Fri 27 Mar 2015 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
A three-day hui for sexuality and gender minority people of colour is being held at an Auckland marae this weekend. Organisers say the GLITCH Youth Decolonisation Hui is about having a space to connect, “to address issues that speak to our experiences and identities - both as sexuality and gender minorities and as people of colour”. They say historically, “organisations run by Pakeha gay cis men, and Pakeha lesbian cis women are the ones with resources and receiving funding to host gatherings and run spaces”. They add “increasingly now, there is a shift toward queer organisations, spaces and events - however these are still dominated by Pakeha people, and the main shift has been toward people assigned female at birth.” They say there are also a number of less well-resourced support groups which are gender focused, but are almost exclusively run by Pakeha trans women. “This has resulted in a focus around sexuality and gender issues which affect Pakeha, or as they present in Pakeha cultures, or as they are perceived by Pakeha people.” GLITCH says it wants Maori and others from the Asia Pacific region, as well as all indigenous and people of colour in Aotearoa, to be able to connect with other sexuality and gender minority people, “to create, nurture, and be organisations and groups which prioritise our rights, needs, and wellbeing, and to come together for events where we can share issues, learn our histories, support each other, build relationships, and take our korero deeper”. The hui is aimed at people aged under 27, and is not open to pakeha, or straight people - unless they are from a gender minority. It’s being held at Mangere’s Te Puea Memorial Marae.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 27th March 2015 - 11:08am