A bold new campaign designed to combat HIV and re-assert the masculinity of gay Maori men, or takataapui, has offended self-labelled "red-blooded heterosexual" and dumped former Labour MP John Tamihere. The campaign, launched by the AIDS Foundation's Hau Ora Takataapui programme and featured in last weekend's Sunday Star-Times, depicts a group of Maori men in traditional costume performing a haka under the heading Toa Takataapui – Gay Warriors For Safe Sex. All the featured men are gay – or takataapui tane as they prefer to be identified. Hau Ora Takataapui Team Leader Eriata Peri says the practice of safe sex is supported by self-pride, accepting that a warrior looks after himself and the health of his lovers. In addition, self esteem and its association with the practice of safe sex is also reinforced by a sense of acceptance in, and belonging to, one's community. "It's also about pride and combating homophobia," he says. "Often, as takatâpui tane, we can experience prejudice in the form of not having our maleness acknowledged. We sometimes find that our birthright, as men, to take male roles on the marae, in our whanau and communities, is challenged by people who don't understand homosexuality and the traditional place it had in pre-European Maori society." Almost on cue, radio host John Tamihere has responded by saying he's offended by the poster, and accuses the gay community of commandeering the word "takataapui". "That word does not mean, and never has meant, homosexuality and it was never meant to be part of the culture in the way in which it has been reconstructed," he told National Radio. Despite the fact that the campaign has been prepared and fronted entirely by Maori men, Tamihere says it's an example of Maori culture being used by the gay community to advance its own agenda. "If people want to assert their rights to sexuality which bear absolutely no resemblance to the way in which we've conducted themselves, we should have a conversation about that rather than just having it hatched upon us by way of a Sunday Star-Times major pictorial," he said. The Hau Ora Takataapui programme was first hatched by the AIDS Foundation not last Sunday but more than ten years ago. The word "takataapui" re-emerged into popular usage among glbt Maori since the 1980's. It is defined as "intimate companion of the same sex." AIDS Foundation executive director Rachael LeMesurier says they won't be defending their use of the word. "The Foundation neither owns the word, nor has the Foundation "commandeered" it," she says. "The word was adopted by glbt Maori to represent them many years ago, and it is that community which "gave" the word to the Foundation to use for its programmes for gay and bisexual Maori men. Mr Tamihere, if he has concerns, should take them up directly with Takataapui Maori."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 27th February 2006 - 12:00pm