working in over 360 schools nationwide. Um, and over half of New Zealand secondary schools taking part in our school's Pride Week campaign and running their own Pride Weeks. Um, and many primary and intermediate schools contacting for us to support, for support. I remember a few years in a strategic [00:35:30] conversation being like, there's just so much to do. We don't know if we can like support them too. We've got to kind of focus with it, you know, the ambulance, the cliff, which is the secondary schools. And that very quickly changed and we just support all schools, which has been incredible. Um, we've gone from doing one off trainings on a whiteboard, um, where we felt that we had to share our personal coming out stories to build compassion in our kind of audiences, um, to being the main provider nationwide for Rainbow Takatāpui and MVP FAFPA's competency training in workplaces and organizations. We've seen hundreds of young [00:36:00] people go through our Shift Hui program and go back to stand stronger, um, in who they are and to create change in their own communities. We've developed resources and videos that speak to more marginalised experiences in our communities and have been used to help educate others, um, both here in Aotearoa, but also, um, many times overseas. So, I was asked to speak to the past, so I will let others speak more to the future, but I will end by sharing just a very small amount of my hopes. Moving forward, um, something that is really important for me and the rest [00:36:30] of our organisation. Um, is to keep moving steadfast on strengthening our commitment to Waitangi and our approach to supporting those in our communities facing multiple marginalisations. I really hope that we can lead forward through the challenges we face currently from anti trans movements and that we can bring the majority of Aotearoa with us in protecting our trans communities. I really hope that we can sustain funding and jobs for people, uh, so that nobody else coming into the war ever has to have a job description as expansive and ridiculous as mine has been. [00:37:00] And we're, we're changing that, it's good. I really want to live in a country where every rainbow young person knows that they are loved, that there is a future for them, where their human rights are upheld, and they are safe to be who they are. And I know that Inside Out Koaro will, um, keep working towards this for years to come. I couldn't possibly imagine where we would be in another 10 years, um, where we are now. It was beyond those kind of wildest dreams. Um, we just [00:37:30] hoped we might have an office and move out of my hallway. But I am very excited to be on the journey to find out. Thank you for bearing with me through this. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. [00:38:00] Um, so we actually have a birthday cake here, um, where we, where Tabby will be gifted with the honor of Ka on behalf of. staff and inside our board. Um, and I think [00:38:30] just before we do the cutting, can everybody stand up and we all sing happy birthday together. Yeah, let's get some praise and some celebrations up in here. Can I hand this out to the korokoro tui and amongst the audience? My voice is not, it's not doing great things. So can somebody else kick it off for me, please? Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear [00:39:00] Vincent Armstrong, Happy Birthday to you. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Here's to the many more. More birthdays to come, the many more people to meet and the many more celebrations to have. Māori ora e te iwi! Nō reira, you may be seated if you [00:39:30] wish, um, except for Tabby. I'd like to now, um, introduce Brock Stobbs, chairperson of the board, and Afi Marshall, youth trustee of the board, to come up here and have a few words. Kia ora. Kia ora everyone. Um, thank you all for coming out here tonight. Um, it's so amazing to see everyone here. I don't know if it's the caffeine or if I'm very nervous, but I can feel my body shaking. But um, [00:40:00] yeah, as Tabby said, um, we wouldn't be here without everyone in this room. Um, it's been a long ten years. I've been here for only three of them, but they really do fly by and Even in that short time, we've seen so much growth and our community has grown so much larger. Um, however, I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the one person who has been through it all. Who has led this organisation [00:40:30] through these 10 years and has really, um, just brought us to where we are today. And that is Tabby. Um, we wouldn't be here without you. Um, and yeah. And it's, there are really no words that can thank you enough. And no gift that will compensate all the hours you've given to this organisation. Um, please don't overwork yourself. But um, we have a [00:41:00] little token of appreciation. Um, it is a portrait of you from Cosmo Bones. And... Um, around it is a whakatoki that the board felt really represented your work. Um, I don't have the translation on the back, but I have the English one. Those who lead give sight to those who follow. Those who follow give life to those who lead. And we thought that just really represented sort of what you do for [00:41:30] this org, which is... You know, give life to all these young people and support them so much and in turn they really. Give the energy back and make inside out what it is. And so we just want to thank you so much. So this is a song that is usually well known around the Motu and that each and every one of us were seeing. There is one change that we've made to the kupu [00:42:00] in order to be more inclusive of our brothers, our sisters, and those who don't identify within the binary. Um, so that as gender, um, uh, all encompassing. Ka pai. So instead of e tama mā, wāhine mā, we've gone with koutou mā. Ura. So once we do that, , when you get there, it might sound a little bit funky on the first jam. Second jam will all be sweet. [00:42:30] Ro stand up and let's all sing this song together. Ra. But 90. [00:43:00] [00:43:30] [00:44:00] [00:44:30] Hey, yeah, yeah. What's going on, what's all the talk of? Kia ora, Kia ora, Te [00:45:00] mana motu ake me te aroha. Kia ora, Kia ora, Te mana motu ake me te aroha. [00:45:30] [00:46:00] Thank you again so much, Tabby. That was a lovely speech and I promise it wasn't too long. Um, also, can we get a round of applause for Afi, who is our lovely guitar player and singer. Thank you so much. We appreciate it. Very nice. Very good. Um, next up, we'd like to invite Dr. Elizabeth Kerekere to come speak. Um, so a [00:46:30] round of applause, introduce her please. Kia ora in all the different ways that you identify and express yourself. But a special shout out to Tabby and the Power Femmes in the house. Now I went and got this job that sometimes Things change quickly and I do have to run to the house as soon as I finish talking. And I wanted to do lots of reminiscing. We've known Tabby [00:47:00] and members of, who were nags, who went into Q Youth and into Inside Out, but whakapapa is so, so important. Because it's not just about those relationships, boom, boom, boom. It's all the relationships that go out. It's the people you bring along with you when you do what you do. And I always say, find some mates and go for it. You did that. You've got some more mates, [00:47:30] and it has been a gift to be able to be part of this journey with this organisation. I remember going to a hui with Q Youth, back in the first hui that you did, and I was in my 40s, and they called me a kaumatua. I was like, calm down. But what I realised, and what I've realised, at hui after [00:48:00] hui after hui, that sometimes it was only me, Marnie, and shout out to, um, oh my god, to um, I'm looking right at you, and your name's just gone out of my head. I'm sorry. Annie. I totally know who you are. Uh. Sometimes we would be the only one there that was older than a teenager. And so I was like, oh, I get it. And, but that has been, [00:48:30] I suppose, what's been important to me. I came from being a youth activist myself. Nothing like this existed when I was a young person. I got lots of crap because I was femme and who did I think I was? People had lots of really craven suggestions of how I could be turned straight. And. It was always something that when I went on to found the Te Whanau Whanau and worked so closely with Kevin and the work that we do that from the beginning, because we bring those Māori values [00:49:00] into everything we do, then it's about whānau, that we as elders are always wanting to be here for our young people and regardless of the decisions, regardless of all the things you want to do, it's our job to stand there and support you and never 義務で一生懸命努力し You will know anyone who's been around me will say young people are not the leaders of tomorrow. They are the leaders we need right now. This room is full of those leaders, and I'm so so thankful for all of you. And we say when a [00:49:30] whanau is operating well, people of every generation have their place. They are valued, they're honored, they're recognized. We all work together. Together. And that's what I see that you do. You've made yourself part of our communities and connected in with so much of the work that we do. I could not do what I do in Parliament without all of you. And we don't know what's in this room and the ideas that you've had for a [00:50:00] little while. Do them. Um. Put it out into the universe. Whether it's your creation, whether it's something that you need people to help with, whether it's an incredible business idea that it's going to mean no rainbow group in this country needs to apply for funding again, let's do the thing. And whatever I can do to help with that, always, you know that I'm here. I want to just Modi. [00:50:30] We say mauri is that life force. It's that thing that we are born with and it dies with us, unlike weroa that exists beyond death. And mauri is the place where we can be seen, we can be recognised, we can be valued for who we are and everything we bring into the world. Inside Out has been that place. Shift has been that place for hundreds of young [00:51:00] people. Who some of whom are still alive today because of shift, because of inside out, for that reason alone, everyone who's been associated with this should be proud. It's my dream for all of you to grow old, to get your grey hairs, which you may color in any which way you like. [00:51:30] And to be someone who can be there and use your experience, your knowledge and your love for the young people that are going to come. A hundred years from now, there's going to be a group of young people looking at the photos from this event and it will change their life. Continue being the change maker. And sometimes it's not the big dramatic things. Let us always remember that [00:52:00] it's been in your family and someone makes that joke and you go, you know, what not funny Don't do it again in front of me So whatever it is we do in the world Some of you know I talk about the whare takatāpui, this whare of health and well being for all of us Based on the fact that our people accepted diverse sexuality and gender in this country before colonization Every single thing we do We help rebuild that whare, we make this [00:52:30] place, conceptual place. Safer, a more amazing for all of us, but actually we create a society that is safer and better for all of us. Nō reira, kia ora koutou katoa. [00:53:00] [00:53:30] Thank you so much for your wonderful speech and good luck with your next engagement. Um, uh, now next we have a panel of rangatahi who are going to talk about their mahi and how Inside Out has affected them and helped them. So Amber will be running this, um, and the young people's name, Alex, Neo, Jay, and Kate, would you like to come to the stage? Big round of applause [00:54:00] for them. So, we're now wanting to shift our vision a little bit more towards the present. What is happening now in our community and with all our fantastic rainbow rangatahi here in Aotearoa. And we have some of them here. Some of them the shift for a very long time. We had some of those names dropped in the first speech up here tonight. Um, would you all like to introduce yourself and share a little bit about what you do? Um, kia ora everyone, [00:54:30] um, ko Kate aho, um, I use they then pronouns, um, I was on the Inside Out board of trustees, um, from late 2016 to early 2019. Um, yeah, and since then, I guess, yeah, I've just done a lot of different like community organizing and kind of activist y work, um, here in Pōneke. Um, yeah. Yeah, Kate! Kia ora tātou, ko [00:55:00] Alex tōku ingoa. I use he him pronouns and I've been lucky enough to be part of Inside Out Kuaroa for eight years. Um, started off, um, when I was in my last year of high school in 2014. Um, and yeah, I'm excited to share a bit more about how. amazing and foundational this organisation has been, but, um, I, I'm a researcher, um, in sort of trans health and, and really keen to, yeah, support trans, um, health equity for trans communities in particular. Um, kia ora [00:55:30] koutou, my name is Neo, I use he, him, e, her pronouns. Um, I have been involved in Inside Out since I think like twenty... 16, 20 15. Um, when I was still in high school, um, Tabby helped me write a very strongly worded letter to my school, um, who were not letting us have a Q S A. And then I started volunteering in 2017. Um, and then they couldn't get rid of me. Um, and I'm now a staff member, um, which is so much fun. I am [00:56:00] really glad that I'm going last Hi, I'm Jay. I use they, them, or he, him, or also ear pronouns. Um, I was a, um, youth trustee on the board of trustees between 2016 and 2020, maybe? Yeah, it was a, it was a hot second. And I was chairperson for two and a half of those years, maybe? And at the moment I'm kind of like lurking. Um, I stepped off the board to pursue... my master's degree in marine [00:56:30] biology, which I'm handing in in January. And, uh, after that pursuing, um, a PhD in. Uh, chemical engineering, which I have absolutely no experience in whatsoever. Follow your dreams, kids. Um, yeah, but it's me. Thank you all for joining us today and sharing a bit. Oh, we're going back down the line. We can go wherever. Um, we would just like to know a little bit, um, about how your [00:57:00] experiences with Inside Out as a younger person has... Affected you now and affecting the work that you're doing. No particular order, whoever wants to a really serendipitous connection to Inside Out. I think Facebook post asking for models for the Day of Silence campaign. And then I think a little while later was on Breakfast TV with Tabby. Like really early in the morning. [00:57:30] So yeah, it was quite like a straight into it. But I've been involved with Inside Out in, in many different ways. I was on the board for three or four years, um, and volunteering before then. And, um, now am sort of, um, a contractor working on resource development, um, with the Ministry of Education, which is also an amazing, you know, relationship to have. Um, and I, I think I like to think of inside out, um, being, um, It's, I guess it planted a seed back in 2014, and it's just grown [00:58:00] as my life has grown, I've sort of, it's, it's been the tree, I guess, that, um, all these opportunities have come up from, uh, particularly, um, I think, through also, like, facilitating, for example, like, just having that confidence to stand up in front of people and Educate. I think that's really like sparked a passion in me in terms of like communicating our kaupapa and all the amazing, um, knowledge that we all hold. Um, and in terms of what I do now with also with research, like just having, yeah, this really, [00:58:30] um, I think deep sense of understanding of who I am, so that personal growth going alongside my maybe more professional growth, I guess, um, and yeah, I've had opportunities to present like in Dublin and Brisbane and conferences with Tavi and that's just been amazing to be like spreading those, those seeds, I guess, as well, um, and just like, yeah, seeing, I guess, bearing the fruits and all those, yeah. Metaphors of trees. I just really like trees. Um, but that is how, yeah, that's how I see it. And it's just, it continues to [00:59:00] grow, right? There's, it's, in a way it's sort of, yeah, there is so much more and so much potential. And yeah, I feel like I'm just going to be, you're going to be stuck with me maybe for a little while longer in terms of what's next. Um, but yeah, yeah, really, really, really grateful for Inside Akaroa. Shout out to Tabby. Thank you. Um, as Alex was speaking, I was like, that tree metaphor is so good, I can't top that one. Um, I feel like, coming to Inside Out as a really young person [00:59:30] myself, and still exploring that, like, my rainbowness, um, it's definitely, like, I've grown with it, um, a lot. Um, like, I've come to, like, I've sort of grown a lot in my takatāpuitanga, um, and sort of my own personal identity. Um, and then, like, if you'd told, you know, 15 year old me that I could get a job in this, like, working at Inside Out being, we like to joke that we're all professionally gay, um, and that's just a little bit wild that that [01:00:00] is something that I can do with my life and that I can take those experiences that I had, the good and the bad, and, um, help. You know, people in similar spots to me. Um, and just to really, you know, take, take the experience that I've had and bring it forward and help other people with it, I think is a really big thing for me. Um, yeah, I mean, like so many other people have said this evening, literally being part of Inside Out and seeing how it's progressed over the [01:00:30] years has been really life changing. Um, I started straight on the board as a very fresh baby volunteer after the aforementioned extremely crazy shift hui in 2016. Um, Like, I think I was, that was my first volunteering experience with Inside Out. Um, and then I dove straight on to being on the Board of Trustees, which is very classic for people who know me with a Capricorn dominated chart. It's just a bit much. Um, so I really, um, had no idea what I was in for, but it was a very, like, it was good. It was good to be thrown in the deep [01:01:00] end of, like, board stuff. Like Tabby said, in the very early days, we were very, like, struggle to organize a single meeting, um, and you know, I don't know what it looks like now, but we kind of implemented a lot of really good policies and things. A lot more efficient. Yeah, that no one really wants to think about, um, the glamorous stuff aside. Um, and yeah, just like, besides the kind of like skills that other people have spoken to in terms of like, Um, doing heaps of public speaking and [01:01:30] having amazing opportunities to speak to people overseas and meet other like minded folks and develop my kind of personal confidence. Um, I, yeah, like, like Alex, I also figured out that I wanted to be an educator, like, and kind of delved into that a lot because of my experience with Inside Out. I teach today operationally now, um, and have for a few years. Um, Literally being part of Inside Out helps me figure out that I have ADHD. Shout out to Maggie and Compass for that really great [01:02:00] conversation after a little volunteer hangout where I was like, hey, you guys have ADHD, do I have ADHD? And they were like, yeah. I'm watching you after a 45 minute meeting, like, yes, you have ADHD. Um, and even, yeah, literally, yeah, it's so true. We're on the board together, so. Yeah, I mean, even though I'm kind of just like, lurking at the moment because life, you know, happens and it's hard to give energy when you're stretched thin in other parts of it, um, I don't think I would be the person that I am today without My Time On [01:02:30] Inside Out and meeting all of you lovely people and building a community. Um, and I definitely, I'm getting choked up now, I didn't expect that. Um, I definitely am extremely grateful for everything that this organisation has given me. I'm going to stop talking now. Come over here, Jade. Yeah, I think I definitely agree with what? Everyone else said um, yeah, I think for me like it's like a few different things Like I think joining the [01:03:00] board like like Jay like it was such a shocking thing to step into this role. We're like Your opinions were, like, taken very seriously and, like, people, like, wanted to know what you thought and, like, valued it and then, like, would action it and it was just kind of, like, Oh, like, people think I'm responsible and I can make choices and, like, and it was just, like, not something I'd experienced from, like, adults or, like, seeing, like, peers kind of do consistently and so it was just really, like, Uh, like validating and like gave me a lot of affirmation at the time to be like, Oh, maybe I kind [01:03:30] of know things. That's cool. Um, I think as well, like for me, like the time that I was with Inside Out, like those couple of years, I was like, Going through a rough time, I think, as a lot of us do when we're kind of like, you know, 18 to like, early 20s, it's, if you're not, you know, dealing with your queer stuff, you're dealing with other stuff, and it can be quite intense, and I think for me, like, Inside Out was such, like, a stabilising force during that time, and was just, like, just, like, one of the most consistent things during that period of my life, that, [01:04:00] like, kind of actually helped keep me afloat in so many ways, so I think I feel very, like, grateful in that aspect. Um, And then finally, I think, in terms of like the mahi and like learnings from working with Inside Out, like, to what I do now, is just just Like just around like sustaining well being and political movements. Um because I think just the seriousness that Inside Out takes in working with Rangatahi and working with volunteers and like just people's well being [01:04:30] and safety and hoarder and like was just so like groundbreaking and just kind of like has influenced how I like Work and every kind of like organizing space or kind of like, like socially and within my own life and just remembering that, you know, welfare like becomes before the work and, you know, it's not just about like what we're doing and what the cause is, but it's like how, how are the people feeling who are doing it? What do they need to succeed? Um, and that's something, yeah, that I carry all the time. Yeah, that's [01:05:00] just smoothly move on before I start shedding tears. Um, Thank you. Last but not least, we would like to know if you have any messages to pass on to our future rangatahi, now that we're shifting that focus forwards to the future. No, no pressure starting off. I guess like, cause I, I was here for the fifth birthday as well, and I was just like, reflecting a lot on like, I, again, like, not all of y'all know me, [01:05:30] but, um, since I dropped off the radar a little bit, I have had a very large glow up, um, and so, like, yeah, and so, I kind of like, was reflecting, I was like, you know, I'd seen a photo of, like, the fifth birthday party, and I was very kind of like, in a lot of very dark colours, and obviously, I'm not sure what I am living my best tropical bird life at the moment. Um, I kind of, um, I guess was a very, very different person, [01:06:00] as I said earlier, when I started my work with Inside Out. Um, and even since kind of like stepping off the board and pursuing post grad and like I've had many, many, many life changes. Um, some good, some bad, but I guess. And in one of them, for example, I'm just like bragging about this because it was my third, third month on T yesterday, so I'm just like... Let me get in front of an audience of people I sort of know and sort of don't and just brag about my life now. Um, I... [01:06:30] Uh, I make jokes when I'm nervous, um, I, like, an example that I didn't foresee was that I was, um, part of the crew alongside Alex who helped the folks at Vic get, um, HRT services set up. And at the time I was like, no me, who me, I would never want to go on hormones, I just don't want to think about that, I'm in a relationship with a cishet man, um, and I started that process obviously a few months ago, and I just. Was like, oh yeah, I did that. Um, and [01:07:00] you know, being at such a different stage of my life, even a few years later where like I'm utilizing the things that I helped to set up. Um, and like from a, outside of the big picture perspective, the personal perspective, seeing like, well that has made such an impact for me in myself. Um, nepotism, you know, that's the only reason you do anything is fear around benefit apparently. Um, but yeah, I kind of, I guess like the takeaway from all that is that even when. When I was on the board with Inside Out, I kind of felt very [01:07:30] much like this pressure to be a complete and, like, finished person. Um, but everybody's a work in progress, and I think that you're always a work in progress, and that's a good thing. Um, and, like, the people that you meet along the way, and the awesome things that you get to be a part of, like, where, I know that this is really cheesy. Um, but where you can, like, being part of something, being yourself is always really special. Um. And, yeah, I guess just like, be [01:08:00] excited about the journey, um, and relish in your messy incompleteness. I don't know how to phrase it more poetically. That was phrased beautifully, thank you. So many half formed thoughts that I'm struggling to put into words, you know. Um, I think, thinking back to what, Um, you know, like 14 year old me just starting [01:08:30] to interact with Inside Out would love to hear from me now is like, um, you can make changes. You don't have to just look at the world and be passive and say, okay, this is what the world is, but instead you can actually do things and you can change it and you have the power to, to make the world better. And I think I want to tell, you know, any. Rangatahi starting to get into this space or, um, speaking to the, the, the, the younger [01:09:00] person inside you that needs to hear it is that you will find loved ones and family and friends who will accept you and love you and you will find spaces to be safe and to be happy, um, yeah, and that You, you will become the you that you're meant to be. Yeah. I'd like to, um, I guess say to all the tahi out there that [01:09:30] I, I, I'm. When, when people question or don't listen to young people, that really, really gets me going. Um, and I just want to say like, despite, you know, if, if you're facing challenges in terms of people not believing who you are or questioning your identity, like just, you know who you are and you have that core inside of you and like that, that could very well evolve and change. And that's amazing. And, and knowing that if you are like, if that's something that you're coming up against in [01:10:00] terms of not being. Uh, believed or listened to like that there are. Organizations or your chosen whanau or whoever it is outside there, that like, for example, with Insider, you know, like having, like for me, having that, um, consistency, you said, Kate, like the knowing that they'll have my back. So, you know, where possible, if you have the resources or, you know, ability to, to get involved with, with community, um, find that, and I know that's really hard for some people who are particularly isolated, but just that holding onto that hope that you do know [01:10:30] who you are and that, like, just. Not listening to the noise of people who say otherwise, really, yeah. Um, yeah, I think the things that I was thinking about saying have been said, but I guess we can repeat them. Um, yeah, I think. Just kind of what you were saying, Jay, around, like, it being okay that, like, if you don't necessarily know, like, your full identity or where you kind of feel, like, I think I also [01:11:00] felt, like, a lot of the time that I needed to know exactly what my queerness was and what that meant and, like, what Like who I wanted to be and like all the stuff that it like is still evolving now like many many years later and I think that just like knowing that you actually have so much time to actually go on that journey and you don't need to like like lock it in and put it on Instagram and like let everyone know immediately which is what I did and it was not not a good choice um you Yeah, so just like give yourself that time, whatever that looks like for you. Um, and then [01:11:30] I think also as well, what, what Alex was saying around like community and like community is like everything. And like, if that's just like you and one of the friend at school or like you and like a A forum online or like it's a QSA group or it's a kapa haka group or it's just like anywhere like you can find it and like build it and foster it is like dive right in like it will save your life. So yeah. Kia ora. Thank you all very much. I think Inside Out is a beautiful testament to what [01:12:00] a community can do. I think we, uh, not only have you gifted our whānau, our friends with Um, your attention, but now you're going to give them with some energy. So, the way of the tautoko whānau, let's take a trip back. To the straight side of 2019 Tik Tok. Now, it was an interactive song and it's a Neko song. I'll start it off and y'all just um, send your energy out. Ka pai? That's gonna be our way of sending our energy to our whānau, offering, [01:12:30] acknowledging them and giving thanks to them. Ka pai? Flee! Flee! Flee, fly! Flee, fly! Flee, fly, float! Flee, fly, float! Oh, oh, oh, oh. [01:13:00] Oh, oh, oh, oh S oh oh oh s. Give it up for Alex Neo Jay. And cheer also. So while the chairs are being moved and our, um, beautiful, beautiful speakers are coming up for this next segment, I wanna [01:13:30] introduce you to. Three things. The first is called A'i'o. A'i'o means peace, calm, tranquility, kapai? So the way that we can be at peace with one another and engage across the, um, across each other is when I go A'i'o, we'll just repeat that over and over again. Do you want to give that a go? I didn't hear an enthusiastic yes. Yeah, tell her. We're going to give that a go. [01:14:00] Aiiio. Cool, that was item number one. Item number two are called Gentle Minimal Encourages. Kapai. You might see these on news, that spoken word poetry places. We finally just do this. Can we do this? Kia ora. That's your way to live, to serve and give energy, without doing this. [01:14:30] Kapai. So if at any point in this next segment you'd wish to give some energy, we can just do this. Kapai. And then the third thing is called a Wiri. You know what a witty is? So this, not this, this is a wi, the wi in ta Maori is a very significant action. You'll see it at most kaka performances, and the story is far too long to go through tonight. However, in the, um, URI community, so this is how, um, our wau who are without, [01:15:00] um, hearing. Give applause, kapai, and so that's another extra thing that you can put in your kete if it wasn't already in it tonight. Now, I know that that picture is very much serving in memory of, however, our whanaunga, our whanaunga just couldn't physically be here today. Our whanaunga is Iwha. Iwha was a previous shift hui attendee who wrote a beautiful piece that will be shared with each and every one of you today by the amazing, by the courageous. [01:15:30] Give it up for Aoife's poem, done by Beer's Voice. The best temporary home I've ever had. I have never felt so normal. I hid myself in my own bedroom, trained to feel watched, taught to be afraid. Do you know what it's like to never feel safe? My life has been me in one big empty ocean of cold, of alone. I have been lost in the waters of cis society [01:16:00] so long. I almost convinced myself that I was part of it. But I have never been a good liar. Coming out was the most painful thing I've ever done, but it was the first time I ever felt warm. I'm not always sure I would do it again, but I would. I would for my ancestors who have been forgotten, who died with dead names on their gravestones. I would for everyone who comes after me, that their journey may be easier than mine. I've always had a home, but I've never had a home. What does that even [01:16:30] mean, home? It means this. It means safe and warm. It means happy and loved. It means feeling your hands on my back wherever I go. Shift Hui is the first place that has ever felt like home, like safe, like love. Like everything was worth it all for this. This has been a great big burning raft in the middle of this big empty ocean. I will never stop being grateful. Grateful for the things I have learned, the stories you have shared. The legacy [01:17:00] that lives on through us. I didn't think I would make it past 14. And now I see the future in your faces. He aha te me nui o te ao. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. We are the people. Mauri ora. I think we can give some proper applause for that. Yeah! Woo! [01:17:30] Next up, we've had a little bit of a look at the past. She had some tears. Had a look at now and what's happening in our community and now we want to shift our focus towards the future and what we, as Inside Out, as the queer community of Aotearoa, can do for all the rangatahi coming after us. I would like to introduce Afi, the current youth representative? Youth trustee! Youth trustee! Oh! Come on up and have a [01:18:00] speech, my dear. Just pull up my little speech. Uh, yeah. [01:18:30] Um, Hello, my dear friends. Um, I descend from Ngati Pikiao, Ngati Mahuta and Ngati Ngamirikaitawa, who in turn descend from the Te Arawa and Tainui waka. Um, so all around the Rotorua, uh, Waikato and Waiariki regions. Um, I grew up in the, the mighty Te Tai Tokerau, but now I live in Tāmaki Makaurau. Um, and I've been a member of the board of Inside Out since February this year. Um, and for all of those whom I haven't had the pleasure of meeting, I'm [01:19:00] Awhi. Um... Yeah. So I had been seeing for a while on Instagram, the advertising for a youth trustee, uh, for several months. And I kept seeing it and I was like, nah, nah, I'm not like, I'm nowhere near qualified enough. Like I've done nothing with my life. I'm just like a high school student. And then I kept saying it, and I was like, Oh come on, if they're still looking, like, I'll I'll apply. The worst that can happen is they say no, because I again, have done nothing. And then, I got an interview, and I was like, oh okay. And [01:19:30] then I did the interview, and they were like, oh okay. And then I waited a couple months, and they said, Oh, we've decided to accept you. And I was like, oh! Okay! So I the deep end a little bit. Um, but yeah, my experience has been incredibly fun and rewarding. Um, and I've met a ton of cool people that I know that I'll, I'll have in my life, um, forever. Um. Yeah, so the theme of this event is past, present, future. Um, Nira. Uh, we've heard from Tabby, our incredible founder and managing director. [01:20:00] Um, and Faye Elizabeth, our staunch advocate in Parliament. Um, and our panel, Levarangatahi, about inside out in the rainbow communities past and present in Aotearoa. But I'm here to talk about the future. I'm currently the youngest trustee and one of the newest. Um, And yeah, I want a future in Aotearoa that little me would grow up in. I'm excited to see a future that I would want little me to grow up in. [01:20:30] A future where queer young people can grow up in loving environments, can go to school, feel safe and comfortable with being themselves. Ultimately, we're all here with a common purpose, a collective kaupapa holding us together, the future of rangatahi wānuku, rainbow young people. Like many in our community, I grew up in a harsh and unaccepting environment, which delayed my coming to terms with my identity. I simply didn't have the language to describe the feelings that I knew were real. And once I finally did, it wasn't safe for me to be myself [01:21:00] publicly. The Rainbow community and the Inside Out whānau have welcomed me into the fold, and I've experienced such manaaki and awhi from those who have been supporting me, because ultimately that's what community is about. Coming together to support and raise one another up. It's about whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and awhitanga. Ti koha o tinira, the eye of the needle, is taken from the whakatauaki spoken by Potatau Te Whirowhiro at his crowning as the Māori. He said, Ko tahi te koha o tinira, e kuhuna ai [01:21:30] te miro There is but one eye of the needle, through which the white, the black, and the red all must pass. It speaks to kotahitanga, unity of ngā iwi Māori, just as it speaks now to the unity throughout our rainbow communities. We are all part of a greater community, travelling through the eye of the needle. The challenges we face every day in our whānau, our wahimahi, our kura, and our wider hapōri. Yet we each make up individual threads that are vital to the strength of the whole chord. We each have [01:22:00] a part to play, whether it is the pango, the past, the whiro, the present, or the mā, the future. No one is more important or vital to the kaupapa than anyone else. In fact it was the son of Potatau, Kingi Tawhiao, that said, If a read stands alone, it is vulnerable. If it is, if it is in a group, it is unbreakable, much are woven together to form incredibly strong [01:22:30] bindings. We two must come together each providing our unique gifts and talents for the CO to the Copa, for the betterment of our collective future. However, it is important that we honour those who have paved the way for us, who have enabled us to stand where we do, and who guide our futures. I mahi to those who have come before me, and to those that will come after. To Tavi especially, the extent of your commitment to Rainbow Young People and the sheer amount of mahi you have put into this kaupapa can never fully be appreciated. [01:23:00] Rangatahi are our future, and I'm so proud of the mahi that we do to make growing up in Aotearoa safer for our rangatahi whenuku. I mahi to all of our staff, volunteers, our managers, our school coordinators, our national staff and my fellow board members. I mahi to those fighting for spaces and places where we have not historically been represented like our rangatira, Elizabeth Kirikiri. I mahi to all those who cannot be here today, and all those we've lost. I mahi to all those yet to come. I'm excited to be part of the future of Inside Out Koaru. And the wider community, the [01:23:30] wider rainbow community, and cannot wait to see what it brings. Ngā mihi me ngā manaakitanga ki a koutou katoa. Applause Ngā ue, tātou, tātou ue [01:24:00] [01:24:30] Thank you again so much, also in English. Um, we're very lucky to have you and yeah. Um, if some of you may have noticed when you first came in, uh, we will forgive you if you didn't because we forgot to say anything about it. Um. Uh, there were some prompts for [01:25:00] people, uh, were invited to share their thoughts about their hopes and dreams for the future of Inside Out, Rangatahi, et cetera. Um, we will be keeping these for, um, hopefully the next, the next birthday party. So if you haven't written one now and you'd like to, um, have that included, please write one on your way out. We would love to hear your thoughts and it's lovely to see and you get all sorts of warm fuzzies from it. However, we have picked. Some of the ones that have already been written to share with you now, to give you some ideas and to, [01:25:30] um, get you thinking about your hopes and dreams and what we want to all carry forth into the future. Okay. Some of the ones we found that we liked, uh, we liked all of them. Okay. Um, so first off wishes and hopes for the future, for the queer community, Mahi that Inside Out can support or do themselves. First off, an organisation specifically for [01:26:00] disabled rainbow rangatahi. Better integration for rural rainbow humans. I hope to have no job because it is no longer needed. Mana motuhake. Land back. More settlement options for queer refugees. [01:26:30] Takatāpui representation in kura and media. Thank you. We would love if everyone could put their wishes on the board. Um, these wishes are going to be kept until the next birthday, as Kepa was saying. Hopefully many more birthdays to come. We want to keep adding and collecting until we've got just a horde of wishes to take us to the future. Rainbow organization and a rainbow [01:27:00] community. Can we get some music going? Team. Kia ora, kia ora. Oh, we forgot the karakia. Ke te pai, we can do that now. Le rā te mihi. I'll just tell everybody now. te whānau. Um, let us do a karakia, [01:27:30] and then after the karakia, we have an amazing, dazzling performance for you all tonight. Um, but what I'd love to do is get each and every one of you to stand. Get our next slide up on the screen. Kia ora. So you could either choose to read the words that are beautifully displayed on the board to my left, your right, or you can close your eyes and copy what you hear come out of my mouth. So either or, those are options for you. mā. We'll go line by line. So I'll say a [01:28:00] line and then you repeat what you've heard. Ka pai? How does that sound? Shweet, shweet, shweet. Also we do have translations available for after so that you understand everything that has been said. Um, and we thank you, each and every one of you mā. Me karakia tātou. E ngā Ngā tuākana uenuku Whāngaihia [01:28:30] o tātou wairua Hei mahia te mahi nui Nā rātou i whakatakoto Ki whakatakoto, te ara, ki a maama ake, te hairenga, mā tātou, ngā mokopuna. [01:29:00] Man. Kia tau te pono, Me te pono, Me te aroha, Me [01:29:30] te aroha, Ko ia rā, Ko ia rā, E rongo, E rongo, Whakaiʻira ake ki runga, Whakaiʻira ake ki runga, Kia tīna. Kia tīna, tīna, tīna, haumi koutou. We thank you, the Inside Out Koaro board and staff. Thank you for being able to take the time out of your precious days and nights, as we seem to be in, and for coming to [01:30:00] help us to celebrate. The past, where we've come from, looking at our ancestors and those who have paved the way for us to be here. At our present, where we are all standing in, alive, thankfully, we are all standing alive, standing next to one another and celebrating this moment, this being the 10th birthday. And for gifting us with your hopes and your dreams for us to carry into the future.
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