Straight Up | Issue 7

Posted 3:53pm Sunday 15th April 2012

The questions I have been pondering this week are: To what extent is desire political? And what are the ethics of proclaiming desire? I am thinking about this with reference to online dating in particular, which is a super common way for queer folks to meet. It has been a while since I have forayed Read more...

Straight Up | Issue 6

Posted 7:07pm Sunday 1st April 2012

“Queer” is often used as a composite term for sex, sexuality and gender non-normative communities in Aotearoa. It is commonly used as an alternative to “LGBT” in order to be more encompassing of identities/behaviours outside this acronym. Questions about queer often come up from both outside Read more...

Straight Up | Issue 5

Posted 4:26pm Sunday 25th March 2012

In case you missed it, this week’s NZ trans-queer news was over the “glitter bombing” of feminist writer and commentator Germaine Greer. The action was undertaken once again by the Wellington-based Queer Avengers, who tipped glitter all over the seated septuagenarian, who appeared stunned in Read more...

Straight Up | Issue 4

Posted 4:27pm Sunday 18th March 2012

Hey Hetero, try harder! I have done loads of sexuality/gender identity awareness trainings in my time. Unfortunately they are often repackaged as “diversity” training because some people find sexuality/gender identity too embarrassing or political to say. Fact is, sunshine, when I do Read more...

Straight Up | Issue 3

Posted 6:37pm Sunday 11th March 2012

Oh that’s it. (Cracks knuckles, removes rings). I’m mad. This piece is in solidarity with the Wellington based group the Queer Avengers who protested outside the Dominion Post Wellington offices last week. Their protest was organised in response to an article “Why I feel for the kids of Read more...

Straight Up | Issue 2

Posted 4:53pm Sunday 4th March 2012

I have been up in Auckland for the last couple of weeks, which has been sunny and fabulous. I managed to head to the Big Gay Out, which was cool despite the inclement weather, and the fact that John Key was voted sexiest male politician. That poll must be rigged, cause John Key rates below zero on Read more...

Straight Up

Posted 6:09pm Friday 24th February 2012

So, the first queer column of 2012 is about marriage. No surprise there. The happy dyad of gay marriage and adoption reform seem to dominate queer media, community and social spaces at the moment. I hear it all the time: “gay marriage is the next step/last frontier”, “it’s the rights issue of our Read more...