Levi Bristow welcomes guests to the host Te Papa O Rotu marae The much-anticipated presence of the Maori King at this weekend's Hui Takataapui failed to eventuate but organisers are pleased with the event which saw more registrations than ever before. The annual hui focuses on supporting the Maori and indigenous lgbti people of New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and wider afield. This year 172 registrations were received although a slightly smaller number of people actually took part. This year's hui marked the first time the event has been held in the Waikato, Tainui territory. Organisers today said that it was the king's support for the proposal to hold the twenty seventh hui in his own region which "helped open doors which had previously been closed to us." Nanu Turner entertains King Te Arikinui Tuheitia Paki had also accepted an invitation to attend the event this afternoon but was initially delayed due to attendance at a tangi. Later in the afternoon it was announced that due to ill health he would not be able to come. His place at the top table at the closing ceremony this evening was filled by his sisters, alongside the Queen of the Cook islands, Pa Ariki, who has attended several Hui Takataapui in recent years. The hui has this year moved away from its past workshop-heavy model and instead has incorporated more shared activities and networking time. Although topics such as sexuality, gender definitions and sexual health were covered "Instead of dividing off into separate groups there was more opportunity to link up with people of other sexualities," says Mark Easthope, a "Tongan/Samoan Kiwi" who has returned to the hui after a hiatus of several years. Easthope also appreciated the strong emphasis on sexual health and HIV prevention. "There were good strong messages about HIV, syphilis and gonorrhoea," he says. "In fact we were exhorted so often to 'love your condom' I almost wished I was a condom myself!" The two and a half day hui peaked this evening with a formal dinner and performances by entertainers including the South Side Sisters and Nanu Turner. Many of the participants are heading to nearby Hamilton for the Hamilton Pride Party. After closing formalities the event draws to a close at mid-day tomorrow.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 8th November 2014 - 9:37pm