Just because few parties have released LGBTQI+ policies doesn’t mean the rainbow community won’t hold them to account. A new policy tool highlights the rainbow policies that matter this year, and which parties support them. “For Queer people, politics is personal – we neither have the luxury nor privilege to keep our lives outside politics.” … Read more
It breaks my heart to think of young queer and trans people seeing this sign, and thinking there are no spaces where they will ever belong, writes Hadassah Grace. The first time I ventured into a gay bar, I vowed never to go back. It was a vulnerable time in my life. My early twenties … Read more
Companies are paying thousands for a Rainbow Tick to show their workplaces are safe for LGBTQI people. But does the certification really do what it purports to? Digital journalist Murphy reports for RNZ. Kim sits in the car on her way in to work – she’s crying, she doesn’t want to go in. She woke up … Read more
Cricketer James Faulkner ‘came out’ on social media this week, except it all turned out to be a joke. Jack Cottrel responds. It must have been a surreal experience. One dumb in-joke and the next morning, you’ve come out as gay. Or not. Australian cricketer James Faulkner yesterday trotted out what, in context, is some … Read more
Alex Casey chats to Leilani Tominiko, aka Candy Lee, about raising trans awareness from the wrestling ring. If Candy Lee offers you a Gobstopper, don’t take it. It doesn’t mean what you think it means. One of her signature wrestling moves, it involves one heavy black boot, one swift kick to the side of the head, … Read more
Even if you can’t have kids naturally, that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be a parent, writes Sharyn Graham Davies. “If you can’t have kids naturally through heterosexual intercourse, then you’re not meant to have kids. We already live in an over-populated world. There are almost 8 billion of us.” “We shouldn’t waste time, … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Pride events take place over weekend in Auckland, analysis of why the Air NZ flight was turned back from China, and working groups abound on mental health. In the end, it wasn’t the disaster that many had predicted. The Auckland Pride march still went ahead, heading from … Read more
A decision to ban uniformed police officers from marching in the Auckland Pride Parade has proven controversial. In a column first published on RNZ, activist Laura O’Connell Rapira explains why the thinking behind the decision matters so much. The Auckland Pride Board have banned police from marching in uniform next year because police uniforms represent oppression and … Read more
Could this be the gayest video game guide ever? Kermath shares his definitive guide to the games coming up over the next 12 months – and which Grindr tribe they belong to. The main game announcements for 2018/early 2019 have pretty much all been made. Outside it’s cold, work is shit, and you have nothing … Read more
Shout Out, presented by RainbowYOUTH and part of Auckland Pride Festival, is an open-mic dedicated to the talents of young queer individuals. This piece on privilege, written by The Spinoff’s Sam Brooks, will be performed at the event. Privilege, at its core, is power. Privilege is something that’s on everybody’s mind as we move into … Read more
Stats NZ’s decision to exclude sex, gender and sexuality from its upcoming census has come in for criticism from the queer community. But it turns out businesses in New Zealand – most recently Southern Cross Health Society – are already well ahead of the curve. Despite announcing back in 2015 that ‘gender diverse’ would join … Read more
In the second instalment of Sam’s Celebrity Game Reviews, Sam takes a spin on a five year old game fronted by a somewhat successful and famous-within-a-specific-niche sportsman. Previously on Sam’s Celebrity Game Reviews: Demi Lovato – Path to Fame I’m going to be honest with you, when I was scrambling through lists of celebrity mobile … Read more
As we near the end of Pride Month, the Spinoff Parents is sharing some stories from Rainbow families. First off, a story of getting pregnant from a lesbian couple who wish to remain anonymous. Content warning: This post talks about fertility and conception and may be upsetting to couples who are trying to conceive. For … Read more
Felix Desmarais rewatches The L Word, one of the first mainstream TV shows to put queer voices on the small screen. The year is 2005. In the dark – past midnight – in the lounge, I am lit by the glow of The L Word on TV and I am feeling things. They are very teenage things. … Read more
Author Chaz Harris on growing up without positive gay role models in a homophobic world – and how he’s created Promised Land, a fairytale so that our children don’t go through the same. I was at the last Out in the Park with my golden tutu-d and pink gumbooted little boy. We had marched in the parade as … Read more
Pacific nations have been upbraided for failing to make advances on LGBTI rights. But too many overlook the impact of colonisation, the stranglehold of the church and alternate conceptions of gender identity, writes Patrick Thomsen As Australia flip-flopped over its same-sex marriage vote, retired Australian High Court Judge Michael Kirby earlier this month accused Pacific … Read more
Hayden Donnell spoke to the captain of New Zealand’s only gay rugby team – the NZ Falcons – about the worst 10 minutes of sports radio in history, and what the NZRU and the All Blacks can do to make things better. On Monday, Mark Watson announced Controversy Corner is no more. By all accounts, … Read more
Madeleine Holden examines the damaging narratives that have surfaced in response to Orlando attacker Omar Mateen’s personal life. In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history, reports are surfacing that the Orlando shooter, Omar Mateen, was gay—or, at least, struggled with his sexuality and frequented gay clubs, with accounts on gay … Read more
It’s smartly written, hilariously weird and gloriously LGBT-positive. Sam Brooks explains why Ru-Paul’s Drag Race is the most uplifting reality show on television. “Gentlemen, start your engines! And may the best woman win!” How do you cover a show like RuPaul’s Drag Race, a show about to go into its eighth season with its own … Read more
The medium is now the message, even more than it has ever been. Gay writer and documentary maker David Herkt examines the tragedies and triumphs of homosexual life as reflected in the TV media culture of mid-20th century New Zealand. There was Peter Sinclair, Lew Pryme – and then there was Hudson & Halls… At … Read more