The title of this recording is "Ethan - Q12". It is described as: Ethan talks about being young and gay in 2012. It was recorded in New Plymouth, Taranaki on the 10th August 2012. The duration of the recording is 13 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. A brief description of the recording is: In this podcast Ethan talks about being young and gay in 2012. The content in the recording covers the 2010s decade. A brief summary of the recording is: In an audio recording titled "Ethan - Q12" from August 10, 2012, Ethan shares the experiences of being young and gay in the early 2010s. The podcast, set in New Plymouth, Taranaki, captures Ethan discussing various aspects of their identity and life. Ethan self-describes as open-minded with a penchant for the arts, music, and auto repair, hinting at a multifaceted personality that defies simple categorization. Their casual demeanor is emphasized by an unorthodox choice of attire - a formal tie paired with non-school-regulation clothing. The conversation delves into Ethan's participation in specific community groups including car clubs and LGBTQ organizations. Ethan identifies as male and gay, stressing that both their sexual and gender identities align with maleness, and they report a European New Zealand ethnicity. The discussion transitions to the process of Ethan's self-discovery, beginning with an exploration of bisexuality in 2009 and culminating in the realization of being gay by the end of the following year. Contrary to a strictly Christian upbringing, Ethan embraced the unexpected nature of their attractions. Ethan's coming out journey underscores the complexities faced. Despite initial concealment due to the likelihood of it being a shock in their small school environment, the disclosure to close friends, select educators described as akin to family, and eventually an open "raging homosexual" identity was met with mixed reactions. Ethan's full disclosure to their family came after they confided in their friends and required a temporary period of moving between friends' homes to allow family members time to adjust. The interviewer touches on the impact of coming out on relationships with peers and teachers, the majority of whom reacted with surprise yet support. Ethan's revelation to their family prompted a temporary estrangement, but they eventually returned home. Ethan expresses fulfillment in joining an LGBTQ group, which has become akin to a family. This group attempts to integrate into the broader Taranaki community, offering Ethan a space for belonging and support. Ethan notes that the group, although still finding its place, is seen as valuable and closely-knit. Regarding relationships, Ethan remarks on having multiple partners, some of whom were not publicly out, creating tensions that sometimes led to the breakdown of those relationships. Ethan advocates for being able to express public displays of affection within reason and depending on the setting. Meeting others in the LGBTQ community often occurs through the group or through spontaneous social interactions. A known hangout for LGBTQ individuals in Taranaki is hinted at but not explicitly named to preserve privacy. On the topic of virginity, Ethan takes a traditional stance, defining it as not having had sex, while acknowledging the subjectivity of the concept. Lastly, Ethan discusses facing homophobic abuse, particularly in school settings, choosing resilience over confrontation. The supportive role of school counselors is highlighted, with Ethan noting how crucial it is for them to be progressive and inclusive, especially supporting LGBTQ youth. Despite initial fear and nervousness, Ethan concludes the conversation with a sense of liberation after coming out. Free from secrecy and empowered to live authentically, Ethan emphasizes the joy and support found within their community. The full transcription of the recording begins:  Hello. How are you today? I'm very good. Thank you. How are you? Good. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Um, what do you want to know? Well, um, tell us about your personality. What do you do? Um, Anything, Um, personality wise. I'm really open minded. I'm a bit crazy. Sometimes. You'll get used to that. Um, I like to paint. I like to write music, play instruments, fix cars. Yeah, that's pretty much all I do really got the whole tie thing going on. You got so formal. You were I didn't have any time to, um, change before I came in from school. So fair enough. The is not school regulation, but I don't give a shit. So, um, what I was gonna say. So what do you like to do? Like interests? Hobbies, right? Music, fixed cars, fix a car person. Very much so. I've got three of mine classic cars. Yeah. Are you involved with the Taranaki community a lot? Um, yes, and no. Only certain parts of it, Like car clubs. LGBT Q. Um, that's pretty much it, actually. So, um, what is your sex? As in gender? I'm a male What is your gender identity? I'm gay. Sex? Yes. Did Your identity is also male. It's also everything male. And, um, what culture are you? Or ethnicity? Uh, New Zealand. European. So, um, you're a gay male. Uh, when did you realise? Um, well, I thought Oh, I know. I was by since 2009, and I've only just realise that I'm gay at these at the end of last year. Yeah. Um, how did you feel when you felt that you were attracted to the same gender or sex? I was surprised, actually, because my parents brought me up strictly Christian. What sort of crap? But I don't really believe in all that sort of stuff, so I'm quite out of the norm. You're very like, strictly I don't care about spirituality or religious kind of thing. I'm me blah, blah, blah. Kind of pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, so you're quite shocked about this? I was like, Hm. That's new. Uh, no, I could go this way. This is different. I like it. Yeah. So you had to Did you feel like you had to keep it secret from people at at first? Yes, because um, was this, um, all my friends there was I knew no gay people or white people. And because most schools are so small and there's everyone knows me so well, and they would be shocked to know if I was gay or like that. So I didn't want to tell him as sudden as I could have. Are you actually out at the moment or completely, completely raging homosexual? Just look at my tie. You got the whole pink tie going? Yeah, The green beanie, the shirts, the pants. When did you come out? At the start of last year. Last year? Yeah. Yeah. Um who did you come out to first? Ah, First I came out to my best friend, and then I came out to a couple of my teachers who I like a lot like the family. Pretty much the close teachers. And then did you come out to your family after that? Funny enough, my family was the last people I know of. Was it when you told your friends were, um are you with at school for your friends at the same same friends or stuff like that? Did they start telling everybody or they skipped it to themselves. Um, the ones I told to keep to themselves, they did, which is good. But the others, they just didn't really mind. They didn't know who knew or whatever. So it actually spread like wildfire. End of the day, Not in a small school. That that's that's actually quite shocking. Really? Yeah, because you'll think that by the end of the day, everybody will know pretty much. I thought that, too. But it didn't happen. It didn't happen. No, I was very surprised. Did you think? Did you ever think in a way that that's your way of trying to get everybody to know is to tell someone and get them to tell everybody else? I thought about that. But that's not That's not how I am. I have to tell everyone by myself. So, um, what is being Was it like being in the group that you're in right now? Really awesome. All these people, they're pretty much family now. I've known them for a pretty short time, and we we're just a close knit group. Really? It's really good. So, um, are they quite involved with the Taranaki community? Yep. I would say so try to be at least try to Yeah. Yeah. So, um, what were the main reactions you got on when you were coming out? Um, from my teachers, they were surprised, but they were good about it. And friends? Pretty much the same. And parents, I don't know because I didn't stick around that long. Are you not living with your parents now? I am now. But when I told them I ran away for a couple of weeks just to let things settle, settle there and let them come to terms with it. Did you stay with a friend? I stayed with lots of friends. Oh, just moving from house to house. Yeah, and all their parents did their parents know or some of them did. But I'm not sure a couple of them did. I don't know. Well, I probably know now, but yeah, So it was like going from house to house. Was it a bit difficult for you doing that or No, it was really easy. Oh, this casually turned up pretty much. Yeah. Hi. Yeah, I'm his friend. Yeah, Yeah. Can I stay? I can. Awesome. Why am I doing it? Long story. Very long. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, how do you feel about, um, after telling everybody and stuff? I feel really great. Actually, no more hiding who I am. I can be me. Finally. How do you feel? How did you feel at the time? Really? Really nervous. Very scared. Very scared. Yeah. Unpredictable environment kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, did you have support that helped you with, um Well, you probably did have support for otherwise you wouldn't be going from house to house to staying with. Yeah, I had my friends and a couple of teachers And my counsellor. When did you start joining the LGBT Group? Pretty much since it first began. When was that? Um, February, I think. This year. Oh, so all all brand new? Pretty much. Yeah. So, um, so as a group, so being a new group, it's still coming to terms. Still coming into the community in a way and coming out to the community, It like it like a little child. Yeah. Yeah. So you love it? Yeah, it's awesome. Yeah. So, um, have you been in a relationship before? I've been in a few in a few. I'm just I've just come out of fun. So, being all out has that ever affected your relationship Being extremely out, uh, being, um, being extremely out Has that ever affected your relationship? No. Has, uh, have has your relationships your partners have Were they out as well? Um, most of them were. But one guy he wasn't. So was it slightly hard to do? It was, in fact, that's why I ended it. Because I couldn't have him living alone. Have both of us living alone. Yeah. Without, um, was it P A public affection. And you like. Do you like doing public affection? Um, depends where I am. I mean, there's levels not extremely like walking down the street holding hands. That's fine with me. But, like in a public restaurant or something like that, it's a bit awkward going to a movie theatre. A movie theatre is all right. Don't elaborate. Um, so how do you meet other people in the community? Um, mainly through the group. Yep. And I just walk out the door and to say hi to random people and hi, I'm gay. You are too. Well, yeah, it's always a bonus. You hope so. What's the major, the big hang out place on Taranaki for, um, LGBT. People here at wave at downstairs wave down the base. Don't say that. Yeah, we have this place called the basement in Auckland. That that? Yeah, that's all you need to know. Don't make it sound like that Here. No, it's nothing like that here. No, no. You like tea and coffee and studio in a room in a room? Yeah. So, um, I what is your definition in virginity? Never had sex. No, I'm not. I'm not asking you. Are you a virgin? But is that your definition? Yeah, pretty much. Do you think someone who's never had sex, someone who's never had a relationship or anything Do? Do you think there are different types of virginity? Yeah, because that's just my view of it. There's plenty of other views of it, So yeah, that's just your opinion and specific type Life. Yeah. Yeah. So have you ever received abusive behaviour or abuse because of your sexuality or gender identity? I have, Yes. Would you like to elaborate? Um, around schools. Some of the people, um, they don't like gays at all, so they're always putting me down calling me a fag and all that, but I just turn the other cheek and walk off. Have you, um, ever seen a school counsellor? Yes. Yeah, which, uh, have they been quite good with sexuality or talking to you and stuff? Yeah. They've been really good with it. Um, I know that there's a lot of school counsellors that aren't actually very supportive. So and it's one. A good key issue that we need to touch on in, um, in New Zealand is to make sure that everybody is equal, especially with school counsellors. So, yeah. So he's being all good and stuff like that. Yeah. Yeah. Does he know about the group? Yes. Actually, he He's the one who told me about it. He's the one that told you about it? Yeah, he told me about it. Then I went to a different counsellor. Then they said that there was a group starting up and so went second week. So people are starting to get to know about the group and stuff like that. Yeah. Yeah. So I see that everybody is so everybody is so close in the, um in your group and community in a way Yeah, it's very It's very. Is it because it's a small community in general, or, um, I think that is a a main factor of it, but it's just because they're such good people. That is so close. Ok, well, uh, thank you very much for the interview. You're very welcome. 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 ; Iran ; LGBT ; Netflix ; New Plymouth ; People ; Q12 (series) ; Stuff ; Taranaki ; Taranaki LGBTQ ; Waves Taranaki ; We Are Who We Are ; abuse ; arts ; bisexual ; cars ; change ; clubs ; coffee ; coming out ; community ; counselling ; culture ; democracy ; environment ; fag ; family ; friends ; fruit ; fun ; gay ; gender ; gender identity ; hiding ; holding hands ; homophobia ; homosexual ; identity ; law ; love ; music ; normal ; other ; pa ; painting ; pants ; parents ; podcast ; public display of affection (PDA) ; rainbow ; regions ; relationships ; religion ; runaway ; school ; school counselor ; security ; sex ; sexuality ; spirituality ; support ; time ; touch ; virginity ; walking ; youth. The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/q12_ethan.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.1089304. Please note that this document may contain errors or omissions - you should always refer back to the original recording to confirm content.