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My name's Anne Holloran. Um, I'm a counsellor at, uh, the offender centre in ZAF. And, um, we're here with a stand today with, um, a couple of counsellors and, um, educators, Um, just to promote, um, uh, safe sex and to talk a little bit about what we do at the offender centre. Um, so, you know, we work with, um, we're funded to work with MS M population and to support, um, um, people with HIV and their families. Um, we have [00:00:30] a counselling service. Um, and also, um, we do a lot of testing. Um, HIV testing and ST I testing for men and women. So we're open to anyone. Yeah. So on your display table, I can see a whole lot of postcards, and they kind of look a wee bit historic, because this is this is your 30th anniversary. It is exactly Yeah. So, um, the foundation has put out, um, a set of postcards of, um, historical posters, and, um, they they're quite wonderful images. There's a gorgeous photograph here, [00:01:00] and, um, I I don't know the names of these men, but they're both actually aerobics champions and that, you know, it's quite a gorgeous campaign. Um, there's there's one here, um, of which people think is actually San Francisco with all the beautiful colours and ribbons and balloons. It's actually, um, it's actually New Zealand. So, um, you know, it kind of just shows the history of, um HIV and safe sex promotion that the foundation has been involved in. What's your favourite postcode? Um, [00:01:30] I really like this one. This is a beautiful image of, um, two Maori men with a gorgeous cloak and beautiful moko, which is obviously female. Um, and it's the lovely background of the sea and the hills. Uh, and the the line of strength comes from knowing being young, Maori, gay and aware. It's really beautiful. So can you talk to me a wee bit about the imagery in some of the postcards? Because it seems to have obviously changed over time. But what [00:02:00] what do you think they've been going for? Um, I think there's a villa visibility around sexuality, um, which has always been a part of gay culture and, um, sort of embracing that as, um um, without judgement, but sole and acceptance, Um, and, you know, kind of being able to, um, be overt about, um, the history of AIDS and, um, the pain and suffering and the lack of knowledge and information and and the fact that it is, um, that there's stigma involved as well. So I think there's a kind [00:02:30] of a refreshing sort of honesty around. And all of these postcards, um, celebrating and being real, um, around sex and masculinity and, um, bodies and risk. So how is the AIDS Foundation? Uh, celebrated this year? Um, we've had, um, uh, events in each of the centres. So, um, in Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington. Um, the Wellington event was a little smaller than the Auckland one and held at our office in Willis Street. But, um, but there was a lot of heart there, and, um, we had, [00:03:00] um, people speaking and, um, share some food and drink and some water, and it was a really nice event. And so what drew you into, um, HIV aids counselling? Um, I've always wanted the opportunity to work with, um, a lesbian and gay bisexual, um, client base as a counsellor. Um, I came out when I was a teenager and quite a conservative, um, town in New Zealand and couldn't wait to get out. Um, and so having worked, um, in different agencies, I really [00:03:30] jumped at the chance of, um, working with, um, uh, people close to my heart. And after applying for the job twice, I got it. So now, now, now they start with me, and And there's also, um, people with a lot of passion, Um, and who work really hard and really dedicated. Um, uh, that that I have the benefit of working with. So just on a personal level, um, this year is, uh, coming up to the 30th anniversary of homosexual law reform in New Zealand. Um, [00:04:00] do you have any thoughts about, um, you know how far we've come If we've come that far, and And what are some things that still need to be worked on? Um, I think living in a place like Wellington, um, it feels like, um, sexuality is not an issue. Um, but I think we're supposedly supposed to be one of the high, highest educated, um, cities in in New Zealand. And, um uh, so, um, a lot of knowledge we take for granted. There's, like, you know, the lack of judgement, the celebration, [00:04:30] not just acceptance or, um, toleration of the celebration of, um, of being being gay, Being queer, I think that doesn't always philtre out into all smaller areas of New Zealand. Um, I really admire the work that people like inside out and schools out do Was was absent in the, um eighties, when I was or nineties when I was at high school. And I think those that's making a major change because it's the you know, it's the young people coming up, Um, that that need to be experiencing something different. Um, and open [00:05:00] communication is is what's kind of needed. So, um, I do think there's a lot of work still to be done. Um, and we have a luxury of living in a place like Wellington that we get to enjoy, um, enjoy a kind of, um, somewhere that celebrates being gay. I think it would be nice to see that in little places in Wellington, in New Zealand, too. Yeah.
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