Kassie talks about BOX Oceania and visions of the future.
Summary
The abstract focuses on the interview with Kassie Hartendorp, recorded during "Out in the Park" in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, in 2016. The conversation, led by Gareth Watkins, explores Hartendorp's involvement with BOX Oceania, a collective that fosters community and support for queer, trans, intersex, indigenous people of color living in the region. The collective was formed in response to the heavily white-dominated queer scene in Wellington, creating events and spaces specifically for those of color, particularly Maori and Pasifika, to find a sense of family and belonging.
BOX Oceania began with events like Homisexual and Shirts and Skirts, which raised funds for various causes including aid for Samoa. Hartendorp highlights the challenges of securing funding and resources for such initiatives, emphasizing that despite these difficulties, their community remains resilient and resourceful. They mention that if given unlimited resources, the goal would be to redistribute wealth to ensure that families and communities can live and love in the ways they wish, protesting the current imbalance where wealth is concentrated among a limited few.
In discussing hardships within Rainbow Communities, Hartendorp, as a youth worker, notes the particular struggles faced by young transgender individuals. There are substantial barriers to living authentically, which are compounded by issues like racism and the long-term impacts of colonisation. These systemic issues tend to be overlooked in mainstream events, which is why BOX Oceania places emphasis on creating welcoming, inclusive spaces.
When examining the lack of visibility of Maori and Pasifika voices in the public sphere, Hartendorp argues that colonisation has led to the prevalence of European perspectives on gender and sexuality. They stress the importance of allowing indigenous and Pacific people the space to define their own identities, which may differ from Western constructs and terminologies.
The significance of the "Out in the Park" event is revealed through Hartendorp's personal reflection on the joy of being a part of a community gathering where one can feel represented and allies can show support without having to label themselves.
Looking toward the future, Hartendorp envisions a society that prioritizes people over profit and abolishes social hierarchies that oppress minority groups. They imagine an egalitarian society where concepts like gender and sexuality are not criminalized or marginalized, where no one is left behind, and where society does not perpetuate the cycles of poverty and social stratification that adversely affect transgender people and other minorities.
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Voices
Tags
2010s, aotearoa new zealand, aroha, barriers, box oceania, colonisation, community, egalitarianism, equality, exclusion, family, funding, fundraising, gender identity, homisexual (box oceania), homosexual law reform, homosexual law reform act (1986), hui, indigenous peoples, intersex, kassie hartendorp, labels, language, love, marginalisation, māori, out in the park (wellington), out in the square (wellington), over the rainbow, pasifika, people of colour, poverty, queer, racism, redistribution of resource, resource, samoa, shirts and skirts (box oceania), takatāpui, tangata whenua, trans, transgender, waitangi park, wellington, whānau, youth, youth work