Miss Mole has been honoured in her former home of Christchurch where she was given a Lifetime Achievement prize at Resonate, a ceremony run by the city's UpRising Trust. "It has to be an honour to receive it as it's given with love and friendship," says Miss Mole, who has moved away from the quake-stricken city after 38 years on its gay scene. "It will sit in my new home in Hamilton with pride," the drag matriarch says. Also picking up awards on Saturday night were Labour MP Lianne Dalziel who was named Resonate's Hero and Cherise Witehira who was named the Person of the Year. Julia Daisy Dines won Sexiest Woman while Deon Swiggs took out the Hunky Spunk prize. The Male Icon was Ati Winter Vili and the Female Icon was Aunty Pipi. Lib Le Vaillant won "Miss Facebook". The resonate awards are something of a legacy of Miss Mole's long-running Christchurch Oscars and were put together as a fundraiser for the UpRising Trust, a group which came together in the wake of the quakes to raise funds for community groups and reinvigorate the city's queer scene. Miss Mole says there was a terrific turnout at the Resonate awards, "and it was such a crazy fun-filled night of stunning people all happy and smiling after such a rotten year here in Christchurch." She says Facebook has been a great way for people to stay in touch during the scary quakes and many aftershocks, saying as soon as one hit people from across the glbt community would be posting "everyone ok?" and "you ok?". "I think it bought us all closer together," she says. "We are all lucky there are so many great caring people here in Christchurch." Miss Mole is thanking everyone who helped make Resonate such a success.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 28th October 2011 - 11:25am