Lavender Islands Study Finds Tolerance and Friends Mark Experiences of External Immigrants and Internal Migration... Lesbian, gay and bisexual immigrants rate NZ significantly higher on tolerance of people with different sexual identities than do NZ-born respondents, according to Lavender Islands, the first strengths-based national study of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in New Zealand. Survey researchers have identified some interesting differences and similarities between external immigration patterns and internal migration patterns of respondents to the survey. The survey was offered both on a website and on paper. Of the 2,269 respondents, there were 491 overseas-born (21.6%) and 1778 New Zealand-born (78.4%) Europe, including the UK, was the birthplace of 11.0% of immigrant respondents, followed by Australia at 3.3%, North American at 2.8%, Asia at 2.3%, and Africa at 1.3%. All other regions combined accounted for less than 1.0%. A higher proportion of overseas immigrant respondents to the survey were males (58.5%) than females (41.5%). 54.9% of those immigrants have become NZ citizens, and 41.4% have remained permanent residents. As might be expected, because of immigration requirements, immigrants had a much higher level of education than NZ-born: 60.7% of immigrants have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, while 48.6% of NZ-born respondents had a degree. However, both groups are significantly more qualified than other New Zealanders, 15% of whom have a degree. There were no other significant differences between NZ-born and immigrant respondents in age, income, relationship status, work classification, number of jobs, pressure to have children, or community connections, age at coming out, longest opposite-sex or same-sex relationships. Equally important, there were no reported differences in actual or perceived discrimination from police or other government agency. Most immigrants (61.1%) did not have information about NZ and its treatment of lesbian, gay and bisexual persons prior to immigrating, although 8.6% had information from a partner and 7.5% had information from the Internet. Less than 8% of respondents had visited NZ prior to immigrating. The first contact with the lesbian, gay and bisexual communities in NZ for 31.3% of immigrants was through friends, 13.0% made first contact through the Internet or web, 8.0% through a bar or nightclub and 8.0% through a job or school. This first contact profile is very similar to NZ- born respondents, where 31.2% made their first contact through friends, 9.2% through the Internet or web, 7.6% through bar or nightclub, and 14.0% through job or school. Currently, half (50.1%) of immigrants say that their current primary contact with the lesbian, gay and bisexual community is through friends, 10.7% through the Internet or web, 9.1% through bar or nightclub, and only 4.8% through job or school. However, 68.6% of NZ-born respondents say that their current primary contact is through friends, 8.7% through Internet or web, 3.6% through bars or nightclubs, and 3.3% through a job or school. These findings suggest the importance of friendship networks for NZ-born lesbian, gay and bisexual persons, and that immigrants may find it initially more difficult to access the gay communities than NZ-born. Significantly more immigrants than NZ-born respondents have used the Internet to find a partner or relationship. Although 56.5% of immigrant respondents have a current partner, although only 25.5% moved to NZ to be with a partner. Of the 46 immigrants who reported having a partner, 52.2% said that their partner's ethnicity was the same as theirs. Immigrants are significantly more likely than NZ-born respondents to take into account their ethnic cultures in making decisions about sexual identity, although both groups describe their ethnic culture as a relatively neutral factor in such decision-making. In addition, to rating NZ generally higher in tolerance of people with differing sexual identities, 94.3% of immigrant participants said that they had found that NZ lesbian, gay and bisexual persons had been accepting of them generally. Immigrants are more likely to hold beliefs and ideas that are close to those of their friends than NZ-born respondents, and those beliefs are more likely to differ from those of the same cultural background than those of NZ-born respondents. Whilst immigrant respondents are significantly less likely to state that ‘being a New Zealander is important to them,' they are significantly more likely to agree than it is ‘important to share the values of New Zealanders' than NZ-born. This suggests that while immigrants maintain some affiliation with their home countries and cultures, they are interested in fitting in with NZ culture and values. Internal migration Almost two-thirds (65.2%) of the 1,135 NZ-born respondents to the survey do not currently live where they were born. As earlier reported, NZ born respondents rated the climate of the communities where they were born largely unfavourable to lesbian, gay and bisexual persons (a mean score of 2.78 out of 7). Destinations with the greatest proportion of migration by NZ-born respondents include: Bay of Plenty (84.5%), Nelson/Marlborough, (81.8% ), West Coast and Southland (both 78.6%), Wellington/Wairarapa (77.8%) and Manawatu/Wangonui (75.4%). Destinations showing the actual greatest number of lesbian, gay and bisexual respondents moving into the region are the traditional urban centres, including Auckland (485 internal migrant respondents), Wellington/ Wairarapa (259), Canterbury/South Canterbury (68), Waikato (62) and Otago (61). These areas do not show the greatest proportion of new internal migrants because they had a substantially large gay population to begin with. Most popular proportionate relocation destinations for women include Nelson/ Marlborough, Bay of Plenty, West Coast and Manawatu/Wangonui (all above 80%). Most popular relocation destinations by proportion for men include Southland, Wellington/Wairarapa, and Bay of Plenty (all above 80%). The ideas and beliefs of NZ-born respondents are more likely to conform to those of their relatives, their friends, and others of their cultural background than those of immigrant respondents, but they are more likely to differ from the ideas of most people in NZ than those of immigrants. Finally, significantly more NZ-born women respondents (41.9%) have lived overseas for more than 12 months overseas than have men respondents (38.7%). The Lavender Islands survey was conducted from 28 April to 15 July of this year. All data should be considered preliminary at this writing. For more information contact: Mark Henrickson, Project Leader of the study at 414-0800 extn 9050, or M.Henrickson@massey.ac.nz Mark Henrickson - 9th September 2004