Peri Te Wao

In the podcast recorded on April 10, 2010, Peri Te Wao speaks with interviewer Wai Ho about their life experiences growing up and transitioning from female to male during the 1980s in Aotearoa New Zealand. The interview, part of a Human Rights Commission inquiry into transgender issues, captures Peri's personal journey of self-discovery, struggles, and belonging.

Born away from Wellington and orphaned at a young age, Peri was raised by an aunt and uncle. Leaving home to find oneself was a daunting but necessary step for Peri, who didn't want to end up stuck in their hometown. Joining the military provided a family for a while and a pathway to join the broader gay and trans community, which became a lasting source of support.

Peri always knew their true gender identity but had to grapple with societal expectations due to being assigned female at birth. Initially living within the gay community, Peri found acceptance despite an internal battle with identity and the challenges of not fitting neatly into the expected roles of the time. Peri discusses the difficulty of transitioning, both for personal identity and the shift away from known communities. Peri experienced challenges in relationships, where they felt unable to share all of themselves or needing to tend to partners' issues, ultimately deciding that focusing on self-identification was necessary. At 29, the journey of openly transitioning began with honesty and support from a doctor, marking a pivotal moment of self-acceptance and the start of a new life chapter.

Throughout the podcast, Peri reflects on what it means to belong to various communities and the importance of finding supportive spaces. Being an active participant in support groups and LGBTQ+ organizations, Peri highlights the significance of respecting everyone's unique journey and the need for inclusive environments that embrace all identities. Their voluntary work spans from Sisters of Compassion to LGBTI organizations, emphasizing community engagement and contribution.

Peri notes the progress within the trans community, the ever-evolving understanding of gender identity, and the ongoing education around these issues. Valuing their own preference for working behind the scenes, Peri completed a diploma in management that identified their strength as leading from the back rather than seeking the limelight.

The interview culminates with Peri sharing anticipation of participating in the out games for tennis, an activity they had not engaged in due to surgeries related to transitioning. Despite being self-conscious, Peri's involvement in sports and cultural events such as the haka at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Asia Pacific Out games was empowering and memorable.

Peri Te Wao's poignant narrative offers insight into the complexities of gender identity, community integration, and the personal growth that comes from boldly walking through new doors.

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.

Peri Te Wao

1980s, coming out, peri te wao, transgender

army, australia, board, change, choice, class, communication, community, compassion, council, education, energy, expression, face, family, fat, friends, gay, haka, hat, hell, hit, hope, hospital, journey, leaving home, lesbian, lgbt, love, mainstream, military, mirror, other, pacific, people, performance, poverty, profile, queer, reading, regrets, relationships, respect, rotorua, shopping, space, sport, straight, stuff, submission, support, tennis, time, tokyo, top, trans, transition, transport, understanding, volunteer, wellington, women, work