The title of this recording is "Launch of Trans Past, Trans Present: Making Trans Histories". It is described as: Audio from the launch of Trans Past, Trans Present: Making Trans Histories. It was recorded in Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 55 Cable Street, Te Aro, Wellington on the 17th November 2019. This is a recording of an event and features the voices of Kay'la Riarn, Rangimoana Taylor and Will Hansen. Their names are spelt correctly, but may appear incorrectly spelt later in the document. The duration of the recording is 25 minutes, but this may not reflect the actual length of the event. A list of correctly spelt content keywords and tags can be found at the end of this document. The content in the recording covers the 2010s decade. A brief summary of the recording is: At the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, an event titled "Launch of Trans Past, Trans Present: Making Trans Histories" took place. The recording from this event, held on November 17th, 2019, features the voices of Kay'la Riarn, Rangimoana Taylor, and Will Hansen. It captures an exploration of the experiences and history of the transgender community in Aotearoa New Zealand during the 2010s. The recording lasts 25 minutes and provides insights into the struggles, advocacy, and evolution of transgender rights and recognition. The attendees and speakers acknowledged the arduous journey of older generations who championed legal recognition and rights for the transgender community. Highlighted was the importance of being accepted for one's true self, without outside imposition or judgement. The event emphasized the value of respecting the fight and lived experience of each person, the continuum of struggles, and the necessity for ongoing support and solidarity. One speaker fondly reflected on the past activism that had paved the way for current and future generations. They shared personal recollections of police raids, arrests, and demonstrations, displaying resilience and humor through these trials. This resilience was encouraged among the younger attendees as well, recognizing that each individual's journey contributes to a collective history. Will Hansen, who was contracted by Te Papa to work on a project celebrating transgender histories, expressed deep gratitude to all the contributors who made the project successful. Emphasizing the value of recording, preserving, and sharing these stories, Hansen acknowledged the support and efforts of various individuals and organizations. The speaker shared the significance of Te Papa as a place of memories from childhood and the fulfillment of working with the museum on projects meaningful to the transgender community. The event also recognized the challenges faced by the transgender community, both historically and in contemporary society. Speakers confronted the hostilities encountered from groups aiming to erase transgender identities. Despite these challenges, the emphasis was on the enduring and unfaltering presence of the transgender community and its histories, with the affirmation that these stories will continue to be shared and treasured for generations to come. Additionally, the complexities of transgender identities were discussed, with the understanding that every person's experience is unique and that terminology, self-identification, and attitudes towards gender can vary widely within the community. It was urged that everyone should embrace diversity with open hearts and minds. The full transcription of the recording begins:  My name is Nina. Hey, no, mate. AM to call my my name. The more you care to care No might. Hi. Am I Hi. Am I in 1994. 19. Uh, sorry. 1984. Many of the older people here marched to get a change to make us legal. Before that, we could be put in prison Just if somebody said that we were not straight. And people like these people here fought for that right that all must be accepted. All must be accepted. And so they fought for their titles and I then acknowledge those. But I also acknowledge our young ones. There needs to be a change for you as well. We are from one tree of Aotearoa, New Zealand. But we are many branches and every branch has a right to be here. When I said those who don't speak Maori saying, I'm thinking it's men, men, men, it's not The most important thing is the people, the people, it is the people and it is a fight. It is a fight. It makes us stronger. And just when I get to my seventies, I'm thinking, Well, there we are. No more fights for me and hello, then I've got to come up again. And that's fantastic. Plenty of time to lie down when you're dead. Plenty of time to do that. You have every right to name you as you feel. As you know, it's right for you. Nobody can tell you what to call yourselves. Nobody. Nobody has that right? Nobody. And so, as I hope you can respect us who fought for the right as being that we will honour you in what you think is right or what you know is right. I hope I have been supportive. What? I hope that you appreciate the struggles that we went through just to be accepted as we are. And in return, I hope we will accept you to be as you are. We have no right to judge because we were judged very harshly. I see some of my sisters over here. They know what I'm talking about. They know I was there when police used to raid the clubs. I was there when I was arrested. I was there when I was beaten up because I wouldn't sit down. I was there when we marched. We were there in tears doing the Hakka and believe me when some of these do the haka, you better watch out because they'll come at you with everything they've got and that includes stiletto heels. Hi. You have youth on your side and the struggle will be there. It is difficult because by not having it there we may be forming another form of racism of saying You're not like me and therefore you don't exist. And we had that as Maori. You must call yourself a New Zealander and that's fine. But I am Maori. I am. I am from this land. I am not of Maori descent. I am Maori, but I am of European descent. I don't live in Europe anymore. OK, you are our hopes for the future. And if when you get older there are others who may need a change, which is maybe not what you think. Please understand them how they feel. I'll tell you one thing. I love being a minority. I put the Treaty of Waitangi at every place I can I said, Oh, I think I have that Under the Treaty of Waitangi I can cross the road now I you can't hit me under the Treaty of Waitangi. I on this road. All right, So I have some humour with it. Support each other. Support these people who have fought and new people here. Look out for these ones. Look out for these ones. People like Kayla. You have treasured me when I have gone through hard times. So have you. You have treasured me. You have helped me come to terms with things. I can't thank you enough for that. It just is. It just is. But now we asked you to do another one. Please, For these young ones. Be with them. Be with them. Please don't judge us. No. Well, yeah, a little bit. A little bit. Like I said. Plenty of time to sort of relax. When you're dead, stay alive. Be alive and too much lying down. Then people will think you're dead. But stand up and they will know you're alive. You see, we are part of you and you are part of us. And thank God there's change all the time. It's great. OK, my way up. Hey. So what we say is this Who will look after the Finns when we have gone? We asked that it be you Did it be you let it be you. Thank you for that. Um, that was really beautiful. Thank you so much. It's really an honour to have you here and have you speak. Um, and I really don't know how to follow what you've just did. I feel like you've summed it all up. Um, thank you so much. Um, thank you so much, everyone for being here today, Uh, it means so much to me and everyone else on the team that's been putting this project together. Um, so yeah. So for those of you who don't know me, uh, my name is will I was the trans person that te Papa contracted to do this project. Um, with the public programmes team. Uh, when I was six years old, I used to live in Wellington, and I used to be my parents every weekend to come to te Papa. Um and so it's really beyond amazing to be with working alongside now. It's really as a childhood dream come true. So, um yeah, and to work into on trans stuff, which, as we all know is the best stuff, um is is really really beyond, uh, didn't think I'd get to do this. So there's really nothing more I care about than, uh, recording, preserving and, uh, sharing, uh, trans and queer history. So, um, I'm really thrilled to have this experience. Um, I want to do a whole bunch of Thank you, Uh, firstly, and most for, um, you know, everyone that's made this project possible. Uh, particularly the The folks at gender minorities, Um, who have held me accountable and encouraged me to do better. Um, this project really would have been impossible without the enthusiasm and time. Um, and just dedication that G MA have, uh, put towards this project. Um, most especially, uh, so I really can't thank you. All of you from G MA enough for, um, your guidance and your energy. Um, I have to give a special shout out to Kayla. Kayla, I know you're sick of me saying thank you and sorry all the time. Um, but I really do mean it. And I have to say one more big. Thank you. Uh, you've been so helpful, and you've put up with all my phone calls and and, uh, and and all my modelling and all my a a lack of clear, uh, clear speaking, which I'm exhibiting right now. Um, so and the way you've been able to pull everyone together and marshal the troops and just support me and encourage me, um has been really, really lovely. So thank you so much. It means so much to me that you're here and that you managed to get everyone here, Um, a huge thank you. Also to the other facilitators and volunteers who we coordinate with to bring this project to life, especially Rosie and Compass from inside out. Um, so Marco and Oscar from transform? Uh, you've all been so lovely to work with and really great at handling my bed time arrangement. So, uh, thank you for that. Um, and to the team, it's a curators. Step and clear, Uh, for all your work on trans collections and getting me on board, Daniel, for all your enthusiasm and your dedication and doing all these beautiful photographs with just a a black scarf and and all of that, You did such a spectacular job, and they look so awesome. Thank you, Daniel. Um, Victoria, who unfortunately, couldn't be here today, but she has been so amazing and brought so much joy to the project and is such a master of copyright. So we're really grateful to have her on the team. Um uh, Amber, who made the incredible zine, which you're all welcome to take on a copy of I hope you all liked our surprise. Um, and anyone who's not here who have participated in the project, if you tell them to get in touch with us, we'll send them, You know, a copy of it. Um, and a few stories didn't make it in time because we had a deadline to obviously print those off. Uh, but we'll put those in, and we can send out, uh, copies if anyone wants them, so just let us know. Um, but most of all, I really, really want to thank Allie. Allie Holland, Um, from my public programmes teammate. It just really wouldn't have happened without Ellie. It was all Ellie's idea. Even though she says she gets shaking her head and saying in this museum of trans and stuff, But she was the one who actually decided to, uh, you know, create who she was the one who made this whole thing happen. Um, and all has started off as just a cool colleague. Um um but actually has become one of my really good friends and has been really helpful to me, even through a couple of breakdowns, which I had. So thank you, Ellie. Um, you're someone who's so passionate about using the power of, um, museums to uplift communities and to record stories, and it's really inspiring. And it's really, um, made me think completely differently, actually, about what I want to continue doing. So Thank you, Ellie. Um, most importantly, though, an enormous thank you to all of you. Who, um, gave your who who participated in this project. Um, thank you for being so open hearted and so willing to share stories of your lives with us. Um, some of your stories have been really personal and vulnerable, and it means a lot to me and to everyone else involved with this, um, that you've trusted us with preserving and sharing them. Um, and I can't tell you how much I really do believe that it will mean to people 10, 2030 50 100 years from now. Um, this is gonna be an Evergreen project we have, Right. So it'll be It'll be there, which is really cool. Um, so, yeah. I mean, if I'm from being really honest, I have found the last kind of couple of months, uh, pretty tough in terms of. There's been a lot of tough stuff going on. I'm sure a lot of you share, uh, share how I've been feeling. I mean, we've been fighting all of this stuff for a long time, but in particular for me, even in the last few weeks. I mean, anti trans really happening at Parliament on Friday. It's a pretty, um, intense. Kind of, uh, it's been quite an intense time. Um, it feels kind of like it's almost every day that you see something in the news about, you know, speak up for women or all of those anti trans groups, uh, who are trying to define us out of existence. Um, they don't want us, Uh, especially trans women in particular. Right. They target trans women most especially, and they don't want trans women in bathrooms. They don't want trans people in sports teams. They don't want trans people to be here. And, uh, I think this is really cool. It's been This is what's kind of uplifted me through. All of that is talking to all of you through this project because it's like, tough luck, trans phobes. We've always been here. We're always gonna be here. We're at least always gonna be online on a So so, uh, you know, you It's, you know, our stories are now being platformed by a national museum, which is, I think, really, really cool, Um, and really important. And it means, you know, we just I think in general we should let no one deny us. Um, our our trans history, Uh, we have so much to be grateful to our elders for, especially the strong waka, uh, who have continued who have and who continue to lead the way for us. Um, and I'm so grateful that that some of you could join us today. I know you smile on me because I keep saying thank you. Um, but I'm really proud that, uh, we can preserve a bit of that history which is happening today right now, which is a intergenerational history, of course. Um, so that future generations have something to look back on. Um, this collection of trans stories is really beautiful and really diverse. I think it makes a really clear statement that there are so many different ways of being and doing Trans. Um, and I think that that's just so lovely. And I think that it's also really funny that I was more surprised by someone bringing along a laptop than I was over. So that's that's something you don't get often. Um, uh, we I think when we're when we've been doing this project, what we've really been trying to do is hold space. For all the diversity of experience here, um, the most important thing, as Rangi Moana said, is that that we can do for each other is to listen with an open heart and an open mind. Some of us, you know, might find certain words or out theres, uh, ideas outdated. Others of us might find them too newfangled. And, uh, some of us might place importance on surgery. Others couldn't care less. Um, some of us might not feel all too similar to another person who uses the same words as ourselves to describe themselves. Um, and we might all feel we might some of us feel uneasy to be sitting under the same umbrella, uh, trans umbrella. But I ask you, if you do feel uneasy to, I encourage you to think about your uneasiness and ask yourself why you feel that way. Because when we think about it, none of us are only Trans. We are all so many other things, and we all bring our uniqueness and all of our understandings and other parts of our lives back into our experience of being trans and understanding what trans means to each of us. So none of us is less right than the other. None of us is less important than the other. And I think it's really vital, as Ray Moana really eloquently said that, uh, we not be dismissive of those identities. We do not understand. Um and I think, um, for me personally, I think that the beauty of trans communities is that we have such diversity right? And we have sometimes confusion, and I think that we can find a lot of joy in that confusion. Um, and I think that's that's something to be celebrated. Um, and I think as equally as we need to recognise and respect all of our different experiences of gender. We also need to recognise that there is something that has connected us all and brought us all into the room together. And that is the joy that we all take in being who we are against any others who would tell us that we should not be. That is that we have not We have come to We have been able to come here together today because all of us, as Trans people, have, uh, been able to figure out something about ourselves that others have Maybe made it difficult. Maybe not, but for probably a lot of us have, um and that takes, I think, a lot of strength. So I think that we should embrace each other as we do ourselves, uh, with open hearts and open minds. Um, and that's really what trans pride means to me. Uh, so thank you all so much for being a part of this. I'm sorry. I rambled on quite a long. Um, I didn't practise this first, which I should have. Um but now I want to open the floor to anyone else who wants to speak no pressure. Only if you want to uh, share the story of your object. We gotta keep it relatively short, cos uh, we've only got a limited amount of time. Um, so if anyone would like to take the first leap, Thank you. So thank you. This happens to me all the time. Um, like, for example, we have a candlelight memorial once a year, and it's to remember all those of our friends who have passed away from HIV and AIDS. Um, that has a very special place in my heart because so many of my friends through the years and decades have actually passed on from HIV and a IS. So I'm there along to support any programme that they do. And yes, it does affect us in a big way. It's a silent thing we don't talk about, but we've got to acknowledge it. Um, the reason I got up is because I was sitting there and I was listening to Oh, well, sorry, I've got my glasses on. I actually had a photo, which I showed Well, and, um, I chose that it was done many years ago down in Christchurch at a and, um, I was the only transsexual there, and the rest of them, believe it or not, or actually, your age or younger. And that pre predates the whole transgender movement. Bring, you know, when transgender, the word term come out to the forefront. This precedes that. So that was like and it made me think, and I was like, Well, I was there with these people, and they kicked it off, so they sort of also had part of, um, how easy it is these days. A little bit easier for you. Um, for all of you here. Um, from personally, I don't back down. I love a good debate. Um, I actually learned over the years to communicate, Understand? Listen, be tolerant of any other gender parent show, uh, had stated before my myself and my friends have been through a Sorry, um, I just speak clearly. We've been through a shitload of stuff over the years, but not only for our rights, our rights to survive. We have to face that to me. When I was growing up, um, I got to the point. I've been through the whole spectrum, and then I suddenly realised this is not me. Then I realised I'm actually transsexual and I've progressed, but to be who you are, you have got to realise first and foremost to keep it in your mind. Realise all the crap the bull bullying, the violence, negativity, their pronouns, discrimination, prejudice, medical, uh, discrimination. All of that. What people throw out at you, You got to take it to be who you are. I took it and look at me now. I mean, I've got gorgeous friends. Um, What's the life? Yeah, but to me, I realise you've got to take it in what society? Throw it out if you're gay and they call you like the F word or queer. If you want to be who you are and stand up and progress, you take it on board and say, Well, yeah, that's part of the, um, part of my journey. You eventually let that stuff eventually get gets old and goes away, and they've got no reason to say it anymore. Um, what I'm sort of trying to say is that I was quite exclusive. Yeah, I said it. Um, as far as when I was mentioned before, I didn't and wouldn't recognise any other gender apart from myself. However, when will come up I had decided to approach me etcetera, and I pulled out the photo. Since then, in the last few weeks, sort of thing. I've been thinking. No, I can't do this just for myself. I gotta help young people. And that's well, apparently the path of my life at the moment. So at the end, the the photo I had done I had done, um, And at the end of it, um, I did say that I will speak for those who can't be heard, and I'll make sure our trans histories are never forgotten. Thank you. Thank you so much. Kayla. Um, and you really? You already have been doing work to make sure our transistors have not been forgotten. So, you know, thank you. 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: 2010s ; Aotearoa New Zealand ; Christchurch ; Coming Up ; Europe ; God ; Hawaii ; Holland ; Job ; Kay'la Riarn ; Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa ; Older People ; People ; Rangimoana Taylor ; Space ; Stuff ; Tokyo ; Trans Past, Trans Present: Making Trans Histories ; Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminism (TERF) ; Waitangi ; Wellington ; Will Hansen ; bathrooms ; bear ; beauty ; board ; bullying ; change ; chocolate ; clubs ; conference ; copyright ; data ; discrimination ; diversity ; dream ; elders ; energy ; face ; friends ; future ; gay ; gender ; gratitude ; guidance ; haka ; history ; hit ; hope ; hotel ; intergenerational ; journey ; love ; maui ; media ; memorial ; minority ; modeling ; museums ; news ; other ; parents ; police ; power ; prejudice ; prison ; pronouns ; queer ; racism ; rally ; respect ; sad ; sleep ; smile ; spectrum ; straight ; strength ; struggle ; support ; surgery ; takatāpui ; time ; touch ; tough ; trans ; trans pride ; trans umbrella ; transexual ; transgender ; treaty ; understanding ; uniqueness ; violence ; wahine ; water ; whakawahine ; women ; work. The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/launch_of_trans_past_trans_present_making_trans_histories.html. The master recording is also archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand.  For more details visit their website https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.1089873. Please note that this document may contain errors or omissions - you should always refer back to the original recording to confirm content.