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Hello. How are you today? Good. Thank you. How are you? Um, OK, Jeremy, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Um, 24 years old Enjoyed doing theatre, work, dancing, singing, acting all that stuff in the in a Oh, yeah, that's good. I guess we're in the same boat, then? Yeah, definitely. Um, yeah. Other than that work at a bookstore. Um, enjoy video games. Stereotypical guy, Homo [00:00:30] kind of thing. Have you lived in Napier all your life? Born and raised, Born and raised and produced. Um, what's your likes and hobbies? Apart from theatre and video games, Video games? Um, other than that reading, hanging out with friends. TV, that one. That one. The one in front of you boyfriend? Um, just a little brackets. Little bricks. So, um, what is your sex? [00:01:00] I'm gay. That's your sexuality. Sexuality and then gender identity will be male. And then sexuality will be gay. That so, what is your culture? I identity white. Yeah. And what? What? How do you present yourself and express yourself? I should say, um, feminine masculine camp in between straight [00:01:30] acting lunch bear cub Kind of in between. Like I'm not very. Yeah, I'm I'm not the most straightest acting guy, but I'm not the flimsy kind of guy. Yeah, you're not like the and you're not the like the Oh, goodness gracious me. OK, um, So [00:02:00] when did you realise about 13 was realised? To you? Is there, um, was there a situation where you just noticed a boy across the class and you thought he was hot or something like that? Um, no, actually, I was in Wellington with my mum, and, um, that's a good start. Oh, yeah. I don't know why this story keeps coming from my head, but, Yeah, we're walking down Wellington Street, so we must have walked past, like, a strip club or something like that. And, um, they had this out. Oh, no. [00:02:30] There's a picture of this guy on there who wasn't wearing a shirt. And I remember thinking, Oh, that guy's kind of cute. And that's the first clip of the moment that I had. I thought it was going to be like a female strip club, and you see a female and it scared you to being gay. No, no. Like I said, nothing exciting. Oh, no, that's quite exciting. he's not a poster of a half naked guy. And yeah, So, um, did you ever deny it? [00:03:00] No. Um, of course I didn't tell anyone, but you kept it a secret for a while. Yeah, I kept a secret for a while, but I never felt like it was wrong or anything. So did you, um, did your feelings ever, ever expand to liking? Actually, someone like feelings in class or something like that. Um, kind of, um I had a bit of a hard time with it during high school. Um, there was one of those [00:03:30] Everyone knew, but because I hadn't said it, everyone just made fun of me for it kind of thing. And so, yeah, just having drilled into you every day, being bullied for it. You kind of just not like anyone. And don't think about that way. Yeah, but, um, yeah, once I moved from one school to another school, I started picking more things up. Yeah, a different new environment, new people, new clean kind of thing. Yeah. New home. Yeah. Yeah. So, um So when did you come out? [00:04:00] Um Are you? Yeah, I'm out. I came out when I was about 15. Um, it was along the process of me changing schools because, um, I met this girl who went to high school, and, um, yeah, she convinced me to change schools, Go from a to B. Um, when I got to the next high school, though, I was kind of like, Oh, you know, this is a clean. So I just tell everyone said it to her, and they were just like, Oh, yeah, yeah. We kind of already know the person already told us. [00:04:30] So then it was just kind of out and open, and I just never really had it again. So what was the reaction? So it was like, everybody knew so they didn't have a problem with it or something. Um, yeah. Everyone at that school. Like I said, they had, like, a week or so to grasp it and get used to it. So no problem. No. Didn't have any problems after that. No. Yeah. What about your parents? Um, they were good. They didn't exactly like it, but they didn't throw me out at home or anything like that, So yeah, we're still talking [00:05:00] these days. So why are they How do they feel about it now. Um, my mother is more, um, if we don't talk about it doesn't exist. My father is He's generally a very quiet person. That's hard to talk to, anyway, So, yeah. So he's just He hasn't changed. Mom just doesn't talk about it. Yeah, yeah, but still they supporters, as they can be. Have you introduced them to your partner? Yeah. [00:05:30] Yeah, they're all happy. No, they like this one. They haven't liked my partners in the past. That's a good start. So, um, have you ever attended a LGBTI Q group? Um, not really. Um no, nothing. Just like a youth group or anything like that. No, no, no. No club or anything? No. Have you ever been to a gay bar? That's an interesting question. Um, I have been [00:06:00] to one in my life that this one took me to, um, walk. Yeah, walk in. And everyone just kind of went and just looked at us, and I was like, All right, back against the wall, slowly. Move out. Who was that? That was in Wellington. What was what was the Something like that? Yeah. Um, So you had a support system, didn't you? I Sorry. Support your friends? Um, having said that. Yeah. At that time, most of them were girls. So stereotypical kind of fag [00:06:30] head kind of things. Oh, my God. We could go shopping and, like, do this and that. And, like, I my God, you could take me clothes shopping, even though I'm horrible with fashion. Yeah, you say yes or no? That's practically all you have to say. It's like Sure that bra looks like it fits. Go on, burn it. Well, I wasn't going that far. Oh, dear. So, um, which high school did you went to again? Um, I started off [00:07:00] at ST John's, but then transferred over to. So what was Saint John's like with your sexuality? It was, um Well, it's basically, like a hard Christian school. So, um, the teachers didn't like it because of the whole Christian thing. And the student didn't like it because the 15 year old boys going testosterone girls. Yay. Kind of thing. They don't sound like at that age, I think like, boy, [00:07:30] I have a foot. No, those are three year olds. I getting them confused. Um, any who? You have a show, anyway? Um, where was I? So it's quite clear to me you're in a relationship right now. So, um, have you been in other relationships [00:08:00] before? I've had a couple of past relationships. Yeah. How about flings a few of my nights stands? Yes, I've had my first year. A fair share. How many? Um oh, honestly, I've lost count. Yeah. How many relationships have you been in? Um, serious ones. I'd probably say about three. Including this one, including this one. Could you give a good example of the other two? Um, one was [00:08:30] horrible. Um, happened? He's the stereotypical manipulator. Try to stop me from seeing my friends. Almost stop me from seeing my parents. Want to hang out with me all day, Every day. That kind of thing Practically wanted to own you. Yeah, more or less. Yeah. Um, he just never took no as an answer, then, um, yeah, because I was still at high school at this stage. I didn't quite realise that, you know, you can actually get out of things and say no and stuff like that. Yeah. How was he? He was Ah, [00:09:00] I think I was about 18. And he was about 23 24. So he was a little bit older than me. Yeah. So, um, don't break anything. Um, how about the other one, that he turned out to be one of those. Oh, I'm now straight. God has saved me. So I'm now getting engaged to a girl. So I was just like, OK, you can run along and do your thing. Then is he still pretending [00:09:30] to be straight as far as I'm aware, but yeah, I haven't really talked to seen him since we spent most time outside a hospital against abortion, anti abortion protest and stuff like that. Oh, dear. He's one of those God has found me. I shall become a Bible basher. Pretty much. Pretty much. Yeah. So, um, how do you meet other people in the community? Um, internet is a good way, as long as you're [00:10:00] careful. Um, this one and I kind of just stumbled upon each other. Really? Didn't we through well through one of your friends? Yeah, one of my friends. So I prefer to meet guys through that way if I'm able to, but, um, yeah, it's mainly internet and just stumbling across them through friends, as you do. Um, What type of internet do you use? Um, not asking if we help the company. Like how, um, how do you look [00:10:30] for people through Internet, um, Google How to find gay people, New Zealand, gay guys or Hawke's Bay gay guys. And then it brings you to, you know, chat rooms and stuff like that with other guys like that around you. So I start off with that and then, you know, technology start growing, and then you get your cell phones and Androids and stuff like that grinder. That's exactly that. Yeah, as you do. So, um, what is your definition [00:11:00] in virginity? I'm not a virgin. If that's what you're asking. Is that you? Meaning No, no. What's your personal definition of virginity Like, What is your opinion of virginity? Um, try it before you buy it. Try it before you buy it. That's a new way of looking at it. Yeah, it's It's not really a measuring thing [00:11:30] these days anymore. You might have to define that question for him. Do you want to define it? OK, um, virginity. You know how people believe that virginity is the first time you have sex or something like that. Yeah. What is your personal opinion of that? Do you have a different definition to that, or is it your, um, or is that the same opinion for the first time? You do it as [00:12:00] opposed to the rest of the time you do it. No. Like, it could be an emotional thing that a virginity could be more of an emotional thing. It could be the first time you fall in love or something. It's a strange one. In that case, what do you think That? Um, yeah, yeah, it's a stereotypical thing that you think you know, the first time you do what? It's supposed to be special. It's supposed to be perfect and stuff like that, but it never is. It's always awkward. You never know what you're doing. So that's so it's the first time you physically [00:12:30] do something. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, um, have you ever received or experienced any abuse or abusive behaviour because of your sex, your sexuality, your gender identity, or your culture? Um, bullying at high school. Mainly, it was mainly bullying, Um, a little bit of information from one of my exes, but I'm over that but, um yeah, bullying is the main one. Yeah. What actually happened? Um, [00:13:00] just going to school and then hearing every day. If you little homo, was it mainly verbal? Mainly verbal. There was a couple of punches in the stomach or things like that. But there was never any full on gay bashing, but I think that's just general high school thing. Yeah, I think it's just general. High school. Yeah. So what has it been like for you living in Napier in 2012? Being gay, I think it's fantastic. Yeah. Fantastic. Fantastic. [00:13:30] Um, yeah. Um, as long as you're happy with it, everyone else tends to be as well. That's the way I've been living. So that's worked for me so far. How do you think Napier is, like with, um, with gay people? Um, it's not the worst place, but it could be better. Um, not that we would do it anyway, but it's just nice to have the option to be able to walk down like, or something like that and be able to hold his [00:14:00] hand or something like that. Like I said, not saying that we would or anything like that. But the option would be nice. Oh, yeah. Thank you for the interview. That's all right.
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