The title of this recording is "Gay Radio (4 July 1982)". It is described as: This Gay Radio programme contains an interview with Chris about the Gay Community Centre in Wellington. It was recorded in Wellington Access Radio, 1st Floor, 35/37 Ghuznee Street, Wellington on the 4th July 1982. This is part of a broadcast. The duration of the recording is 9 minutes, but this may not reflect the actual length of the broadcast. A list of correctly spelt content keywords and tags can be found at the end of this document. A brief description of the recording is: This Gay Radio programme contains an interview with Chris about the Gay Community Centre in Wellington. The content in the recording covers the 1980s decade. A brief summary of the recording is: The radio broadcast offers a vivid snapshot of the gay community in Wellington, New Zealand, during the early 1980s. The program features an interview with Chris, a representative from Wellington's Gay Community Centre. This Centre was established as an alternative to the mainstream gay scene, which was perceived as dominated by noise and alcohol. The Centre aimed to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for individuals new to the gay community and a returning space for those already established within it. The interview highlights the diversity of the Centre's attendees, ranging from those newly identifying as gay to long-standing community members. A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the pressures gay people face from societal norms, particularly from family, workmates, and heterosexual society at large. The Centre serves as a haven from these pressures, offering a space where individuals can be themselves without the fear of judgment. The interview also touches upon the activities and services of the Centre, including its operational hours and how it can be accessed through the gay switchboard. The broadcast also delves into the observance of Gay Pride Week in 1982. Contrasting with previous years, the week's activities were more internally focused within the gay community rather than involving public relations exercises like marches. Highlights included International Gay Solidarity Day, where political leaders were sent green carnations as a reminder of their commitment to equal rights, and Blue Jeans Day, designed to promote awareness and support for gay rights. The program also mentions upcoming events like the lesbian gay masquerade ball, a significant social event encouraging participants to express themselves freely. Furthermore, the broadcast discusses information services available to the gay community, including national gay magazines like Pink Triangle and Out, which provide news and information on gay organizations and events across New Zealand. The full transcription of the recording begins:  That's Tom Robinson on gay radio this afternoon. I'm talking to Chris from Wellington's Gay Community Centre. Chris, why was the gay community centre set up? Uh, we set up the community centre to, uh, to offer an alternative to the established gay scene in Wellington, which is dominated, perhaps by loud noise and and alcohol. We wanted to get away from that to to provide a sort of friendly atmosphere where those who are coming out for the first time could find it easy and relaxing. Um, also a place where those who'd been around for some time could come back to, um we found premises in Wellington and set the place up, and it got going from there. The sort of people who come down here is a real mixture, um, those who are just beginning to come out for the first time, those who? The ones who have just realised that they're gay. Uh, but they want to actually start meeting other gay people that they want to, um, find what it's like to be in a in A in a supportive atmosphere. Gay people face a lot of pressures from family from workmates, Uh, just from the whole of the heterosexual society and the community centre functions as an alternative to all of that. Um, you know, you you come down here and the pressures of having to worry about what other people will think, uh, don't exist anymore. Over the years, well, the two years the centre has been going, um, I guess we've seen several 100 people passed through here. Some have just come once, um, and gone away again. Others have kept coming back. Um, there's a steady core of people who usually come along each evening, the numbers we get, usually between about 10 and 30. At the moment, the centre is open for three nights a week. That's on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It opens at about eight o'clock and runs through till about 10 30 or so. Information about the centre is obtainable from the gay switchboard, which can be reached at 728609. That's 728609. And the switchboard runs on Wednesday and Saturday nights from seven o'clock to 10 o'clock. Another track from Tom Robinson on Access Gay radio. We're talking to Chris from Wellington's Gay Community Centre. Chris. How did Gay Pride Week this year compare with Gay Pride Weeks in previous years, it's been quieter this year than other years. Uh, most of the activity has been directed within the gay community. Um, other years we've had major public relations exercises like marches, uh, this year, for a change. Most of the activity has just simply been one of ordinary existing gay venues like the Community Centre, extending their hours opening themselves through the week, providing just an extended service. In that way, although on International Gay Solidarity Day, which was last Monday, we sent the leader leaders of the three main political parties, a green car nation each. This was to remind them of the green incarnation, which Oscar Wilde wore as a symbol of his gayness, and, um, to remind them of their commitment to providing equal rights for lesbians and gay men in New Zealand. Um, it's the sort of thing that we find attracts good publicity. Um, and even if the people concerned didn't really wear their carnations, uh, we still think that was a worthwhile exercise Friday, of course, was Blue Jeans Day. Uh, that's the Day of the and Gay Pride Week when we advertise that anyone wearing blue jeans is going to be supporting gay rights. Now, of course, what happens sometimes is that people wear blue jeans who don't support gay rights and they get to work and they suddenly feel a moment of panic and terror when they suddenly get suspected of supporting gay rights. Because they are there in their blue jeans that, um can help get across our case. It can. It can make people suddenly realise what it's like to feel that they are being questioned, that they are an oppressed minority. She couldn't found each other, and we can sing and live. I am the Berkeley Woman's music co op, Gay and Proud Today Sunday the Fourth of July, The last day of Gay Pride Week 1982. Chris. What other events are they coming up? Well, the the big social event of the year, Um, and in fact, one of the biggest social events that I can remember happening in Wellington for a long time is the lesbian gay masquerade ball. This is going to be on Saturday, the 10th of July in the overseas passenger terminal. I'll repeat that again. It's the lesbian gay masquerade ball on Saturday, the 10th of July. Um, uh, the price of the ticket includes admission to the ball. It includes the band and a disco as well as a supper. There'll also be a bar provided at the ball. Um, and we're encouraging all those who come along to take part in the spirit of the occasion by dressing up in something, a chance for everyone to come along as their as their favourite fantasy as the person they'd really like to be, perhaps. Or maybe is the person that most of all, like not to be. Uh, tickets for that are obtainable from the Gay community Centre. And further information can be obtained from the gay switchboard, which is 728609. I repeat that 728609. That sounds really interesting, Chris. I'd like to find out about other things that are happening in the gay community. What are the information services are there? Apart from the gay switchboard in Wellington, in New Zealand, there are two national gay magazines. One of these is called Pink Triangle, and, uh, that's published monthly from Wellington. It's, uh, contains items of news about what's happening in New Zealand and also overseas, as well as comment letters to the editor, um, a very lively, well put together paper. Also coming from Auckland is a publication called Out, which is published once every two months. It, um, offers information on the commercial gay scene and also has some very lively articles in it. Both of these magazines provide information about gay organisations throughout the country. What's on say in Christchurch, where it is when it is how to find out more about it, and they're obtainable from most of the larger news agents around town. Thanks, Chris. If you'd like a free sample copy of Pink Triangle, a lesbian and gay community newspaper, write to the Lesbian Gay Media Collective at Post Office Box 507 Wellington. That's for a free sample copy of Pink Triangle, right to the Lesbian Gay Media Collective at Post Office, Box 507 Wellington. Look forward to hearing from you and don't forget about the lesbian gay masquerade ball. Tickets are available from the Gay Community Centre. Phone 728609. You're listening to access gay radio. The full transcription of the recording ends. A list of keywords/tags describing the recording follow. These tags contain the correct spellings of names and places which may have been incorrectly spelt earlier in the document. The tags are seperated by a semi-colon: 1980s ; Auckland ; Christchurch ; Coming Up ; Events ; Gay Blue Jeans Day ; Gay Community Centre (Wellington) ; Gay Pride Week ; Gay Radio ; International Gay Solidarity Day ; Lesbian Gay Media Collective ; Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand (LAGANZ) ; Oscar Wilde ; Out (magazine) ; Overseas Passenger Terminal ; People ; Pink Triangle (magazine) ; Post Office ; Wellington ; Wellington Access Radio ; Wellington Gay Switchboard ; access ; activism ; activities ; alcohol ; archives ; change ; collective ; community ; copyright ; disco ; exercise ; family ; fantasy ; gaming ; heterosexual ; human rights ; lesbian ; lesbian gay masquerade ball ; letters to the editor ; listening ; magazines ; media ; minority ; music ; news ; other ; parties ; radio ; scene ; social ; solidarity ; support ; time ; work. The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/gay_radio_4_july_1982.html. Please note that this document may contain errors or omissions - you should always refer back to the original recording to confirm content.