Back in 1973 as I nervously approached the Uni coffee bar, to ask Ngahuia Volkerling if I could join the Gay Liberation Front, I had no idea that one day I'd be watching a Takataapui xmas special on television. Back then anything on television about gay people was pretty scarce and always negative. And we never had anything to do with it, our destiny was never in our own hands. But Santa Claus moves in mysterious ways and his big gift to us takataapui this year was a Maori Television special just for us. Taped in the Maidment Theatre, the show was smoothly hosted by Tania Simon, Ramon Te Wake and Taane Mete - the presenters of the Takataapui show. And the special included some flashbacks from their programmes during the year - notably the Rainbow Youth group, Mama Tere on the condom-distributing Plunket bus, Georgina Beyer confronting Bishop Brian, and a wonderful old guy with his philosophy "If you're going to fall over, fall over with dignity'. This was entertainment with guts. The light-hearted and the gay bits were balanced with a 'time for tears' (as host Tania Simon so aptly put it). Persons who had passed away during the year were remembered and Jack Bourke sang the Lord's Prayer. Then, after some examples of our-style whanau were recalled, Raphael brought the house down with a tremendous version of I Believe I Can Fly. The reason for the season wasn't forgotten either, as the show wrapped up with Mahinarangi Tocker leading everyone in a suitably reverent, Maori language version of Silent Night. During the show a collection was made for the Cartier Bereavement Trust and Karen Richie of the trust was interviewed, explaining how they are there to help takataapuhi with aids who may not have anyone else to help them. On the gay side of things, there was some wonderful fun. Phillip Patson delivered an impish reworking of the story of xmas - did you know a turkey baster was used? So that explains the importance of turkey at xmas! DeZa Star (of the Ngati Pakeha iwi), heavily pregnant in a glittery mini, lamenting in song 'How could you leave me this way?", went all around the city looking for the father - and no, it wasn't the big old Santa waving his finger down at the Whitcoulls corner. She finally seemed to have had the babe somewhere in K Rd... Ramon and Tania shared a joke about well hung lesbians. I think it had something to do with having long fingers... Miss Zoe wanted us for christmas and we wanted her - those legs and that candy pink look! from the hibiscus in her do to her lipstick to her well twirled train, Miss Zoe was candylicious. In a taped segment from the show's past season, Wairua Sadler got the safe sex message across with a condom on a black dildo and some delicious masculine grunting and suggestive movement from a kapa haka group. Maree Sheehan and Lindah E backed up Beyer's seasonal message of our responsibility for taking charge of our own destiny, with a great version of Believe in Yourself, complete with gogo boys (including Hori Ahipene shaking his booty in leopard-skin hot pants) and a pakeha stiltwalker waving rainbow flags. Those gogo boys returned as slave dancers accompanying Queenie Aotearoa's fabulous hip shake dance as the Queen of Egypt. Host Taane Mete joined Taiaroa Royal in a charming piece of choreography to the music from Carmen. Georgina Beyer joined them for a tango. After this she was presented with a well deserved bouquet and praise from fellow transsexual [is that the right term?] Ramon. Yes, a transexual in our government is a pretty special thing. No one expected that back in 1973! Adena Deelite put across an intense number clad in long opera gloves and an impressive rhinestone choker while peeping out from behind an unruly fringe. She looked just like the Natalie Wood clone on another channel at the same time. As for the singers, the lesbacious Zan McKendree Wright (fresh from her fabulous turn as a dominatrix in La Traviata) sang a rather drippy song about swimming with her, while Rangi Turoa Black, wearing an awesome jet bead necklace and a delicate moko, put across a Maori language number in a French style creating a charming and serene moment. The wonderful Mahingarangi Tocker introduced herself with the unaccompanied I'm A Rainbow When You Look At Me, and followed that with the most beautiful song, My Love Be Still, from her new album The Mongrel in Me. Finally, Nae Nae the Fairy arrived with her elves and delivered presents to a lucky Maori boy sleeping at the foot of the Christmas tree; Hana Koko turned out to be a lesbian santa this year, and all the cast joined the presenters to sing Twelve Gay Days of Christmas - five marching boys indeed! This was real gay kiwiland television! A bloody good show! John Curry - 29th December 2005