Dunedin’s Mayor has spoken out about the need for the southern city to be welcoming to everyone, and expressed a hope that it might become “the most queer-friendly city” in New Zealand. Dave Cull is backing a newly-released Dunedin Diversity Strategy which aims to ensure the southern city is “inclusive and affirming”. In the document’s foreword, the Mayor says he is delighted the Dunedin community is discussing the issues. “I believe that queer people are most vulnerable in their youth, when they are coming to terms with their identity,” he writes. “This means that the support to our Dunedin communities needs to have a strong focus on our youth,” adding that given the city’s significant population of students from out of town, “We must, therefore, make our city welcoming to all young people.” Cull says like most families, his has members who are gay, and he would be appalled if they were any way discriminated against or suffered prejudice in Dunedin. “This is why I am passionate about the work of those who celebrate diversity and support queer people in our city. Wouldn’t it be great if Dunedin had the reputation of being the most queer-friendly city in Aotearoa/New Zealand?” Using the word ‘queer’ to encompass the glbti community, the strategy outlines the challenges in Dunedin. These include a lack of venues and services, lack of sexuality education and lack of visibility. It says while the Otago University Students Association provides excellent support services, and Family Planning offers high quality sex education, “There is a perception that support and education are fractured and not widely available to all demographics.” These issues, and others, were discussed at a community gathering last November, which has led to the strategy being created. It has clear goals: challenging heteronormativity, improving education and support for young people, strengthening access to health and support services and building communities that work together for change. You can read the full strategy below
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 16th November 2014 - 9:40am