Panelists Priscilla Penniket, Rosemary Ronald, Frankie Hill, Miriam Saphira and Katija Vlatkovich and Chair Carole Beu (second from right) 12.45PM: Dozens of women have gathered in West Auckland to discuss the many aspects of being a lesbian in today's world. After a casual catch up over tea and coffee the group moved to a room at the New Lynn Community Centre for a panel discussion on ‘lesbians through the ages', with women from a range of eras. Two women in their 20s, Rainbow Youth Education Officer Priscilla Penniket and Board member Katija Vlatkovich, discussed that although being a woman who loves women is more socially accepted and friends often barely bat an eyelid when people come out, there are still barriers at school, in workplaces and within families. Frankie Hill explained that the support networks were very different when she came out in the 70s, as they all revolved around alcohol. She said there were no formal support groups and people were not coming out at school. “It was a whole different world … it was a mysterious and exciting world to me,” she said, adding people would have been shocked at the idea of support groups going into schools. Miriam Saphira shared her experience of realising she was different in the 50s, saying as a young farm girl she heard that 'homosexuals had arrested development'. “I was very naïve and I thought that mean they were short,” she laughed, adding that as she grew older and taller and taller she felt like not only a freak because she was homosexual but also because she was tall. "Thank goodness for Auckland Women's Liberation,” she said. Rosemary Ronald told the group “the lesbianism just popped into my cognisance” when she was a married mum in the early 70s. She mixed with lesbians at Auckland Women's Liberation and recalls being attracted to a woman on a dancefloor. “My cunt joined my heart and my head, which was already there,” she succinctly explained. “Now it's far more open which is far more healthy for lesbians,” she said, saying the lesbian world was covert in the 70s and there were no role models like Ellen DeGeneres. However she added that, “Homophobia is alive and well and lesbiphobia is alive and well, so we have to be aware … deep down some people still hate homosexuality.” Penniket agreed, adding that while society has definitely improved there is still more to be done. “Even coming out at high school, I realise that's a privilege … but there's still homophobia.” She said she experiences discrimination when dating masculine women, trans guys or people who are genderqueer. “I've had to come out in many different ways. The gender of the person I want to date is something I've had to come out to people about … so maybe discrimination has moved into different areas.” Hill picked up on that topic saying as a survival method she gives the impression she is stroppy, when she is actually 'a big wuss'. She told the group she has been thrown out of female toilets and had people wanting to attack her because they don't know whether she is a man or a woman. However she says most people who are homophobic simply stay away from her. LOWdown's Cissy Rock enjoying the panel discussion There are people from a range of ages at the convention, with community matriarchs sitting side-by-side with fresh-faced youngsters. Those gathered have now moved into workshops on sex toys, lesbian humour, writing for lesbian media and a discussion on whether lesbian feminist politics are still relevant. The LOWdown-organised event is free and women are welcome to come along and join in for this afternoon's sessions. At 1.45pm there will be a series of lesbian life stories shared, after which there will be workshops on great lesbian reads, whether homophobia is alive and well, a fun look back at the 'butch/femme' era and a discussion on lesbians as mothers. Tomorrow brings an afternoon of entertainment with Heroes Out West at Henderson's Falls Park, which will feature a range of performers including the ever-popular jazz pairing of Marilyn Waring and Edwina Thorne. A Lesbian Convention New Lynn Community Centre From 9.30am-4.30pm, 26 March, free entry Heroes Out West Falls Park Henderson From 3pm, 27 March Tickets $10 from the Women's Bookshop or $15 at the event
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 26th March 2011 - 12:26pm