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How would you describe your identity? Um, in terms of sexual identify as gay. Um, but other than that, identify as many things, I guess. Um, identify as Maori. Um, try to student musician. Um, yeah. I don't know. Just a lot of different things. Um, do you think the way that we talk about [00:00:30] our identity has changed much over time? Yeah, I guess it's just become way more open as education around different things. And society in general has changed. People have become more accepting of the identity or just more willing to talk about it, I suppose. Yeah. When did you first realise that you were gay? I think I was probably 11 or 12. But I think I had some ability [00:01:00] that I seemed to have lost to just, like, shove it to the back of my mind and not consider it for a few years. So, yeah, I think I probably knew when I was 12, but didn't really think about it as such properly was maybe 14. What kind of messages do you, um, remember learning about gay people when you were growing up? Um, well, I came from a really accepting like, um immediate family. So, like, my godparents are [00:01:30] gay, and all my friends are gay. So, um, it was never, um I just remember I don't think I really learned any messages. I was just supposed to know that it was normal and fine. And yeah, it just It was a just a natural thing, I suppose. But, um, yeah, I didn't You don't really learn about it. I suppose I didn't in school or anything. It was just in my environment at home. It was just fine. Just how people are. Um And so once, you kind of accepted that [00:02:00] part of yourself. What happened? Um, I guess I just I think it took a while. Like realisation and acceptance are very different. So But once I was at that point, I was just like, OK, and I was still nervous about what other people would think, but I just kind of thought it was all right now and then I was like, Ok, well, I should probably do something about it and then slowly told people, What kind of reactions [00:02:30] did you get? Um, I think my first reaction when I was, like 14 for my friend Rosie was like, um, I was quite nervous because she's really Christian, and I know not all Christian people are, like anti gay, But I was like, Oh, yeah, but no, she was completely fine. She was just, like, a love you. Whatever you are. So that was nice. Yeah. And your family, we really support of my family. Well, not all my family. No, I'm a little bit not out to my family. Um, so, [00:03:00] yeah, my parents don't know, but they totally know. They just haven't asked me, and I haven't seen nothing thing. Um, but yeah, um, I told my cousin recently, and she said I knew since you were nine, and I was like, Really? I didn't know when I was nine, but, um, yeah, we'll see with family. That hasn't quite happened yet. Um, what's kind of holding you back there? Um, I'm not really sure. I mean, I try to describe that to a lot of people because so many people just [00:03:30] are like, you know, especially in terms of your parents and stuff that they're really not going to care. In fact, they'll probably be happy for you. Um, but I think it's just more like a conversation I just don't really want to have like, and I'm totally aware and fine with the fact that it will, but I suppose until they ask or until it's like a conversation that's necessary. I just hasn't come up, so yeah. No, Um, but yes, It's nervous in general, I suppose. What's [00:04:00] it like at your, um, high school? Um, my high school is really good. I actually moved from another high school when I was, um, 14 as well. Um, which is a really big high school. And I'm sure it was fine. And maybe it was because I was younger. I didn't really know. But from what I saw, I didn't. There was not a single art person in a school of 2600 people, which I was like, Oh, about. And no one knew at the time, um, about me. But I just really wanted to [00:04:30] move to a school that was known for being like, diverse and accepting. Not only because of that, just because it seemed like a cool school, So yeah, that's where I met. And I was really good on, uh um, first day of term when we our school, when we have our like assemblies, the dean of students is like, If you're not accepting of people of different like cultures or races or anything or sexualities, then the school is probably not the place for you. Because when our purpose is to be for everybody, so that's really cool. [00:05:00] It's really cool. Have you seen any kind of homophobia there at school? Um, yeah, I have. I guess it's kind of everywhere, like, no matter what school you're in. Um, but I think it was not necessarily homophobia, but more like fear. The only time that I've seen or anything happen to me negatively on that topic was, um when I made a video for marriage equality that got on the news and stuff, which was cool and my school wouldn't [00:05:30] use it, they wouldn't use it for anything. Um, I think they were gonna put it on the school website or something. My English teacher had suggested just because it was a good video and it could have counted for my assessments or something. But, um, I got an email that had been forwarded around all of the different teachers who all said no We don't want to take a political stance, and it might offend our religious students even though it didn't say anything about religion. So that was I got really angry. I think my dad got more and more angry. He wanted to call and complain, But, um, [00:06:00] yeah, I don't think that's necessarily a homophobia. It's just kind of something in education that needs to be changed because they're kind of prioritising religious students over LGBT students, which I don't really agree with. So I think we need to make it more equal. But I've never really hit me bad, homophobic moments as of yet. So that's good, I suppose. Do they teach you anything about sexual orientation or gender and health classes or any other? Um, I don't take health, but I think from what I gather, [00:06:30] it's pretty good. Like I take legal studies and we just studied the homosexual law reform in 1980 6 68. Yeah, you probably know that. And then, um, we have you can take gender studies at school, which you can't do a lot of other school, so that's really cool. Yeah, So, um, I think it's probably pretty good in comparison to lots of other schools. Yeah. Um, are you allowed to, like, take, um, partner with the same gender? You to [00:07:00] like a school? That's fine. You can do whatever you want. Pretty much, which is awesome. I love it. It's really cool. Is it important to you to have kind of a sense of community like belonging? Yeah, it is. I think it's something that I really value. Um, everywhere, I suppose. Yeah. It's definitely important to me. How do you find that? Um, I guess just in different places, I guess you can find it anywhere if you Well, you can't [00:07:30] find it anywhere. But if you try, I suppose, um, so, yeah, I think I have lots of different communities. Um, that I'm involved in and stuff like my school definitely has a sense of community. And then yeah, I think I just looked for it to different ones. Yeah. Have you been involved in any of the clear group to events in Christchurch? Um, yeah, I. I guess I'm a part of utopia, but I'm super busy, so I can't [00:08:00] go all the time. Um, but yeah, Other than that I am in there and I've been to. I went to a few things for Pride Week, which was cool. Just the opening and, um, a discussion night with, um LGBT politicians, which is awesome, because I want to study politics. So it was really cool. Yeah, but other than that, not really, but yeah, So do you follow and engage much as kind of politics and activism around LGBT stuff? [00:08:30] Yeah, I do. Um, I think I definitely still have a lot to know. But for the most part, I'm really into that, mostly because I either get really angry or really happy about it, So yeah, definitely. Definitely. What else did you do for the marriage bill? Um, what did I do? Yeah, well, I made I just made that video, and I talked about it all the time and annoyed people talking about a lot. Um, what else did I do? I did make a submission. Yeah, I made a submission, and [00:09:00] I feel like I did some other stuff, but I can't think what I think. Just talking about it all the time to everybody and getting really feisty. How did you get your video out there? And what was in it. Um it was just a video of, like, my friends and different people in Christchurch. And I included, like, um, friends who, like, identified as LGBT and then heaps of friends who didn't because the kind of purpose of it was just to show that young people in New Zealand, no matter what they identify, is still kind of [00:09:30] the overwhelming answer was yes, we do what magical it is. So, yes, I didn't interview anyone, but I just kind of it was on the spot. I just wanted to do it. And then it ended up taking a few months, but it was cool. I just, um kind of wrote up a really basic like general of Yeah, just a few sentences saying why? And then gave different people different words. And they just recorded, um, themselves saying it and then sent it to me. And I put it all together, like with the soundtrack and stuff, and just put a few clips in. And then [00:10:00] I sent it to, um, different places. So, like Utopia has it. And then I sent it on. It was on stuff dot co dot NZ just because I asked them to put it up and they did, Which is cool. It's on YouTube, Obviously. Um, yeah. And quite a lot of people saw it. I think it because now there's lots of videos on YouTube or whatever, Um, about marriage equalities after the event. But at the time, it wasn't really anything. So I just think I called it marriage equality in New Zealand or something. And lots of people watch it. So, yeah, it was cool. It was cool. Um, how did you feel when [00:10:30] the bill passed so heavy? I was at my dad's house in Auckland, and I called my best friend in Christchurch, and we decided that we're going to get married, and we're totally not gonna get married, but, um, yeah, no, I was just really excited. I thought it was amazing. Um, I guess I suspected that it would pass, but you never know. Like politics at all. You never know. But, um, yeah, it was awesome. I loved it. I was very happy. Um, are you interested in getting married? Um, [00:11:00] I don't know. Kind of not like, not because I'm anti marriage whatsoever. Just because I guess I'm sure this could change, but for now, my opinion is just that you don't need to get married to be with someone or be committed to someone, but, um, yeah, and I think it's kind of because it's my parents has been my parents' view as well. Um, but yeah. No, Um, maybe one day, but not something [00:11:30] that I like. I, I The reason I was so pro marriage equality wasn't because I desperately want to get married. It was just equality in general. Yeah. Um what do you know? Do you know much about, um, kind of history or, um, stories? Um, about gay and transgender people in Maori culture? I don't. And I wish I knew more because I'm obviously really interested in that. Um, but yeah. No, I don't really [00:12:00] I would love to, um, I'm not very not because I don't want to be, but because my family is not very, like, connected to our Maori history. Just because of like, I don't know. When my grandpa went to school, um, he was, like, told not to associate his Maori stupid. So now our whole family's been raised in, like, a completely like westernised environment, but, um so yeah, so We're only starting to get to know our family and stuff back up at the, which is in now, but I would love to talk [00:12:30] to them about it sometimes because it's really interesting. But from what I gather, I guess that, um, opinion around the idea of LGBT Q stuff in Maori culture is probably a little bit divided because on one hand it is like a big part of Maori culture, and I don't think it's like a huge They're definitely not completely whatsoever. But then there also is the like, religious [00:13:00] side of, um, Polynesian cultures that I know, I guess, just in relation to some of my friends and stuff. It's not that they're anti whatsoever. It's just not something that they've been exposed to it all, but yeah. No, I don't Really Yeah, um, do you know about the word I do, but not really, But I do know the word. Yeah. What do you know about I can't [00:13:30] remember if it's just like queer or if it's transgender, but I feel like it's one of I think, um, it was originally the word used for, like, same sex act, um, environment. Um, and that it's expanded as a term to kind of include. Yeah, cool. Do you think that's important to have a like a word like that? Or is it something you would personally ever see [00:14:00] yourself identifying as uM, yeah, I don't know if I personally identified it as it not because there's anything wrong with it just because I don't know. But, um, yeah, I think it's cool that there's a word for it because it just kind of gives identity to Maori people who might not feel comfortable using European words to identify themselves, that in their languages you've obviously got to accommodate them in their identity in some way. So yeah, no, I think it's [00:14:30] how do you feel about the way queer and Trans people are represented in the media? Um, I feel like it's got better. I mean, or at least there's more in the media. Um, but obviously it's never going to hasn't yet been, um, perfect. It is in the sense that there's still like heaps of stereotypes which are totally pushed by the media a lot of the time around what [00:15:00] queer people are, I suppose. But, um I guess just the point that they are in the media. More is a good thing. But I don't know about the way they're represented as of yet because I don't know, all different media has a different stance. I guess so. It's kind of hard. Um, but yeah, I'm not sure. Um, do you see many, um, stories or characters that you can relate to or that reflect your identity? I [00:15:30] suppose I look for them in a not creepy way, but, um, yeah, definitely. I, I think. I just appreciate when there's a TV show and there's someone I can like relate to, I suppose, because it just makes it much more relatable to watch. Um, yeah, so I think definitely like different shows like Grey's Anatomy skins, um, different TV shows that have it doesn't even have to be LGBT characters. [00:16:00] But just to have it mentioned in a positive way or in a neutral way. Um, it's cool. I like it. Yeah. Do you see lots of, um, stereotypes of critic in the media? Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Um, yeah, I do, I suppose, more and, um news and like, news, media and stuff. But in terms of TV shows, I can't really [00:16:30] comment because I don't watch heaps, but from the ones that I've seen, I really like the way that it's kind of normalised like not gonna sit here and talk about because you can keep me going. But, um, just the way that, um, the relationships or whatever are portrayed as just a normal relationship, um, and sexuality isn't super like doesn't differentiate people a lot, [00:17:00] but yeah, I do see, you do see stereotypes, of course, but yeah, I like the ones that kind of break it. Do you see, um, social media and the Internet playing more of a part in the way that we kind of find information or connect with other quarantine? Yes, totally. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with Christchurch, but it is, I suppose, just from size and because of the fact that it is, I think, in my opinion, still [00:17:30] very conservative. Um, it's awesome to be able to have social media that you so you can connect to people in different places, um, on that issue And I suppose even, just like with my Emerge Equality video as an example, I know that if I, like, ran an event or something in Christchurch, it wouldn't have got the audience. I mean, I suppose it's because it's a nationwide. It was a nationwide campaign. But yeah, I think, uh, you're able to, like, connect heaps more people if [00:18:00] it's if you use social media. But yeah, there's obviously different add negatives to social media as well. But I think in those cases it was good. What do you think are some of the negative? Um, I suppose, uh, I suppose it's just general, like social Media is just such an easy form of, um, bullying. I suppose when I was in psychology class, like an hour ago, we were talking about it. Um, how the digital age has changed everything. [00:18:30] So I suppose not even necessarily just to do with LGBT Q stuff. But just in general, not people being able to voice their opinions is, um, a lot easier, which can obviously be negative. Like, that's the only thing I've ever found and been like, Oh, my goodness. I can't believe I'm reading. This was the, um, protect marriage. New Zealand page. I just read all the comments, and I was like, No, [00:19:00] delete this. But then I suppose you can't just because I suppose if we get our say, they should get theirs. But what, um, what was that page about? I was just I suppose that, um, opposition to the marriage equality campaign. That was just about protecting marriage, like as an institution, as it already is between men and women. But the campaign or the opposition, I suppose that they were running was pretty much just harassment [00:19:30] and being rude and writing as many, like derogatory comments as you possibly could. So, Yeah, but I think that's what the page is for, I assume. Yeah. Do you think it's harder? Um, being queen in the South? Yeah, I do. Um, I'm not sure, because I've kind of I've always lived between Christchurch and Auckland because my dad's in Auckland. Um, and he I'm not really sure why, but he has a huge [00:20:00] gay friend group. I suppose when you get in the community, you're in it, but, um, yeah, so he has two of his really good friends that run the help run all the like pride stuff and all that jazz. So I guess like, you just see a lot more of it up there. Here It's still it's OK, but it's still a little bit more like of a taboo subject than in Auckland. I think there's just more. And like when you go on the Rainbow Youth page, obviously, and heaps of cool events that I'd love to go to in different [00:20:30] things and you just meet people and, um, talk about stuff. A lot of them are in Auckland because Christchurch maybe it's just the population size, but yeah, I do think the South Island is just quite a lot more like conservative, and it's the way that it's rural or more rural. I suppose it's just not, um, is liberal, I guess. Yeah, what do you think are some of the, um, most important issues that are facing queer and trans people in New Zealand at the moment? I don't [00:21:00] know. I think things that I, um, interest us as I'm sure there's plenty more. But just like the education system and how lacking it is, suppose that's for younger people. But yeah, definitely. In primary school, we learned nothing at all, was never mentioned. Um, even in at my old high school, um, I think people like obviously my school [00:21:30] does but people seeing sexuality is something that, um often discriminated against. Like people often talk about religion or race or whatever, but often don't bring up sexuality because maybe they think it's too personal or something. I'm not sure, but, um, I think that's definitely something that people don't recognise. Discrimination against LGBT Q people is discrimination. A lot of the time, it was just a joke or whatever. Um and then obviously, because I was just at a United Nations [00:22:00] conference in Auckland, where we were writing, um, policies about change that young people want to make. And we, my group, one of my groups topics was youth suicide rates. And obviously, the LGBT youth suicide rates are still, like shockingly high. So I suppose that's definitely an issue in itself, a not nice issue at all. So I suppose there's just all issues that minority groups face kind of apply. Yeah. [00:22:30] Um, as you're interested in politics, what do you think? Um, our politicians could be doing for some of those issues. Um, I suppose just maybe even just making other politicians or even the public aware of those issues because a lot of them are things you wouldn't think about unless you did identify as LGBT Q or you knew someone who did. So Maybe. I mean, I know a lot of the politicians would just be too, like, conservatively minded to even [00:23:00] think about it, but I think there'd be quite a few of them who probably just wouldn't. The idea of teaching anything about sexuality that's not like Heteronormative in schools probably wouldn't even have crossed their mind. So just awareness in terms of politicians knowing. And then hopefully, if more of them knew, they'd be like, OK, that's a valid issue. We could change it. Um, I suppose there are plenty of things they could do, just always aiming for [00:23:30] to make things more equal, I suppose, and maybe looking at it on a outside of New Zealand scale as well, because there's so horrific stuff that happens overseas. I mean, there's horrific stuff that happens in New Zealand as well, but, um, yeah, I'm not really sure, but I'm sure there's a lot they could do. If I knew more about the actual, like parliament legislation, I could probably look at it and be like that needs to change. That needs to change [00:24:00] but, um yeah, I suppose just doing everything they can to strengthen the LGBT Q rights in New Zealand, especially for young people. That's it. Um, where do you think we might be in 10 years Time? 10 years time? Well, if I was being super positive as I should be, Um, [00:24:30] I suppose I don't know if I'm talking like legally, but just like for me, I would appreciate heaps if I don't know how to explain it. Like, I think a lot of the time now, Um, gay people or queer people in general I, I, like accepted, but more on the side of tolerated than, um, embraced, [00:25:00] I suppose, if that makes sense, So, like, I'd like to see in 10 years, just a society that's more, Um, I don't know really how to explain it, but yeah, like a society that's more embracing of LGBT people and where it's not an issue like it's just not a problem. Um, and people don't question it or anything. And nothing's, um, uncomfortable around the topic. It's just like, out there and open. And then more people [00:25:30] would want to change it or help it. Um, if you could give a message to a young person struggling with their sexuality at high school. What would it be? Um, I feel you, Um, probably just that there's nothing wrong with them and that, um I think not necessarily with age, but just with exposure to different places and people they'd find. Or they will find [00:26:00] other people who are like them or, um, accepting of them, even if they're not now. And it's not dangerous world. Essentially. And what's your favourite thing about being a person in New Zealand? Um, I suppose it's just another community like, um, just like how I'm proud to be Maori or proud to [00:26:30] be any other thing they identify as, um, just having a sense of community and belonging is super cool. And then when there are events or like discussions that come up with different people, um, you can be a part of it and like, have your opinion heard and everything, I think I just think it's cool to be able to be part of. I mean, obviously, being part of a minority group isn't always good, but when you're part of it and you can [00:27:00] help, like, make change around it, I suppose it's a good thing.
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