In the wake of the OFLC report Breaking Down Porn, an academic studying the gendered influence of pornography urges people not to panic, but to be aware of when – and why – pornography becomes problematic. Contemporary pornography is immensely popular, accessible and mostly free via pornographic ‘tube’ sites such as Pornhub, Xvideos, Youporn and … Read more
The government would argue it’s on track to reduce child poverty significantly by the next reporting round, and culture change is well underway at Work and Income. But change at WINZ is a slow-moving process. Pip Colgan is an advocate at Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP), which means she spends a lot of her life at … Read more
Five New Zealanders from across cultural spaces explain what it is they love about basketball. Historically, basketball has always held a relatively small but special in Aotearoa’s sporting landscape. The NBL was established in 1981, giving provinces the chance to duke it out for national supremacy. In 2002 the Tall Blacks shocked the basketball world … Read more
A woman who went on a Tinder date with the man who murdered Grace Millane tells her story, and issues a warning to other women to trust their instincts when something doesn’t feel right. First published on Newshub.co.nz I went on a date with Grace Millane’s killer while her body lay in his apartment. Yes, … Read more
In the latest episode of On The Rag, based on the podcast of the same name, watch as Alex Casey, Michèle A’Court and Leonie Hayden get real about women and safety. Fasten your seatbelts and hold onto your tits, the seventh episode of On the Rag is all about safety. What did we learn about safety … Read more
Tara Ward remembers the book that made every school project sing. If you went school in New Zealand during the ‘80s and ‘90s, there’s one book you’ll remember. The deep blue cover will be etched into your memory, the hand sketched drawings seared onto your emotional core. It was The Lettering Book, a wondrous volume of … Read more
As the Labour party prepares to release the findings of an investigation into its handling of sexual assault allegations, another ex-volunteer, who approached The Spinoff after the publication of Sarah’s story, shares her experience. The Labour Party’s response follows. I was heading home from work in March, 2016 when I saw my sexual assault in … Read more
Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden and Michèle A’Court tackle the past month in women, with thanks to our friends at The Women’s Bookshop. As Christmas breathes down our necks and summer threatens us with bikini waxing, it’s time to have a bit of a rage. November was a rough month for women in New Zealand. The Grace … Read more
The ruling from the broadcasting regulator on a plainly anti-Semitic comment is unacceptable and suggests we have failed to learn the lessons of March 15, writes Juliet Moses of the NZ Jewish Council. Yesterday a ruling came out from the Broadcasting Standards Authority, otherwise known as the BSA, that was, frankly, BS. It considered whether … Read more
I know the humanity of New Zealanders is far greater than the zero empathy of a cartoonist and his bosses at a newspaper I will never bother reading again. But it still hurts, writes Christine Ammunson. There’s one thing about going home to Sāmoa you can’t get away from and that’s the beautiful babies. They … Read more
Christmas is celebrated by many as a time of joy and togetherness, but the holiday season can also add a whole new set of pressures for Kiwis living in need. Alex Casey talks to three charities who are working with The Warehouse this Christmas to lighten the load for those who need it most. Sometimes, … Read more
The tail end of 2018 witnessed fiery debate over the future direction of Auckland Pride. A year later, Jade Winterburn reflects on the developments since then and what that means for the future of Pride. There has never been a moment where I was prouder to be queer than during this year’s OurMarch – a … Read more
By changing the logo, the Super Rugby side is admitting that the brand is problematic – but they haven’t actually changed the crucially problematic bit, writes Jamie Wall. OK, so there’s finally been a bit of movement in one of the biggest rugby issues of the year. The only problem is it hasn’t gone very … Read more
As the death toll grows, the immunisation campaign is crucial. At a time like this individuals spreading nonsense is downright dangerous, writes Madeleine Chapman. As of November 27, there have been 33 confirmed measles-related deaths in Sāmoa, 29 of them children. There have been 2,686 confirmed cases of measles in the current outbreak, in a … Read more
We know that implicit bias exists in our society. It exists in our workplaces, it exists in our schools, and exists when our police use guns, writes Fa’anana Efeso Collins, a former researcher in youth gangs and currently councillor for Manukau. Earlier this year I went along to the Pasifika Youth Court as an observer. … Read more
I want to reflect the complexities of disabled people’s lived experiences and identities – and on our own terms, writes Michelle Walmsley. Featured in a 1972 film called To Help a Crippled Child are images of disabled children playing and interacting with their families. They are also depicted in educational environments and towards the end … Read more
The Side Eye is a monthly non-fiction comic by Toby Morris, supported by NZ On Air. Read the rest of the series here.
The ‘rough sex gone wrong’ defence is on the rise in the UK – and, alarmingly, it sometimes works, writes Louse Perry of the We Can’t Consent To This campaign, which documents such cases Millions of people around the world now know the most intimate details about Grace Millane’s life and death, but we still … Read more
A gargantuan gaggle of Auckland’s most feared waterfowl have been served an eviction notice. But where are they really going? Alice Neville investigates. “A nice farm up north.” We all know a problematic animal who’s been subject to that euphemistic fate. A bitey dog, a skittish goat, a rabid rabbit (shout-out to my childhood pet … Read more
At the Auckland High Court, I watched a trial unfolding as a crucible of modern gender and sexual politics under the spotlight of unprecedented media coverage, writes Nicola Gavey. See also: Defending the indefensible: On the Grace Millane trial and victim blaming Justice for Grace Millane. Now let’s now change how we talk about blame … Read more
The evidence about Grace Millane’s past put forward by the defence team was not only directly relevant, but treated carefully and with respect, argues Khylee Quince, associate professor in the School of Law at AUT. When Oscar Wilde referred to the practice of law as “vulgar” he was likely thinking of the contest that is … Read more
Himali McInnes has been torn between identities and countries her entire life. Here, she tells her story: of Sri Lanka and civil war, of the UK and normality, and of New Zealand and its unspoken past. “I stick it like I’m cinnamon ..I live it like a citizen” – Luka Lesson, ‘Please Resist Me’ The … Read more
Hannah McGowan has written before about the untold harm done by WINZ restrictions on beneficiaries forming romantic relationships. She thought she knew how bad it could get, and then she heard Amy’s story. Names have been changed to protect privacy. A response from the Ministry of Social Development is below. Seven years ago, a young … Read more
Since the death of of Grace Millane, a visitor to New Zealand, last year, countless emotions have been stirred. The trial of recent weeks will have returned those to the surface. In this post, updated from an earlier version published in December, we offer some suggestions on how to channel the sadness, hurt and anger. … Read more
A jury at the Auckland High Court has this evening unanimously agreed a guilty verdict against the 27-year-old charged with the murder of Grace Millane. He is remanded in custody until sentencing on February 21 next year. The decision brings justice for Grace’s family. But in the course of the trial, and the laying out … Read more
From academia to activism to media, Asian women are often ridiculed, overlooked and dismissed. Helen Yeung talks to Asian New Zealand women about the everyday racism they face – and how they’re fighting back. Last year, I was at the launch of an academic journal which included my essay on East Asian erotica. The essay … Read more
There’s been outrage since it was revealed that up to one in five final year medical students at the University of Otago falsified their overseas placements by spending portions of that time travelling instead. But GP registrar and former Otago medical student Toby Hills finds himself empathising deeply with his younger colleagues. One of the … Read more
The main problem with HIV today is stigma – and it is almost entirely based on outdated information and fear, says Mark Fisher of HIV+ support organisation Body Positive ahead of the World AIDS Day Festival which opens in Auckland tomorrow. A person living with HIV on effective treatment cannot pass it on. Yes, it’s … Read more
Organisations from across Auckland have gathered to come up with solutions to make the city safer for women at night – including a commitment from Uber NZ to make it easier to report harassment and abuse, write Emma McInnes and Amanda Gilmore. Over 70% of women in Aotearoa have been a victim of street harassment … Read more