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CANTA LENDAR

Queered Scriptless From 8:30pm @ The Court Theatre

Pride Market 2025! From 10am @ The Boxed Quarter

Hot Dub Time Machine 7:30-11pm @ Ngaio Marsh Theatre

St. Patrick’s Day! Quiz Night 7pm @ The Bog Pride Summer Session From 3pm @ Smash Palace Lectures End Mid Semester Break Armageddon Expo Day #2 9am-5pm @ Te Pae University Holiday UC is closed

Ōtautahi Crafters Easter Market From 10am @ South City Mall

ANZAC Day Canta Mag Drop: Drugs Issue!

Kia ora koutou,

Kia ora koutou, and a very happy Pride Month! EDITORIAL

Back again for #3, our 2025 Pride Issue was created start to finish with passion and determination to ensure we did it justice.

Inside you will find incredible mahi touching on queer identity, commodification in pop culture, takatāpui icons, personal experiences, art and fun as well as a whole lot of love from your Canta team.

As I touched on in our first issue, Canta kicked off 2025 with recognition that as student media, it is a key part of our role to ensure an open-minded viewpoint, to present a new perspective and to adapt alongside our ever-changing, diverse audience. I hope this issue connects which each one of you in some way, as a collection of work which sets out to celebrate differences, rainbow life, experience and culture as well as pushing those who might be hesitant to think outside the box.

With that said, welcome to an issue which specifically sets out to highlight and uplift identity and love, and to raise important questions around internal prejudice and conflict. While it may be confronting at times, I hope that as our audience, you engage, feel seen and feel heard.

Do the puzzles to get you through long nights at the library, find out which of our favourite queer screen couples you are, and we will see you next term.

Rest up, ngā mihi nui

Your Managing Editor for 2025,

Heidi Slade xox

Kia ora koutou!

Happy Pride Month! I hope you are all finding joy in this impactful month of commemoration, celebration and love.

Welcome to the Pride Issue 2025!! Woohoo! Thank you so much to Canta for involving QCanterbury in this issue, it’s an awesome one!! Keep a lookout this week as QCanterbury takes over Canta’s Instagram story! We’ll be chatting to students, discussing UC and Christchurch support services, showing you around campus; taking you to the Rainbow Room and genderneutral bathrooms!

You might be wondering, who are QC? We are the general Rainbow Club at UC. We primarily run social events, creating safe and supportive spaces for LGBTQIA+, takatāpui students, and allies. We are lucky to work alongside Rainbow Engineering and Queer in Law (QuiL), faculty specific queer clubs.

Always reach out if you need! UC has an awesome Rainbow Advisor, Rose Cook, you can find her at Student Care. She can support you in any way, it does not have to be queer related! Enjoy Pride, I look forward to seeing you all around! :)

Speak up, be proud and be loud! “You are seen, you are loved, and you will never be erased.”

Ngā mihi,

Nikhita

Riches (she/they) QCanterbury President

It’s the middle of Pride Month here in Ōtautahi and I hope that you have been able to enjoy some of the festivities during your study! Pride today is a time for the coming together of the LGBTQIA+ community and our allies to celebrate our community. However Pride began as riots and protests, with the Stonewall riot being the beginning in 1970, it began in response to a police raid on the bar of Stonewall in NYC but the queer and trans people there fought back, Marsha P. Johnson famously throwing the first brick. I say this because the rights that we have been fighting for over the last 50+ years are under threat, with rhetoric targeting our community being spread around the world and the likes of Destiny Church threatening our whānau across the motu. And so it is so important right now to ensure that we have support systems in place, connect in with other queer and trans people around you. If you’re an ally, check in with the people around you and speak out loud and proud in your support for queer and trans folk. Support each other and lets celebrate Pride together, kia kaha everyone!!

Beatrix Gilling (she/they) QCanterbury Events Assistant

PRESIDENT’S PIECE

Oh my, week 5 already! This is that critical part of the year where things get busy and the workload starts piling up. So if you need a little distraction, a CANTA mag is the perfect fit. This week is all about Pride! Despite significant progress in recent years, discrimination and prejudice against the rainbow community persist. Pride is not just a celebration, but a call to action for equal rights and dignity for all.

CANTA have done a spectacular job on this week’s issue, I’m always really impressed by the quality of work they put out. Pride is such a powerful topic and I think it’s a time we can all use to reflect on how we treat one another. Regardless of personal beliefs, the way that we treat each other should be reflective of how we want to be treated (with dignity and respect). At a bare minimum, we should remove our biases against others, especially for factors that are not within somebody’s control. Hateful discrimination based on age, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity, is never okay.

I hope that those of you who attended enjoyed the Rainbow Welcome we hosted during Ori. The food selection was great, and the diversity in conversation was very welcomed. What is really important to me is that difference in conversation. There is more to learn from people we know less about than people we spend all our time with.

Speaking of such, the psychology speech and hearing building was renamed last year to hold the name of Ann Ballin, which is a perfect example of unfamiliar conversation. I would recommend giving that name a google. Bit of light reading and very thought provoking. In fact, I recommend you google all of the building names you see on campus. There is a reason they are named in such a way!

Something that has always fascinated me is how as humans, we are hardwired to develop social relationships. Our ability to develop abstract thoughts and reason with them is so interesting. Something that’s always struck me is how we humans just naturally gravitate towards forming connections with others. It’s like this built-in instinct we all have. We’re wired to seek out friendships, to crave that sense of belonging. And honestly, I find it so fascinating, I thought it deserved me talking about it. It relates to our core here at the UCSA, what we’re driven to do. We want to connect students and foster a community that allows them to thrive.

To enable thriving, we need to know what we’re doing right, and what we’re doing wrong. So, I want to hear from you. Email me at president@ucsa.org.nz! I want to hear about something you have liked from us at the UCSA, something you haven’t so much, and maybe something you’d like to see in the future! It can even just be a quick sentence. Or maybe you want to tell me what you think about Ann Ballin now that you’ve read briefly about her…

Week 5 is when most of us begin to get stressed, so don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Whether that be academic or social, there is someone to help either at UC or here at the UCSA. This week’s photo is how I imagine we’re all feeling with all the end of term workload piling up. Who knows what you’ll get next time!

That’s all from me this week. As always, stay fresh!

Luc xx

TUMUAKI PIECE

Mana atua Mana tipua

Mana takatāpui e!

We were both extremely fortunate enough to grow up fully immersed in te ao Māori, thus learning from an early age the importance of tikanga Māori. Tikanga Māori has, above all else, taught us that everything we do must be centred around aroha, manaakitanga and tika.

We were also taught about how our tūpuna lived and loved openly. Woman to woman, man to man, woman to man, and all other possible forms of love. This perspective has shaped how we treat the LGBTQ+ community today. As young Māori women, we’ve never felt the need to question or to doubletake our whānau in the rainbow community. Sex and gender were never taboo topics, we’ve known from the beginning the fluidity of both. They’re part of te ira tangata, just like us. Love is love, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

But we also know the painful truth that the majority of rainbow society face immense prejudice and discrimination. It is prevalent in all of society, and this form of discrimination takes place even among our very own Māori communities. We see our whānau, hapū, and iwi exclude our rainbow whānau. We see it in the condescending judgments, in the covert excluding, and the missing understanding. It’s not just the blatant acts of discrimination that hurt, but the quiet silences and the moments when people are made to feel invisible or less than. And so while we are happy to be celebrating pride today, tomorrow and forever, pride is not something to be taken for granted.

If you tuned in to Te Matatini (Nationwide Māori Festival & Kapa Haka Competition) last week, more specifically the performance of ANGITU, you would have seen Pere Wihongi’s whaikōrero. Pere is a profound Māori artist and rainbow activist who has made a name for herself within the music and performance industry in New Zealand. Despite identifying as a wahine, Pere performed as the kaitātaki tāne (male leader) to make a statement on the national stage. She delivered a beautiful speech about the opportunities and abilities you will gain when you believe in who you are. She constantly challenges our communities to create safer spaces for our mokopuna to grow up in, and to raise them to embrace their individuality and authenticity- whatever that may look like. This stands as a gentle reminder to us all that you are perfect and beautiful just the way you are, embrace your individuality!!

To end on a lighter note, we want to share 2 beautiful testaments from some tauira who have embraced their rainbow identities within Te Akatoki spaces.

“Being an older student, not from here and neurodiverse, I found myself warmly welcomed into whānau at the whare. This has helped me achieve more than just academic success, it’s improved my entire hauora.” - Māori rainbow student UC

“At the whare I’m just me. I’m so glad to have a community where I’m not defined by my queerness. I’m not just accepted, all parts of who I am are valued.” - Māori rainbow student UC

We hope you all find a community within UC, and in your life that helps you to uplift and embrace your pride, it is something that you deserve to be proud of. And as always, Te Akatoki will always be here for you, no matter who you are or where you come from.

CANTA NEWS.

UC defers from usual policy, removes SJP chalking

Heidi Slade (she/her)

On the first day of term, UC Security scrubbed away chalking done by members of UC Student Justice for Palestine (SJP) on the concreted area outside C Block.

Among the messages removed within hours of being chalked were words in support of Palestine, calls to action and a poem written by a Palestinian writer.

According to members of SJP who carried out the chalking on the morning of Monday, February 17, Jenna Kelly and Charlie Howard, the group did not receive any communication from the university addressing why the chalking had been removed until the group reached out seeking answers.

The university told Canta the chalking had been removed due to complaints and said it could not divulge the nature of such complaints when asked.

University Executive Director People, Culture and Campus Life Paul O’Flaherty told Canta while this is not the university’s usual approach, UC Security made the decision to remove the chalking. UC Security has delegated authority to step in when needed, he said.

“Monday, 17 February was the first day of class for most of UC’s new and returning students and a quick decision had to be made to ensure everyone felt welcomed to campus.”

When asked the context of the poem chalked by Kelly and subsequently removed, she said “it was a poem about hope, about love … I thought, you know, people can connect through art, people can understand others through art, through poems, that kind of thing. I didn’t see if as anything that would be aggressive or difficult for people.”

According to the university’s event management policy (Event Management Policy v. 2.00), students are to show respect toward the views of others and all persons are welcome to their own views.

The policy also states chalking is permitted but only on external pathways, which are exposed to rain and not on cobblestone areas or the concourse between Puaka – James Hight and Matariki.

Both Howard and Kelly felt the chalking was within these guidelines, in areas which could be chalked and are open so the chalking could be washed away by rain.

With regard to complaints, the policy notes the following: “If valid complaints are received regarding the activities of any group on campus, UC Security will discuss the complaint with the group leader. If the issue is not resolved, security staff have the authority to require the activity to cease and for the group to leave campus.”

“We fully support SJP’s right to express their views and I’ve shared that with them directly – both when I met with members after the recent UC Council meeting and again when I emailed them an invitation to meet with UC Registrar Adela Kardos and myself,” O’Flaherty said.

“We’re keen to have a conversation about how we can work together more effectively in the future, and I look forward to hearing their thoughts.”

No Cause Evictions Return: What It Means for Student Renters

Isla Melton (she/her)

The recent amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act have reintroduced no-cause evictions for periodic tenancies. This move has sparked debate among tenants and landlords alike.

While the government argues the change will boost rental supply, student renters may wonder how it will affect their housing security.

On January 30, the government reversed Labour’s ban on no-cause evictions made in 2020, allowing landlords to terminate periodic tenancies with 90 days’ notice without providing a reason.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop stated in a Beehive press release the changes aim to encourage landlords to re-enter the rental market, alleviating the struggles of the housing crisis for some.

Landlords can also end tenancies with 42 days’ notice under specific conditions, such as selling the property or needing it for personal use.

Students living in rented accommodation near university campuses, and in broader Ōtautahi, can be on periodic or fixed

term tenancies.

A fixed-term tenancy has a set end date, while a periodic tenancy continues indefinitely until either the tenant gives notice, or the landlord ends it under legal grounds.

The return of no-cause evictions raises concerns about housing stability, especially in an already competitive rental market.

Tim Hoban, a long-time provider of student accommodation in Riccarton, believes the changes will have little effect on student renters.

“The majority of student tenancies in Riccarton are fixed-term, meaning the new 90-day rule doesn’t apply,” Hoban said.

Hoban states that Riccarton Student Flats only offers 12-month tenancies, which aligns with students’ academic years, and property managers and owners alike know their property will be occupied throughout the year.

Hoban also suggested the return of no-cause evictions might encourage some landlords to rent to less conventional tenants.

“With the 90-day backstop, property managers may be more willing to take a chance on tenants they might have previously declined,” Hoban noted.

Despite the significance of the changes, there appears to be little awareness or concern among students.

Canta asked some UC students if they knew about the residential tenancies act changes, yet all those asked were unaware.

Hoban also reported that none of his tenants had inquired about the new rules.

For students who are renting, the key takeaway is that fixed-term tenancies remain the safest option for housing stability.

Those on periodic tenancies should be aware of their rights and keep communication open with landlords to avoid unexpected displacement.

While the government sees these changes as a solution to the housing crisis, student renters will need to stay informed about how these policies could affect their living situations.

With demand for student accommodation remaining high, understanding tenancy agreements is more crucial than ever.

AI Powered Wildfire Forecasting: A game changer for Aotearoa

Isla Melton (she/her)

As climate change intensifies, so does wildfire risk. In response, international researchers developed an innovative AI-powered forecasting tool to provide real-time wildfire danger predictions.

Traditional fire danger rating systems like Australia’s Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) and Canada’s Fire Weather Index (FWI), provide daily updates based on static models.

While useful, these systems lack the ability to capture rapid changes in weather conditions which can escalate fire risk within hours.

New Zealand has relied on a fire danger rating system since around the 1980’s, initially based on manual measurements taken daily. The system now benefits from automatic weather stations providing hourly updates.

The new AI-driven tool would enhance this system by processing meteorological data every 30 minutes, offering significantly more precise, timely predictions.

The system enables fire management teams to act proactively rather than reactively, improving resource allocation and preparedness.

The international team who developed the tool was led by Dr. Alberto Ardid, a research engineer in Civil and Natural Resource Engineering at the University of Canterbury.

Dr. Ardid said “the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires due to climate change motivated the development of this tool.”

“Current forecasting methods often lack high temporal resolution and struggle to account for rapid weather changes that can trigger fires.”

While initially developed using historical data from Australia, the tool is now being refined for New Zealand’s unique climate and terrain.

The goal is to provide localized, high-resolution fire risk assessments that support agencies like Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) in their ongoing wildfire mitigation efforts.

The model has already demonstrated a 47% improvement over existing fire danger indices in predicting critical pre-fire conditions in Australia.

Grant Pearce, FENZ national wildfire scientist, commented on the significance of this tool for fire management in New Zealand. “I think it will open the bay for a lot more research and findings which we really need to help answer a range of questions.”

Pearce added that FENZ has been collecting weather data for 40-50 years, so the AI tool will be great to mine the data and start identifying patterns.

PHOTO: Grant Pearce at the Ilam Fire engineering facility. Taken by Isla Melton.

Image: Riccarton Student Flats provides fixed-term warm, dry and secure flatting options for students. Supplied by: Tim Hoban

“Pride

Canta’s URBAN DICTIONARY

LGBTQIA+:

Qtopia:

Diva:

Queer Theory:

Gagged:

The Rainbow Room: Slay:

Gaydar:

U-Haul Lesbians:

Twink: Tea:

Friend of Dorothy:

QuiL:

WLW:

Genderfluid:

Bicurious:

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual + Ōtautahi based organisation in advocacy, and social support services for the entire rainbow community.

They’re glam, they’re on your nerves, they’re insanely over dramatic.

Viewing or analysing our world through a queer lens.

Stunned, in awe, in absolute shock. Unable to speak, therefore gagged.

A UC space located on the first floor of the James Logie building designed to be a shared, safe, communal and accessible space for Rainbow Ākonga.

Do we even need to get into it? You killed it, you ate - you slayed.

Employed by queer people to spot others. Incredibly fallible and embarrassing when it is in fact wrong.

The stereotype of lesbians moving way too fast in relationships.

Skinny, young, feminine gay men. Think Troye Sivan and you have your answer.

Steamy, juicy, hot gossip.

An old-fashioned code for a gay man, originating from queer icon Judy Garland who played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

The University of Canterbury’s Queer in Law club!

Women-loving-women/Women who love women.

To be genderfluid is to not be fixed into a specific gender or gender identity.

Feeling interested or curious to try out something new with a certain someone new of the same sex.

G O L D S T A R

For the queer community, online sites allowing for anonymity as we navigated our identities were hugely influential. Many teenagers turned to Tumblr to find the language to articulate who they were; when ‘bisexual’ or ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ felt too scary, or not quite right, we scoured Tumblr (or TikTok) for more language. Demisexual, asexual, sexually fluid, skoliosexual… The possibilities for what you could label yourself became endless on these platforms.

Among the swirling pot of niche labels, I, 14 and in the middle of COVID lockdown, stumbled upon the term ‘gold star lesbian.’ As a young girl, it was easy for me to pick up, try on, and fit. A gold star lesbian is a lesbian who’s never had sex with a man. You can see why using this term at age 14 would be so easy. A shiny, validating label. Not only had I discovered my identity, but it came with an award.

My isolation in my queerness extended beyond lockdown. In a small town of 2,000 people, at a school where my graduating class totalled 13 people, I didn’t have an in-person community to validate my identity. If I was going to endure homophobia and isolation, I was going to do it for a gold star.

The term ‘gold star lesbian’ has appeared in popular culture since the mid-90s, though its use and significance has evolved.

It’s come to be used in popular culture, not only on sites like Tumblr and TikTok, but also in shows like The L Word, with different people and groups ascribing different levels of meaning to it. In Marica’s opinion, “it’s a bit of a meme,” but for some, the label still holds value.

One of the earliest recorded instances comes from lesbian comic Carol Steinel using it in a stand-up act, which later appeared in the book Revolutionary Laughter: A World of Women Comics.

Holly, a nineteen-year-old, recalls her older flatmate jokingly telling her she “lost her gold star status” after hooking up with a man. While Holly didn’t take offense, she acknowledges the term’s datedness and recognises it carries different weight for different people. Some see it as validating, while others, like Holly, feel it can be harmful—especially for those still figuring out their identity. “Even when I was one, I found the term pretty invalidating,” Holly said. “It can be harmful to a person coming out or trying to accept their identity, especially those who don’t realise until later.”

The problem with the term ‘gold star lesbian’ lies in how it can inadvertently create hierarchy within the queer community. Often the discussions around it, which largely occur online, miss the nuance of personal identity and experience.

Marica thinks the term is simply a “describing word for a certain group,” and the superior connotations some attach to it because it implies a ‘gold star’ lesbian is better than other lesbians are unfounded. A gold star only means as much as you want it to. As Georgia pointed out, “labelling is too rigid to encompass something as nuanced as individual sexuality.” The need to use

labels like this is often born from a desire to belong, as it was for me, but this can clash with the complexity of queer identity and differences in expression between certain people.

By the time I left my small town for university, older and wiser, I felt far more comfortable within myself. I didn’t feel the need to be validated by the language I used. I felt as though ‘gold star’ had become a boundary, a limit to the nuances of my own identity. The gold star I’d seen as a shining validation of my identity became a scrap of paper. Two dollars will buy you fifty gold stars on a sticker sheet.

This journey is reflective of the way the term itself has evolved. Discourse sowed within the queer community means people often feel excluded or discouraged from using labels they resonate with, which isn’t beneficial to anyone. These labels become more limiting than empowering because we’re quick to judge based on people’s language rather than learning how they see themselves. Allowing people the space to articulate their identities, using labels backed by their experiences, ultimately builds the strength and diversity of the community, and the personal identities of the people within.

Ella Sage (she/they)

Left image: Ashley Diego, Dupe.

Right image: Maddy Haller, Dupe.

Want it? Buy it.

Hey big spender, those Studylink payments and NZ Post have been your best friend lately! Maybe let’s go down to one surplus purchase a week?

pridOCOPES

It appears you’re experiencing some roadblocks. Maybe your Microsoft Authenticator has been super needy lately, or your mobile data just sucks (me too). Your message for this issue of Canta is to keep pushing through.

Aquarius gemini cancer LeO VirgO

Because Canta can see into the future (duh) I see hugely romantic things this Pride month – how exciting?! The only condition – you do need to leave the house. Mix and mingle, it’s good for the soul.

Ah Libra, our beautiful social butterflies. You’re killing the first term small talk, keep going! Soon you’ll develop an actual friendship and not have to tell 300+ other students what you’re studying. Hold out, I know you yearn for more.

Pisces Aries Taurus

hitting the gym, on top of lectures, colour coded notes – who are you? Not complaining. Not judging. Just mesmerized.

Holy moly, who is that Master Chef? Looks like Cancer!

Please share your culinary secrets with the rest of us!

Get creative Leo. Built up anger, sadness, lots of energy? Hit a blank canvas, get some watercolours, learn to crochet, learn an instrument. Sometimes, exercising our creative muscles can be the best kind of outlet.

Get off Instagram reels. That’s your horoscope. Get off (unless you’re watching Canta on Campus).

Slow down sleepy head, up before 11am?! You could hurt yourself you know. I like your optimistic efforts, but some people (and those around you) benefit from you being a night owl and not dealing with your morning grogginess and confusion.

It’s not fun to half swipe your friends or leave them waiting on delivered. It does not make them want you more, it is kind of just annoying.

Please, not another LinkedIn warrior. Stress less, Virgo. Your LinkedIn does not define you.

Dear Capricorn: Selfexpression is a beautiful thing and trend hopping is wasteful. Love, Canta.

Queerness and Never one without

In the world of pop-culture and the age of the internet, trends come and go faster than ever. Popularity and public opinion change on a fickle tide. Often, pop-culture adopts and sells queer aesthetics to an audience that dismiss the identities they represent.

It’s easy to forget where mainstream cultural trends come from, and according to Lucy Roth, contributing author of The Medium, “this is why we can so clearly imagine the sound of 80’s pop music, or what early 2000’s fashion looks like” (The Medium).

The height of popularity for those trends has come and gone, and so the aesthetic becomes synonymous with the time. According to Roth, “the origins of pop-culture trends are so often forgotten because their heights become so clearly associated with a moment in time” (The Medium).

Pop stars like Elton John and Freddie Mercury made huge waves in the music industry. Their aesthetics were adopted readily by mainstream culture, even as their identities were steadfastly ignored. Early Blues was pioneered by black, queer artists. Drag makeup has appeared front and centre on our pop-culture pedestal, brought into the mainstream by artists like Chappell Roan and RuPaul.

Pop-culture is undeniably informed by queer culture. But how much can pop-culture ‘borrow’ and how much mainstream applause is thinly veiled commodification? Although queer aesthetics have become increasingly normalised, queer identities haven’t, necessarily.

Thanks to the speed of the internet, modern mainstream culture moves in months rather than decades. Queer aesthetics have been divided into easily consumable and easily replicable aesthetics. Are you a cottagecore lesbian, or a dark academia gay? What about fairy core, or light academia core, or queer cowgirl core?

The added -core suffix belies the identities that come with the aesthetics. Pop-culture adores the floral dresses and egg-aprons of cottagecore lesbians, reveres the makeup

featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race, but still cannot embrace the lesbian exclusion of men, or the fluid gender-binary that drag encapsulates.

Flourishing ever since the 2000’s with the rise of Tumblr, queer subcultures have turned internet-savvy. Identities are curated by way of mood boards, and aesthetic consumption is the newest brand of rainbow capitalism to be reproduced by pop-culture.

According to Chloe Dawson, of Bowie Creators, “building a sense of identity around an aesthetic you create from what you consume is not new, but textbook consumerism” (Bowie Creators). The niche aesthetics of queer identities have always been an important part of queer culture, but now, thanks to the claws of modern pop-culture, they are easily manufactured.

Pop-culture has grabbed queer aesthetics with both hands, desperate to appeal to queer consumers, “even if it means selling their cultures and aesthetics, watered down, back to them,” said Dawson (Bowie Creators). Commodification of queer aesthetics, enforced by the tidal-wave of pop-culture, plays a role in reducing queer identities to marketing strategies. The rise of the internet creates splintering niches. It changes the way subcultures emerge, and since the days of Tumblr, internet culture has left teeth-marks on queer aesthetics.

The first image-oriented social media platform to go mainstream, Dawson wrote “Tumblr’s focus on expression through curation was unique and a fertile ground for the rise of aesthetic personalities” (Bowie Creators). It was a platform dedicated to expressing identity through a curated list of things you consume or want to consume.

Tumblr, followed by Instagram and TikTok, saw the rise of aesthetic niches borrowed from queer culture and repurposed as pop-culture landmarks.

Cottagecore is a case study, the popular commodification of queer aesthetics exemplified. Lesbians have “reclaimed what the trad-wife movements have been trying to exploit,” wrote Dawson (Bowie Creators). A farm-girl aesthetic, paired

Amy Riach (she/her) Opinion Piece

and Pop-Culture without the other

with the desire for simple anti-capitalistic living and tight-knit communities, Little House on the Prairie style.

The ‘suffix-core’ aesthetic, which reconstructs lesbian identities far from a fetishized norm, anti-capitalist to the bone, is not exempt from the commodification that pop-culture throws around in spades. Floral aprons, upmarket rolling pins, glass jars sold in neat sets of three, instead of rescued from jams and preserves. Cottagecore sells, and pop-culture is the world’s hardest and fastest market.

“For a queer aesthetic to be queer, each article of clothing worn or piece of culture consumed has a history, an intention,” Dawson writes (Bowie Creators). The pop-ification of queer identities abandons all of that. Although the popular adoption of queer aesthetics can be a tangible, positive step forward, queer identities cannot be left abandoned by the mainstream while their aesthetics are readily and happily consumed.

Takatāpui Past, Present and Future

Lizzie Evans (Ngāti

Mutunga,

Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Wai, Ngā Puhi)

(She/her)

Kia

whakatomuri

te haere whakamua I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on the past

These days, although there is more positivity for and representation of takatāpui culture for rangatahi Māori, there are still misunderstandings within Aotearoa New Zealand and our own hapori. It is saddening to see this especially from our own people as tangata Māori. As we re-indigenize Aotearoa and break the barriers colonisation set against us, it is also time for us as tangata Māori to reflect on the way we treat and respect our takatāpui whānau. Growing up, I learnt being takatāpui was normal precolonisation and not something which was frowned upon.

A common idea within our communities is early Māori didn’t tolerate takatāpui and our ancestors believed queerness should be suppressed. I’ve learnt this was a story told by some to justify their personal problems with takatāpui. Māori have been gifted with our tūpuna’s knowledge, values and wisdom through oral aspects such as pūrākau, waiata and karakia. Through these stories and through Māori artwork and carvings we can see fluid genders and sexuality were embraced in pre–European Aotearoa. For example, many know the story of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai, which is the subject of the iconic waiata Pōkarekare Ana. What many don’t know is older retellings of the story. In these versions, the figure Tiki, who features in different versions of the story, is referred to by Tūtānekai as tāku hoa takatāpui. While tāku hoa could mean he is referring to Tiki as a friend, the use of the kupu takatāpui suggests they shared a deeper relationship.

It is well known colonisation had a huge impact on Māori, with significant effects such as land loss and loss of language. With this came a loss of voice and knowledge for Māori which in turn meant takatāpui histories were lost. The arrival of missionaries in Aotearoa in the early 1800s was particularly devastating for takatāpui as missionaries aimed to suppress any expression of gender fluidity and sexuality. As a Pākehā parliament was set up and laws were passed it became illegal to be homosexual for almost a century, and being anything other than straight or cis was considered unethical.

Since the 1980s onwards, the term takatāpui has been reclaimed. We have so many beautiful openly takatāpui role models

who stand proud in their identity, paving the way for the next generation. Despite this, there are still many of our own people who spread harm towards our takatāpui whānau. It is time to look back so we can move forward together.

Te Reo Māori Vocabulary List:

Rangatahi – Youth

Hapori - Communities

Pūrākau - Story

Kupu - Word

Both images sourced from Unsplash

White Ferns and Blackcaps prepare for Home T20 series

Both the White Ferns and Blackcaps are gearing up for their 3-game T20 series, starting on March 21 at Eden Park, with the Ferns facing Australia and the Blackcaps matching up against Pakistan.

The Ferns will be looking to improve on their 2024 showings vs their trans-Tasman rivals after losing both the T20 and One Day matchups, while the Blackcaps face a tricky task against the world number seven ranked Pakistani side.

The games will be held from March 21 to 26 at Eden Park, Hagley Oval, Otago Oval, Bay Oval and Sky Stadium.

Source: RNZ

Teams beginning to apply for OFC pro league

The highly anticipated Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Professional League has begun its club application process.

Clubs have until June to register their interest with the league, set to kick off in January 2026. The league will be comprised of clubs from around Oceania. The OFC general secretary Franck Castillo told RNZ the league “will not only elevate the standard of the game but also provide a competitive platform for our clubs and players to thrive on the international stage.”

The league comes in the wake of FIFA announcing the revamp of the FIFA Club World Cup, which features the best club teams from across the world.

Various Aotearoa clubs are rumoured to be putting their names in the hat, with Auckland City, Wellington Olympic and Christchurch United among the frontrunners.

Source: RNZ

All Whites two games away from World Cup qualification

The All-Whites are preparing for their World Cup qualifier semifinal clash with Fiji on March 21, with the winner one step closer to qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, the USA and Mexico.

If the All Whites come out victorious against Fiji, they will face the winners of New Caledonia vs Tahiti for the chance to feature on the world’s biggest stage.

Next year’s World Cup promises to be bigger than ever with 48 teams competing, 16 more than the previous tournament. With more spots up for grabs, Oceania has one automatic spot. The All-Whites need to win their next two games to gain their place.

Both semi-finals will be played at Sky Stadium, with the final hosted at Eden Park on March 24.

Source: 1News

NFL set to come to Melbourne in 2026

The NFL has announced that they will be bringing ‘America’s game’ down under in 2026, with Melbourne set to play host.

The league announced that the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host a game between the Los Angeles Rams and a yet-to-be-confirmed opponent. This is part of the NFL’s recently announced multi-year commitment to host season games in Melbourne.

“Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

This move continues the NFL’s aspirations to grow the sport worldwide, with games in London, Berlin, São Paulo, Dublin and Madrid also confirmed.

Sources: Stuff, NFL.com

Supplied and created by Tuaterra

Avoiding ignorance

Matias Gidden (He/Him)

Whether it’s learning about your friend’s hobbies or understanding how politics affect you, understanding the world and the people who live in it is important.

Becoming educated is something which can be done in many ways. Making time to read about certain topics or issues creates a better understanding of them. Sometimes becoming educated is as simple as putting yourself in new situations.

Many have experience with the LGBTQIA+ community in one way or another, whether it’s through a family member, a friend, a coworker or being a part of the community yourself. Some people have no experience being around the LGBTQIA+ community, which is okay. It provides an opportunity to learn, get educated and become an ally.

However, the sad reality is some don’t choose this path and instead choose a path of ignorance, which can lead to the spread of concepts like homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia – this not being an all-inclusive list.

The spread of prejudice toward the rainbow community, globally, is becoming all too common, despite the evolving diversification and evolution of modern society. Opportunities to learn and love one are endless, but some still choose to discriminate.

However, it’s easy to understand and embrace difference. It’s as simple as putting yourself in new places and experiencing things first-hand.

Sam Duckor-Jones is an artist who runs a pink church art project in Greymouth, named Gloria of Greymouth. The project started in 2021 when Duckor-Jones purchased an old, deconsecrated church near Greymouth.

With a population of around 8,000 people, Greymouth is considered by many a traditional, conservative Aotearoa town, but over the years, the church has transformed into an immersive sculpture celebrating pride, and the Greymouth community has started to transform with it.

to helping someone become an ally.

“There’s nothing wrong with asking. Specifically with gender, people think it’s weird to ask what pronouns you use, but you should just ask,” Nikhita said.

“It was a slightly bumpy beginning, but it’s been embraced by the community which is just a wonderful feeling. I think I made people a little nervous with my colour choice at first, the entire place is pink, but people have come to enjoy it and appreciate it,” Duckor-Jones said.

With Greymouth being such a small, tight-knit community, locals were curious to see what was happening with the old church. Although many hadn’t experienced something like Gloria of Greymouth before, the community embraced it as their own.

“It’s not just the young ‘cool’ people who stop by, it’s also the retired coalminers who stop by and volunteer their time, tools and expertise.”

Something as easy as volunteering personal time ultimately led people from multiple generations and all different walks of life to unite and become allies of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Both Sam and Gloria of Greymouth were and are embraced.

This curiosity and openness is something both the President of QCanterbury, Nikhita, and events lead Alec Hawes believe is key

The singular ‘they’ - a paradox of language and identity.

Amy Riach (she/her)

English is not a language known for its logical grammar, or rational and consistent spelling. But it is unique, and not just because of the 53 different ways you can pronounce ‘desert’.

English, unlike other gendered languages, makes use of a singular ‘they’. Neutral signifiers don’t exist in many languages but nonetheless defines an androgynous expression of identity for many non-binary people.

The language we have access to, and the ways we use and understand it informs the way we engage and interact with the social world around us. Language plays a major role in how we describe our own identities.

According to expert in queer pedagogy and professor at UC, Ren Saunders, language is reductive. We cannot describe ourselves with language we don’t have access to, and the limits of our experience in society are often defined by how we might articulate identity.

Saunders told Canta, language “can’t possibly capture the breadth of human experience,” and one person’s identity, previously defined by one language, may not exist in spoken vernacular at all in another.

Ren Potter, a non-binary postgraduate student at UC, first started experimenting with identity and pronouns in Spanish. As an English teacher living in Spain, the way Potter identifies in Spanish differs from the way they identify in English, because the language available to describe themselves changes markedly across continents.

Spanish, like many non-English languages, is grammatically gendered. Gendered languages, especially romantic languages like Spanish, Italian and French, are all languages where nouns are characterised by a specific grammatical gender, and even inanimate objects are described as masculine or feminine. This influences how other parts of speech are conjugated, and the gendered pattern of speech can make it hard or even impossible for non-binary people to express androgyny in pronouns.

For Potter, even just telling people they hail from New Zealand, came with an implied gender. “Soy neozelandésa,” is the feminine version of the phrase, but “soy neozelandés” is the masculine version. There is no way to say “I’m a New Zealander” without denoting your own gender, and the options are binary and limited.

In Spain, gender neutral language is completely non-existent. Even the word ‘table’ or ‘la mesa’ is a feminine word, with a defined gender.

So when Potter, a non-binary teacher from New Zealand, started using masculine pronouns, they were constantly ‘corrected’ by Spanish speakers who assumed that Potter was a woman, and a foreigner making grammatical errors.

For Potter, using they/them pronouns is a search for androgyny, like their haircut, their style, even their piercings. Language is an intrinsic part of the way people connect their identity to the world around them.

Potter explained the language they used, the way they

introduced and described themselves, mostly came down to their effort to “negate other people’s assumptions, ahead of time”. English might be a non-gendered language, but gender still informs the way we understand the world, the way we categorise life, people, and society.

Potter told Canta, “I’m so disconnected from the concept of gender, which is how we conceptualise so much of the world as humans.” But even in efforts to remove themselves from a gender binary, androgyny itself becomes a performance of gender.

“If I lived in a perfect world” outside of a society dependent on gender, “how much of myself would I be changing?” Potter said. “How much of this is a reflection of my internal identity, and how much is for an audience?”

“Across languages, it always comes down to how other people perceive you,” Potter told Canta.

Until we have the right language to conceptualise multifaceted identities, we will make use of what language we do have.

“We’ll all keep pushing language, until we finally have the language to describe humanity,” said UC professor Saunders. Until then, we will continue to push the boundaries of the language we already understand.

PRI

I D E

Club Corner

How would you describe your club in three words?

Inclusive, authentic, and spicy!

Tell us about some of your events:

In 2024 ran weekly workshops teaching Witchy-Spiritual basics, Safe Spaces for open spiritual discussions and getting to know each other, our gifts, and ourselves. We held clothing drives, where members could donate clothes and we’d all have a big rummage and hang out and chill. Then donated to opshops, clothing bins, and the Free Table (RIP). There was a really cute Mother’s Day Tea, which we will be doing again, where we honoured all the mothers in the group. And, did Goddess Orace readings to celebrate the Mother or feminine energy within, and discover more about which goddess people could align or work with. We founded and ran the Enchanted Expo, where we had 25 small locally owned businesses come and run a market day in Haere-roa! This year we’re going to be running quiz nights, karaoke, celebrating Wheel of the Year events, and we have something very big planned at the end of the year which we’re all super excited about.

Why join your club in 2025?

We take pride in offering a truly unique space where you can find a sense of spiritual belonging on campus. We offer a safe, inclusive, welcoming community where you can be your authentic self. One of our weekly meetups is “Safe Space” where you can come hang with likeminded people, chill, and take a load off. You’ll always find a yap, a laugh, a friendly ear, and a smile, or just a quiet spot in the corner if that’s what you need. We’re all about community, fostering support and wellbeing. Whether that be spiritual, mental, or otherwise. Even if you’re just curious or semi interested come and see if it’s your thing.

How can students get involved?

We are on FB, insta, and email (ucwitchessociety@gmail.com) feel free to message anytime or jump on our socials for updates like What’s On for the Week. We have membership sign up links on both our socials, and membership is free! You’re also more than welcome to come along to any of the things we hold, like SafeSpace or workshops and see if it’s your vibe or not. The Exec all usually have our WITCHSOC badges so feel free to say hi as well! We are open to all and everyone of all backgrounds, faiths, interests, and experiences. We’re happy to answer any questions or queries anyone has that’s spiritual or witchy adjacent.

FLAT FAMOUS

Anei (aka Nei nei)

Most likely to: Reach into a port-a-loo to retrieve her phone

Go to flat meal: Glass of wine

Juliet (aka Poo poo)

Most likely to: Never upgrade to a double bed

Go to flat meal: Eggs + tuna

Charlotte (aka Shallot)

Most likely to: be a club DJ

Most likely to: Get her wheel taken off her car

Go to flat meal: Peas + rice

Manon (aka phemininomenon)

Most likely to: Body herself on the slopes

Go to flat meal: Pumpkin!

FLAT FAMOUS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY,

Evie (aka EJ Tracey)

Most likely to: skip every lecture

Go to flat meal: Toast and a cuppa

Yesh (aka Yeshy baby)

Most likely to: Be mistaken for a troll

Go to flat meal: Chia seeds + water

Politics and Pride

The relationship between politics and pride in Aotearoa goes deeper than is presented at a surface level, especially online.

Looking at recent events helps us understand this connection. In the wake of Destiny Church’s protest against LGBTQIA+ parades in Auckland, Labour MP Phil Twyford called for the organisation to lose its charitable status.

So, how deep is the rabbit hole and how intertwined are the lines between the two?

On the intersection between politics and pride, from a media standpoint UC Journalism Lecturer and ex-RNZ reporter Conan Young told Canta it is important for reporting to stick to facts around what is being claimed, and context is provided to enable readers to make up their own minds about what the truth really is.

“Where messages fall in to the realm of hate speech, journalists need to be very aware of their responsibility not to amplify such messages. History is full of examples of violence committed against various groups based on their religion, sexuality, gender or ethnicity, and no journalist wants to be responsible for helping to inflame or normalise such violence,” Young said.

“Journalists need to be wary of potentially amplifying such messages by reporting on them in a way that spreads them further than they may otherwise have been. However, the targeting of LGBTQI+ events by this group needs to be covered by media, as it is having a very real impact on this community,” Young said.

Canta sat down with UC Lecturer Ren Saunders, who among many things teaches gender and sexuality.

Saunders described how Aotearoa as a country is susceptible to international influence, given our relatively young age. Compare it to how a child thinks. Their minds absorb information at a rapid rate, so they act like those around them.

That process is happening right now. According to Saunders, the shift towards conservative governments, especially in the United States, influences our country and brings right wing ideologies to the fore.

Saunders cited the international trickle down into New Zealand’s Government and the subsequent change in queer acceptance levels.

“Politicians are saying dreadful things and so that then allows the population to say dreadful things.”

Being able to say whatever one wants under the umbrella of free speech is another notion New Zealand is adopting from the US, Saunders said.

Up front this isn’t a bad thing. However, Saunders told Canta the rapid growth of social media and the age of misinformation means people have easy access to share polarising and angry opinions from behind the screen.

Especially when considering a topic as divisive as the rainbow community rights and actions, it becomes clear to see how individuals get sucked into this argumentative and hate fuelled thinking.

Like any movement, actions have consequences, and a seemingly top-down, increasingly right wing ideology begins to negatively affect the LGBTQIA+ community.

Take the following as food for thought.

In early February 2025, Wellington law firm Franks Ogilvie sent a letter to more than 20 gender-affirming care practitioners, warning them they may be held liable for litigation if their practices were not up to scratch. Director Stephen Franks claimed the entire process “was ethical.”

Paul Thistoll from Countering Hate Speech Aotearoa protested, and claimed the letter was “designed to be intimidating, threating and bullying” with “zero statements of legal claim or factual claim.”

Events like this are what Saunders described as micro-attacks. “There is a macro thing going on with major political movements that have gone right [wing], but there’s all these micro aggressions that we’re seeing on a day-to-day basis”, they said, describing the current climate of hate against the rainbow community.

Jordan Smith (he/him)

Politics Pride

Saunders went on to describe how worryingly, those attacks and aggressions create a snowball effect. The ‘snowball’ slowly enlarges with every attack and can turn nasty very quickly. In this context, Saunders worries the end of the slope is not visible for this snowball.

“It’s watching the little things unfold… gathering people that already have misinformed ideas about the queer community to actually come out of the woodwork”, they said.

“The little things become the big things, and that’s when rights get taken away, and that’s where we’re heading.”

What makes Saunders’ outlook even more worrying is they have factored the major wins the rainbow community have had this side of the millennium.

Even with massive political movements such as the same sex marriage bill in 2013, Saunders said milestones are being massively retracted, and in Aotearoa transgender rights are being undermined.

As a result, Saunders said we are now in a pivotal time to decide as a nation how we want to treat our rainbow community.

“Every day I could put up an article of what has been said that is anti what we have fought for.”

“I teach gender and sexuality, and I don’t think there’s any more pivotal time in the last 30 years of its relevance. Activism is going to have to reignite itself.”

PUZZLES

CANTA pride

Across

1. A queer subculture; competitors ‘walk’, sing, dance, model…

1. A queer subculture: competitors ‘walk’, sing, dance, model 5. RuPaul’s________

Down

1. Attracted to both/more than one gender

1. Attracted to both/more than one gender.

2. The ‘T’ in LGBTQ

2. The ‘T’ in LGBTQIA+.

5. RuPaul’s _______

7. But I’m A _______, classic queer film.

3. Dating app mainly for gay/bisexual men

3. Dating app mainly for gay/bisexual men.

4. Month of Christchurch Pride Fest

7. But I’m A _____, classic queer film.

9. Term for someone who hasn’t come out yet 10. Stylised dance form using hand gestures.

11. A display of the colours of the spectrum.

12. Christchurch club who often hosts queer events.

9. Term for someone who hasn’t come out yet 10. Stylised dance form using hand gestures.

11. A display of the colours of the spectrum

12. Christchurch club who often hosts queer events.

4. Month of Christchurch Pride Fest

6. Coloured rectangles used to represent different sexualities.

6. Coloured rectangles used to represent different sexualities

8. Found in a pack of cards to replace a number

Takatāpui

Takatāpui icons

Takatāpui is a kupu that is being reclaimed in Māoridom. Many people throw this word under the rug and believe it to translate to ‘homosexual’ while it is more of an umbrella term for any member of the LGBTQ+ community. Within Te Ao Māori there are many who have paved the way for others to come forward and embrace their takatāpuitanga including Māori politicians, musicians, kaihaka and activists. Here are a few of Te Ao Māori’s biggest takatāpui icons.

Georgina Beyer (she/her)

Georgina Beyer of Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Porou descent was a member of the New Zealand Labour Party. She passed away on the 6th of March in 2023, okioki mai ra e kui, ratou te hunga mate ki a ratou, tatou te hunga ora ki a tatou. She is remembered for breaking barriers for the rainbow community through her groundbreaking politics and staunch activism. She made world news being the first openly transgender mayor and member of parliament. In 1995, Beyer was elected mayor of Carterton. She was the first female mayor of the town and first Māori mayor in the Wairarapa region. She was re-elected in 1998 before resigning in 2000 when she was elected in parliament. Georgina Beyer was a big influence for politics and policies regarding Māori and the LGBTQ+ community. She heavily supported for the Civil Union Act of 2004 which made same sex and opposite sex civil unions legal. She was also the topic of a documentary film which went on to win many awards called Georgie Girl. Additionally, she was well known for her public speaking, speaking on platforms such as the international conference on LGBT rights and at the Oxford’s University’s debating society event, Oxford Union. In 2020 she was appointed with the New Zealand Order of Merit for her contributions to the LGBTQ+ community.

Pere Wihongi (she/her)

Talented musician, composer and acclaimed Kaihaka, Pere Wihongi gained fame through her work on the stage and in the studio, becoming an incredible role model for Takatāpui and rangatahi Māori. Pere Wihongi is most commonly known for her place on the Kapa Haka stage or singing and recording in the studio, but she first started working on TV and continues to appear on many shows across Māori television. She was a presenter on shows such as Te Karere and Marae before forming music group Pukana and Whanau in 2015 whose name then changed to Maimoa in 2017. Maimoa appeared on many shows such as Voices are our Future and Waiata Nation. They are known for songs like Wairua and my personal favourite We are Human. Pere is also on the Disney Reo Māori team who translate animated Disney movies into Te Reo Māori to help revitalise our reo and for tamariki to grow up hearing their favourite movies in their native language. Pere identifies as takatāpui and uses she/ her pronouns. She shows takatāpui that though there are many difficult barriers they face, their dreams can be realised. Wihongi has stood proud on the Te Matatini stage and broken boundaries in the realm of Kapa Haka, performing poi and standing neither in the typical role of a man and woman within Te Ao Haka. Although this created debate among many, it showed there is a space for takatāpui to exist within Kapa Haka.

Television Presenter Matai Smith has been on the television scene for the past three decades, beginning in 1996. He is fluent in Te Reo Māori and is of Rongowhaakata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri and Ngāti Kahungunu descent. He was the host of children’s Te Reo variety show Pukana and is more commonly known for his role as the host on Korero Mai and Whanau which teaches Te Reo Māori to its audience. He has appeared on shows Homai Te Paki Paki and Good Morning. His accolades include Best Te Reo Māori television presenter for 2005, 2006 and 2007 at the Māori Media Awards and Best presenter in entertainment/ factual category at the New Zealand Television Awards in 2012. He is seen presenting for many different occasions such as Te Matatini. Smith is openly gay and has a lustrous career in media and is a positive representation for Takatāpui and Māori.

Vocabulary list:

Kupu – Word

Te Matatini – National Kapa Haka Competition

Matai Smith (he/him)

PHOTO: Former Labour MP Georgina Beyer (left). SOURCE: Image supplied by the Government House, Department of the Prime Minister a nd Cabinet.

Lizzie Evans (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Wai, Ngā Puhi) (She/her)

Artwork Supplied by: Trinity McSkudder, Equilateral @Equilateral.nz

Dipper One Dipper Two

When I first arrived at Rollickin Gelato I was super nervous but the staff were all so kind and lovely directing me towards the women of my dreams? I walked up the stairs and saw this beautiful girl sitting alone in a long brown maxi skirt, a cute flowy top and looking just as nervous as me. We introduced ourselves and I felt the connection immediately. We both had so much in common and it turns out we had met when we were younger. What a crazy coincidence! When we went down to choose our ice creams, we both ended up getting the same flavour and I knew it was fate. She feels like my twin flame. This date was far from over after devouring the most delicious ice cream ever she kindly offered to drop me back to campus for my class. There may have also been some kissing etc (she had a bed in the back of her car!) Overall, I believe the date went extremely well and there is already a second one planned, I think it might be mini golf? Thank you, Canta for this opportunity I had a blast xoxo.

I walked in to rollickin on a Friday afternoon anxious to meet my date, and wondering what they’d be like. I didn’t have to wait long, as after just a couple of minutes of waiting upstairs she came and sat across from me. It was clear pretty quickly that we had a connection (not to mention she was suuuper hot), and before long we both went down to order, giggling like anything. Trying to make the most of the limitless budget, we both got three scoops with sauce, although I wasn’t exactly focusing on the flavor with her there distracting me. We found that we had a lot in common, being in a lot of the same uni clubs (outdoorsy girls unite), had plenty of mutual friends, and turns out we even met a few times back in intermediate. After what felt like not long at all (time flies when you’re having fun), my parking was nearly expired, and not wanting to owe the government any more money we wandered back (and only briefly considered getting matching tats at Haven). Fortunately, I’d just finished building a bed in the back of my car, which we were both eager to make use of, so we parked up somewhere quiet and [REDACTED]. Being the gentlewoman that I am, I drove her back to uni for her 3pm class, and of course had to schedule a second date ;)

Canta Does Artist Profiles Joyce

Ōtautahi based DJ and co-founder of Crumpled club nights, Joyce (Anna Clinch), says she doesn’t like to stick to one genre but if she had to define it, she says she would jump between house, disco, soul and harder bass sounds. Growing up in Christchurch, Clinch got into the music scene through friends who were already established in the 03. “My friend Emily (EMILIE) convinced me to open at one of her gigs and I have done it ever since,” she said. Joyce told Canta that her music fits into the Ōtautahi scene in a way that warmly welcomes genre diversity - “people are keen to hear everything,” she said. “My favourite sets to play are when the crowd is only on the dance floor for dancing and not watching me. Crowd interaction is important, but I personally enjoy seeing people in their own world enjoying the tunes I want to show them.” Alongside Crumpled – A club night Clinch co-founded and runs with DJ Max Rodhouse which emphasises bringing back authenticity and fun to club culture, and de-masculinizing the dancefloor –Clinch’s bio also includes a track doing vocals in collaboration with Duffy, called All is Love. Clinch said working on the track was nothing like she had ever sung before.

Heidi Slade (she/her)

Canta C0mmentary

Amy Riach (she/her)

Jennifer’s Body

Jennifer is my favourite cannibalistic bisexual cheerleader like, ever. I will die on this 2009 American horror hill. Jennifer Check, bombshell cheerleader, ‘highschool evil’ popular girl, turns demonically evil with a cannibalistic appetite for her classmates.

After a fire in a dive bar, Jennifer and her nerdy best friend Anita ‘Needy’ Lesnicki flee the tragedy. But while Needy heads for home, Jennifer follows members of Low Shoulder, the indie band who were playing on stage before it was engulfed. The band lures her into the woods, and offer her up as a devil’s virgin sacrifice, in exchange for fame and fortune. Although the sacrifice succeeds, Jennifer is far from virginal, and instead she becomes permanently possessed.

Needy becomes convinced Jennifer has gone from mean to murderous. She sets out to stop the killings; terrified, obsessed, and infatuated with the killer in question. The queer chemistry the two childhood best friends hold radiates between them, and the blurry line between cannibalism and lesbianism is completely horrifying, and completely delightful.

I saw the TV Glow

A breakout film of 2024, I Saw the TV Glow is a glow-y, retro-y physiological horror, an extended metaphor for the trans experience of finding and shaping an identity outside the cultural norm.

Owen is an unhappy teen, unsure about his sexuality, identity and place. He meets the older, wiser, uber-cool Maddy, equally unhappy and openly queer. Asked about his own preferences, Owen can only whisper that he “likes TV shows”. So Maddy introduces him to one: ‘The Pink Opaque,’ and the two watch every episode crammed in front of her 90’s box TV. It tells the story of two girls, Isabel and Tara, who battle each week against supernatural foes.

Owen and Maddy become passionately addicted both to each other and to the world on screen. ‘The Pink Opaque’ is their world. They yearn for self-reinvention, for escape, and the show offers it all. Escapism, a future outside of their tiny, boring town. But Maddy mysteriously disappears, declared dead and when she reappears after a decade Owen has only gotten older and more depressed.

Maddy is reinvented, she is metaphorically transitioned, and revitalized by something ‘other’. Owen’s life has been spent denying his identity, avoiding transition, and is playing out in dreary sadness. A terrible job and deceased parents fuel Owen’s depression. He’s ditched the old boxy TV for a new plasma model and calls the flatscreen characters family.

Officially, Labyrinth is a fantasy film, and a cult classic at that. But in my heart, Labyrinth is a queer horror. Anything and everything majorly featuring bisexual 80’s icon David Bowie is fundamentally queer. That is a man who has never once been a part of anything heteronormative. Bowie as the Goblin King is visually and behaviorally gender-bending, with his flamboyant one-liners, over the top costume and a drag makeup look straying wildly from cishet expectations.

When sixteen-year-old Sarah wishes desperately for her baby brother Toby to disappear, Jareth (Bowie/the Goblin King) obliges, and Toby is promptly kidnapped by goblin henchmen, to be transformed forever into a changeling. Sarah is plunged into Jareth’s world, and Bowie torments her, walking up the walls and across the ceiling in an unmistakably Dracula style.

In the labyrinth, Sarah finds her brother, but what she searches for is identity. The labyrinth is subterranean, of broken brick and stone walls, low ceilings, unnatural shadows and flickering lights. The maze masks the hunger of whatever Minotaur-esque monster inhabits it. And it’s there, in the depths and darkness, that Sarah learns to find herself.

I will never not adore this film, and it loses one golden star only because I am as dedicated to genre-bending as Bowie is to gender-bending.

Labyrinth

Christchurch Heroes

Sport is an integral part of many people’s lives. However, for athletes in the LGBTQIA+ community, the opportunity to participate and comfortably express themselves within many sport codes can be difficult.

Christchurch Heroes is a charitable trust focussing on providing opportunities for people who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community to come together to play and engage with sport.

The trust was started due to a recognition that a significant portion of the rainbow community weren’t participating in community sport, something Co-Chair Frankie Karetai Wood-Bodley highlighted as a key issue within the Ōtautahi sporting landscape.

“In codes like rugby, for example, there was a recognition that they felt like quite homophobic spaces. So, it was about carving out a safe space for people in the rainbow community to reconnect through sport. It’s such an important way that people participate in society,” Wood-Bodley told Canta.

Statistics from Sport New Zealand showed that only 14% of transgender and non-binary people participate in sports competitions, events or other organised activities, with a worrying 61% of trans and non-binary people concerned about how they will be treated when participating in competitive sports.

Christchurch Heroes offers a place where LGBTQIA+ athletes can participate and enjoy the sports they love.

By creating safe spaces for rainbow athletes, Christchurch Heroes has been able to build a tight-knit community that participates in a wide range of sports, such as touch rugby, dragon boating, swimming and badminton.

Due to the social nature of sport, the trust has also become a great place for people to form meaningful relationships with others within the LGBTQIA+ community.

“We have people new to Christchurch who come and play, and then from there they get connected to a lot of other people in the rainbow community through sport which is really beneficial,” said Wood-Bodley.

With Pride Month in the not-too-distant future, 2025 promises to be another big year, with the trust hoping to further grow the community.

“We’re doing events to help re-connect with the community and increase visibility. Hopefully we can partner with some local organisations as well. So, a big year for us,” Wood-Bodley said. For people looking to get involved with Christchurch Heroes,

Wood-Bodley encourages anyone to reach out.

“We are absolutely happy to have new faces, in fact, this year we’ve seen more people join than in previous years, which has been amazing. Just look out for our pride events and come on down and have a throw. You never know, you might like it!”