Kevin Hague

In this recording titled "Kevin Hague profile," the interviewee reflects on a career in politics and activism preceding and including parliamentary service. On the cusp of leaving Parliament, the interviewee recounts a multifaceted background in various fields, but with a significant focus on health. With a varied educational history in subjects like mathematics, physics, Scandinavian studies, and a postgraduate stint in public health, the interviewee's professional journey took different paths before getting immersed in political activism.

Born in the United Kingdom and migrating to New Zealand at 13, the interviewee encountered a shift in culture and encountered homophobia, which was prevalent at school and later fed into the political activism around homosexual law reform. Coming out was a process that began in the late 1970s and was accompanied by participation in gay liberation marches, despite the pervasive homophobic culture of the time.

The interviewee's earlier involvement in anti-racism and anti-apartheid movements eventually dovetailed with gay rights activism, leading to substantial engagement with law reform efforts, and campaigns against discrimination. Notably, the interviewee describes involvement in the push for the Human Rights Act, which sought to combat discrimination against gay men in employment, accommodation, and other areas.

The role as executive director for the AIDS Foundation saw the interviewee at the forefront of the seismic shifts in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, as well as advocacy for improved healthcare approaches towards the gay community. Public health strategy became a cornerstone of the interviewee's contributions, as well as fostering innovations in rural health services during tenure at the West Coast District Health Board.

Political contributions included active participation in campaigns for legislative change, such as the successful campaign for marriage equality and the abolition of the 'gay panic' defense. The interviewee’s counsel was pivotal in these parliamentary achievements and reflects a methodical approach to strategy and cross-party collaboration. The conversation also covers missed opportunities and some projects left unfinished, particularly in making educational environments safer for LGBTQ+ students and addressing health rights for trans and intersex people.

Finally, the interviewee expresses hope to be remembered as a brave and effective advocate for the community, as well as a person of integrity, navigating the complexities of politics with purpose. The conversation is a potent reflection on a life dedicated to fighting injustice and promoting equality, capturing the essence of a long journey amidst evolving times and political landscapes.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Kevin Hague

1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, academics, act new zealand, actions, activism, advocate, age of consent, aids support network, all blacks, alliance for justice, anti bigot committee (formerly the alliance for justice), anti discrimination, anti springbok tour march (1985), anti springbok tour protest (1981), anti-apartheid movement, anti-homophobia campaign, aotearoa new zealand, apartheid, arrest, auckland, azt, barack obama, bastion point, belonging, bisexual, book selling, books, bullying, campaigns, chris finlayson, church, civil union act (2004), civil unions, climate change, closeted, collaboration, coming out, crime, crimes amendment bill (1979, warren freer bill), cycling, david garrett, david lange, death, direct action, discrimination, education review office (ero), effeminate, environment, equality, fran wilde, friends, funeral, gay, gay blue jeans day, gay liberation auckland, gay liberation movement, gay liberation week, gay panic defence, gender reassignment surgery, geoffrey palmer, glass ceiling, government, grafton, grant robertson, green party, haka, haka party incident (1979), hamilton, hamilton boys high school, hate, he taua, health, health rights, hiv / aids, homelessness, homophobia, homophobic bullying, homosexual law reform, homosexual law reform act (1986), homosexual law reform petition, hospice, housing, human rights, human rights act (1993), identity, identity politics, injustice, institutional homophobia, intersex, john key, justice, katherine o'regan, keith locke, kevin hague, language, liberty, lou sheldon, louisa wall, march, marriage, marriage amendment act (2012), marriage equality, mask, maths, matt whyte, maurice williamson, member of parliament, mental health, mike moore (politician), murder, māori, national party, new zealand aids foundation (nzaf), new zealand first, new zealand herald, new zealand labour party, occupation of bastion point (1977-78), out (magazine), parliament buildings, pasifika, peer support, peter wall, petition, petition on historic convictions, pharmaceutical management agency (pharmac), physics, poverty, prevention, pride, provocation defence, public health, queen street (auckland), queer, racism, radio, relationships, religious homophobia, research, richard flinn, royal forest and bird protection society of new zealand, rugby, russel norman, safe sex, safe space, safety, salvation army, school, school uniform, self esteem, simon upton, so gay, social media, south africa, stereotypes, student politics, sue bradford, suicide, suicide prevention, support, survivor guilt, te reo māori, thin edge of the wedge (film), tim barnett, trans, transgender, united kingdom, university, university of auckland, waiheke island, warren freer, wellington, west coast, west coast district health board

abuse, activities, africa, apology, army, assembly of god, assumptions, attraction, audience, belief, board, boat, bricks, building, campaign for marriage equality, canada, casting, change, citizenship, class, closet, community, compromise, conflict, consent, conservative, conversation, convictions, council, culture, david, demonstrations, difference, dominant, drugs, economics, economy, education, employment, energy, engagement, engineering, events, face, faith, family, fear, food, forum, fun, gaming, god, greg, guilt, heterosexual, hiding, hit, hiv transmission, homosexual, homosexual law reform, hope, human rights commission, india, individual, integrity, internet, job, kicked out, law, leadership, legislation, lesbian, lgbt, liberation, loss, love, magazines, manatū hauora ministry of health, marriage equality, media, mock, nature, news, newspapers, occupation, opportunity, other, parents, parties, peace, people, perception, performance, poland, politics, power, prejudice, priorities, profile, protest, queen, rainbow, reading, regrets, rent, review, rural, select committee, sex, sexuality, smoking, social, speech, sprung, straight, strategy, struggle, stuff, success, survey, survivor, testing, the closet, time, top, training, transition, uniform, unions, unnatural, violence, voice, vote, women, work, working class