Issue 14 - Queerlient

Queerlient Magazine

12.07.21

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03

Editorial

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Letters and Notices News

06 - 11 12

Ace of Hearts

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Feminism or Lesbianism?

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It was CompHet all along!

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When You Don’t Tick the Boxes

20 - 22

Feature Artist / Centrefold

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Butch is Not a Dirty Word

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Columns

Ngāi Tauira (26), Rainbow Law Students Society (27)

28 - 35

Culture Poetry 28), Reviews (30, 32), Weir House Queer House (33),Quiz (34),

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Entertainment

About Us Salient is published by, but remains editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA). Salient is funded in part by VUWSA through the Student Services Levy. Salient is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA).

Complaints Complaints regarding the material published in Salient should first be brought to the Editors in writing (editor@salient.org.nz).

If not satisfied with the response, complaints should be directed to the Media Council (info@mediacouncil.org.nz).

The views expressed in Salient do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, VUWSA, or the University.

Sink your teeth into it!

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Editorial Hey gurl, I was just wondering if you listen to girl in red—or if you maybe

wanna tell me your Sun, Moon and Rising signs? ...Okay, have the cishets stopped reading now? Good.

Welcome to Pride Week 2021! This is the singular week throughout the year where the wider student population has no choice but to yield to the queers, and we should only use this power for evil.

With all of the time we have had at Uni, existing either in or around UniQ, Queerlient has always seemed like the eternally out-of-reach holy grail of queer Vic Uni experiences. While entirely tangible in its printed form, being one of the names scrawled within its contents has always felt like some sort of distant, intangible reality.

So, to find ourselves at the helm after gracefully tripping and falling into such a responsibility is equal parts a blessing and an utter fucking mess.

The queer experience is completely unique in both its journey and destination. Beyond the initial emotional and personal work that it requires in order to stick your landing as you are launched into your shiny new rainbow identity, then begins the process of coming out. You come out for the first time to a friend, loved one, or even a stranger on the internet, and then you find yourself coming out over and over and over again.

You come out as an accidental advocate, you come out as a scored point towards workplace diversity, you come out as tired on a near constant basis. Now here we are, coming out again, but this time as a source of understanding, acceptance, support, and solidarity.

Brought to you by Peoples Coffee

UniQ Queer advocacy is so much more than flying rainbow flags and calling it a day—it is about the representation of a rich tapestry of sexualities and gender identities, and the beauty of that, and fighting against the discrimination that we face. All this, of course, is deeply intertwined with the individual’s journey through queerness. On the outside, you may be advocating for the acceptance of gender minorities and the respect and rights they deserve, yet still say to yourself “but what if I’m pretending to feel this way?”

Queerlient offers the extraordinary opportunity to distribute shared understanding to the masses, delivered by the boxload. You can pick up some mutual support from a magazine rack in The Hub, or any of the other dozens of racks across our three campuses. You can broaden your understanding one page at a time.

You can dip your toes in what it means to be queer in your own time and space. This magazine gives you the freedom to either microdose or deep-dive into the common threads within the rainbow community, in order to build that glorious bridge of understanding between peers.

Rosie van Beusekom (they/them) UniQ President Ethan Wellington (he/him) UniQ Communications Officer

www.salient.org.nz

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NOTICES & LETTERS Political Please Kia ora kotou, I really liked that Salient has finally got some good political content. The Where’s Winston article and political cartoon is probably the best thing Salients produced all year. Can Salient please do more political content? xx__John_Key_fan_2007

Student Services Levy Survey VUW is taking its annual Student Services Levy survey and they want to hear from you! It’ll only take a few minutes and it’s the easiest way to make the SSL work for students, not against them.

Details can be found on the VUW website or on page [insert page number with the ad on it]

Submit Letters and Notices for future issues

by Tuesdays 5pm to editor@salient.org.nz

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Letters and Notices

STUDENT SERVICES LEVY

SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK WHAT IS THE STUDENT SERVICES LEVY? The Student Services Levy is used to fund services for students that support your time at university and are not covered by tuition fees. These include counselling and health services, financial advice and careers guidance, student advocacy, student publications, and student representation.

WHAT IS THE PROPOSED CHANGE? Following student feedback, the University proposes changing the way students are charged the Student Services Levy from 2022. The levy would change from being four fixed-charge categories to being charged based on the number of course points you are enrolled in, with a different rate for Wellington-based students and those studying off-campus or overseas. The charge would be capped to a maximum of 150 points per student per calendar year. There would be no significant changes to the amount of levy revenue being collected by the University overall.

WHY ARE WE PROPOSING THIS CHANGE? ■

A clearer process—moving to a points-based charge that removes the need for rebates will be simpler and more transparent for students as the charge will be calculated upfront upon enrolment. It will be easier for you to understand what you are being charged for and when.

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To help you plan your finances better—you will no longer have to request rebates and wait for refunds.

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So that the levy paid increases or decreases in proportion to student engagement with the University.

Find out more about the proposed changes on our website. 

www.wgtn.ac.nz/levies

We want your feedback on these proposed changes—email student-levy@vuw.ac.nz.

The consultation period runs from Monday 5 July to Friday 16 July. www.salient.org.nz

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News

Pro-Trans Rally / Free Public Transport / Exchanges go Ahead Hate Speech / Invasive Weight loss Device

Pro-Trans Rally to Take Place Outside Anti-Trans Group’s Event Lily McElhone (she/her)

Recently-formed group Queer Endurance / Defiance are hosting a “positive demonstration” of “pride and solidarity” outside an event by antitransgender group Speak Up For Women, at the Michael Fowler Centre this Thursday evening.

At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday 15 July, a gathering is to take place outside the Michael Fowler Centre on Wellington’s waterfront, featuring music, a small handful of speakers, and an open mic, with the goal of fostering an all-round positive and pro-trans atmosphere. The group will not restrict access to the event within the Michael Fowler Centre, but seek to provide an alternative voice—one which is positive and trans-centred.

Photo: Image from Warren and Mahoney Architects

The organisation holding the event at the Michael Fowler Centre, Speak Up For Women (SUFW), formed in 2018 to oppose the Births, Deaths, and Marriages Relationships Registration (BDMRR) Bill, in particular the Amendment to allow transgender people the right to change their sex marker on their birth certificate through a statutory declaration (as opposed to a lengthy and costly process in the Family Court). In 2019, the group organised an event at Massey University, Queer Endurance / Defiance (QED) are a recently which was cancelled after students raised concerns established group comprised of trans activists and over the health and safety of transgender students and allies, some whom come from pre-existing leftist activist staff. organisations, and some come simply with the desire to fight for trans rights. According to their Facebook Serah Allison, a member of QED, states that the page, the group was set up with the goal to “organise Amendment to the BDMRR Bill opposed by SUFW is for queer liberation and self-determination” and hold a not a complicated issue, nor does it really introduce any strong belief in “the oppressed fighting for [their] own new legislation; it simply makes a process that already rights”. exists in the Family Court more accessible. The Bill was initially proposed to Parliament in 2018, but three years QED’s self-determination kaupapa is particularly salient later is only at its second reading. The process has been in light of the topical (and often fraught) conversations halted due to what QED sees as an over-complication of around freedom of speech, and who has the power to what is actually a very simple trans rights issue. Allison enforce it. Group member Amal Samaha notes that comments that “the world you live in can get very leaving responsibility to the state or other institutions to complicated if your documentation doesn’t all align.” de-platform anti-trans groups “takes agency away from trans people.”

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This week marks the 35th anniversary of Homosexual Law Reform in Aotearoa New Zealand, a fight that QED member Bill Logan helped win as the Coordinator of the Gay Task Force in the 1980s. Logan noted how the Law Reform has acted as a catalyst for other achievements in the realm of open expression of one’s identity. At one point, being openly gay meant being restricted from many ‘respectable’ jobs, such as in Government, law, or medicine, as well as often being isolated from one’s own family. While huge progress has been made in recent decades, Logan notes that a very similar struggle is currently faced by transgender people, and is part of the same fight against “sexual authoritarianism”. He

also comments how it is interesting that many lesbians who fought alongside him for Homosexual Law Reform now oppose rights for transgender people, deeming freedoms for trans people an attack on women, even though the issues faced by the two groups are so closely linked.

Logan asks the important question, “How are women being helped by the subordination of trans people?”

More information about QED and the rally can be found on the Facebook pages “Queer Endurance / Defiance” and “Rally for Trans Rights - Wellington”.

Absolutely Positively Affordable: VUWSA Launches Petition Calling for Free Public Transport in Wellington Azaria Howell (she/her) cost of living as a reason for starting this campaign in an open letter to Minister of Transport Michael Wood.

“Rising housing costs now account for a greater proportion of living costs and many people have been forced out of the city. So for many the cost of public transport has risen, and it is a major portion of people’s income. The cost of public transport is a critical factor for whether a person can participate freely in work, study, the community and other important aspects of life”, Carr commented in a statement on VUWSA’s website.

Photo: Image from Stuff The Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association has launched a petition this week, calling on the Government for a trial of free public transport for students and Community Service Card holders in the Wellington region.

Carr added that due to the rising cost of living in the Greater Wellington Region, many students are having to choose between basic needs and access to public transportation.

“The current state of public transport does not reflect the needs of our region, nor allow people to live with The campaign aims to make all buses, trains, ferries, and dignity.” the cable car free at all times, including peak hours.

VUWSA claims this campaign will work towards The online petition has already amassed over 1400 mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, as the signatures, and has been supported by students’ transport sector is one of the biggest contributors associations, community groups, and climate to New Zealand’s net emissions. The Climate Change organisations across the country.

Commission backs the idea of lowering public transit fares to lower emissions.

Greater Wellington Regional Councillor Thomas Nash showed support for the campaign on Twitter, stating Alongside free public transportation for all Community that it would make public transit more accessible to Service Card holders and students in the Wellington “those who rely on it most”. Nash added that it was region, the VUWSA-backed campaign is calling for “very encouraging” to see a variety of community nationwide action on improving the public transit organisations supporting the campaign. system.

Grace Carr, VUWSA Engagement Vice President and The open letter also stated support for increasing spokesperson for the campaign, cited Wellington’s rising the pay of bus drivers, backing their fight for fair pay www.salient.org.nz

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and improved working conditions. This comes after the Wellington bus drivers strike which protested the management of NZ Bus, who pay less than living wage and provide poor working conditions. As a response, the Greater Wellington Regional Council announced with Waka Kotahi that all drivers would soon be paid above a living wage.

Additionally, the petition calls for an increase in public transportation services and accessibility, but acknowledges that there are limitations to address regarding this claim.

VUWSA wants the Wellington free public transport trial to be enacted within the next two years.

“Free public transport for Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) creates a fairer, freer, and more connected region for everyone,” said Grace Carr.

Full-time students are currently given a 25% subsidy on public transport in the Wellington region for services which use Snapper cards, such as most buses and the cable car. VUWSA also provides free inter-campus bus passes to students who have lectures and tutorials on different campuses on the same day.

VUW to go Ahead with Exchange Niva Chittock (she/her)

Victoria University of Wellington—Te Herenga Waka will continue with their Trimester 2 outbound exchange to Australia.

VUW’s partnership is with Australia National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It is a longstanding relationship managed by the University’s exchange branch, Wellington Global Exchange.

Last week the Prime Minister announced that quarantinefree travel would be resuming with some Australian states, including ACT. This comes in time for the start of the Australian semester on July 26.

In April, an expression of interest for a Tri 2 exchange was sent to students who were registered for exchanges in 2020, but never left due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was confirmed by VUW 6 weeks later that they had secured an outbound exchange with ANU, with applications open for 10 days.

Priority was given to students who were close to completing their degree, with standard exchange parameters applied, such as having a B+ grade point average and travel insurance.

Hate speech and the LGBTQIA+ community in Aotearoa: a legal snapshot Submitted on behalf of the VUW Rainbow Law Students’ Society, written by Liv (she/her) Hate speech directed at our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual/agender (LGBTQIA+), and takatāpui communities is nothing new, yet legislative protections against such behaviour have been historically non-existent. With the new year, however, we are provided

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Successful applicants were notified and given until Friday, 4 June to accept their place.

VUW was the only New Zealand university to confirm an Australian exchange during 2021 semesters. ^Salient understands that multiple universities in New Zealand were offered the chance of Australian exchanges, though decided against organising one at such short notice.

Wellington Global Exchange were willing to take on the challenge, keen to provide an opportunity for students who would otherwise miss out.

Auckland, Waikato, Otago, and Massey Universities are either advertising 2022 Australian exchanges, or are yet to announce 2022 exchange options.

University of Canterbury is only allowing virtual exchanges to occur this year, and Lincoln University’s exchange programmes remain unchanged on their website.

The University has been approached for comment on the issue.

hope that this long-overdue reform will be added to the parliamentary order paper soon.

What legal protections currently exist?

Hate speech is not defined in New Zealand legislation, but parallel protections do exist in the Human Rights Act 1993 (the HRA).* Section 131 of the HRA criminalises the incitement of racial disharmony. This involves the publication or distribution of written matter, or the use of words in a public space, with the intent to excite hostility or ill-will against any group of persons in New Zealand on the ground of the colour, race, or ethnic or national origins of that group of persons, and which is likely to do so. Individuals can be liable to imprisonment for a term “not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $7,000”.

Enforcement of this provision is practically unheard of; actual use of the provision since enacted could likely be counted on one hand.

What legal protections can we come to expect?

Following the devastating tragedy of the Christchurch terror attacks in 2019, the Royal Commission of Inquiry considered the incitement provisions in the HRA were not adequate or effective in actually addressing hate speech in New Zealand, and provided recommendations for amendment.

In 2021 a Cabinet paper was released by Justice Minister Kris Faafoi which proposed changes to these provisions, offering an extension of the grounds to include religious groups and rainbow communities, with an emphasis on the

protection needed for our trans, gender diverse, and intersex communities. The proposed amendments include: provision of a clearer standard of behaviour (inciting hatred); shifting the offence to the Crimes Act 1961 as reflective of the seriousness of the conduct; increasing the penalty; extension of the grounds (to include sex, religious belief, age, sexual orientation and disability); an extension of civil provisions; and amendment of the prohibited grounds of discrimination within Section 21 of the HRA to include a separate ground of “gender, including gender identity and gender expression”, and to amend the ground of sex to explicitly include sex characteristics or intersex status.

*The Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 does contain protections specific to digital communications.

Researchers behind “Medieval” Jaw-Locking Device Face Backlash Otago University’s Health Science Department faces scrutiny from the public after developing an invasive weight loss device that restricts wearers to a liquid-only diet.

Katrin O’Donnell (she/her)

CW: fatphobia, disordered eating, diet restriction preparation for weight loss surgery—or as an alternative further medical intervention—fails to acknowledge the number of social and biological factors that contribute to obesity, and dismisses the impact that the device may have on participants’ mental health.

Photo: Image from RNZ On June 28, Otago University released a statement lauding the development of a “world first” weight loss device that restricts the wearer to an all-liquid diet.

The device, called the “DentalSlim Diet Control”, is a magnetic device fitted to the upper and lower back teeth, restricting jaw movement to approximately 2mm, apparently without affecting breathing or speech.

University of Otago’s Pro-Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences and lead researcher on the project, Professor Paul Brunton, stated “there are no adverse consequences with this device”, despite disclaiming that participants reported initial discomfort, embarrassment, trouble with some aspects of speech, tenseness, and a reduced satisfaction with life in general during the two-week trial, during which participants who finished the study lost an average of 6.36 kilograms. In addition, one participant reported “cheating” on the prescribed dietary regime by consuming melted chocolate.

The product was immediately slammed by the public as “barbaric”, “dehumanising”, and “dangerous” due to its potential impact on a user’s long-term relationship with food, and their self-image. The media release was posted on Twitter and accrued 10.7k quote tweets (compared with just over 2,000 “likes”) in the space of a week, with many describing the contraption as a “medieval torture device”.

The media release claims that the device could help patients “kick-start” their weight loss journey by forcing them to quickly establish new habits in their relationship with food. However, as many commentators have noted, less sophisticated jaw clamping devices were trialled in the 1970s and 80s, and proved almost entirely ineffective in helping patients reduce their weight in the long term. The University of Otago has since released a statement on Twitter clarifying that the intended use Opponents to the study have expressed alarm and is for patients who cannot undergo surgery without disbelief that the project made it past the University’s ethics committee, stating that this research exemplifies meeting weight loss requirements, but critics argue that even in this context, the researchers’ forcefully the need for the participation of social scientists in restrictive approach to weight loss is more likely to health research. damage a persons’ relationship with food than improve The Spinoff’s Anna Rawhiti-Connell commented on how it. Concerns around the potential commercialisation presenting this contraption as a straightforward solution of this product outside the realm of medically advised to the issue of “compliance” with prescribed diet plans in weight loss have also been raised. www.salient.org.nz

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NewsRecap: July 2: Dates for the next 30 years of Matariki public holidays announced

July 8: Video emerges of Pūtiki protester being assaulted by security guard

Matariki will be observed on a Friday towards the end of June or the beginning of July each year. Its flexibility allows it to align with the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, which is slightly different in length from the Western solar year.

120 days after the beginning of the occupation of Pūtiki Bay, a video was posted to Facebook of a protester being pushed off of a pontoon by a man in a high-vis jacket, and then being kicked in the head once in the water. The previous week, another video was posted to Facebook of protesters being rammed by a boat operated by people in high-vis clothing and hard hats. One protester obtained neck, chest, and wrist injuries. Auckland Central police area commander Gary Davey told RNZ that assault allegations have also been made against protesters. All reports of violence are under investigation by police.

July 3: The ocean caught fire A leaky gas pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico was ignited by a lightning storm, causing flames to erupt from the ocean west of Mexico. Bernie Sanders doesn’t think it’s radical to end our dependency on fossil fuels, whereas this fire is, according to his tweet, actually quite radical.

July 6: Two mariners test positive for COVID-19, health risk remains “low” Nine mariners arrived in Auckland on July 5, and were immediately driven to New Plymouth where they were to board a deep-sea fishing vessel. Two members of the group have tested positive for the Delta variant of COVID-19, and were sent to isolate on a boat off the coast of Taranaki. The Ministry of Health says that the pair did not visit any public places after arriving in the country, and (at time of print) the risk to public health is “low”.

July 7: Trans-Tasman bubble remains “under constant review” Quarantine-free travel arrangements with New South Wales and Queensland continue to be paused. Special allowances will be made for those who usually reside in Aotearoa New Zealand, critical workers, and those with humanitarian exceptions. The travel bubble is open for South Australia, the ACT, Tasmania, and Victoria.

Kiritapu Allan back in Parliament, is “stoked” Labour’s Kiritapu Allan, Minister for Conservation and Emergency Management, has returned to Parliament after being diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer in April. Her 6-week treatment period was extended to 9 weeks, and she will continue to have check-ups every 6 months. She implored all kiwis to get the necessary tests when something “doesn’t feel right”, and put particular emphasis on regular smears.

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Keep your eyes peeled for some more in-depth analysis of the struggle to protect Pūtiki Bay in next week’s ^Salient.

Fight not over for Britney Spears After the court ruled not to free Spears from her father’s conservatorship, her court-appointed attorney has resigned, and the star’s mother, Lynne Spears, has asked the court to listen to Britney and allow her to hire a private attorney. The #FreeBritney movement isn’t over.

.Ongoing: Investigations into Oranga

Tamariki continue to reveal harm, Children’s Commissioner warns a second Royal Commission will be necessary The inquiry into Oranga Tamariki (formerly Child, Youth, and Family) is restricted only to incidences of abuse before 2000 in order to save both time and money, however Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft has warned the report will be incomplete if more recent incidences aren’t investigated.

Additionally, data from the Independent Children’s Monitor has shown that only around 25% of children found to be abused in care are told of the outcomes of their complaints. Only about 40% of investigations are completed by their given deadline. The lack of closure can cause victims to feel as if they have not been taken seriously, which can prevent healing, critics argue.

Shit News.

Don’t mistake it for the real thing.

Rowling Selected for Rainbow and Inclusion Role Professor Dumblewhore Last week, Victoria University of Wellington announced the hiring of a new Rainbow and Inclusion Adviser.

Toria was quick to deny any exclusionary mentality within the university that may have led to Rowling’s selection.

The Student Wellbeing team were delighted to announce the appointment of Joanna Rowling to the role, stating that she would be starting her work toward the end of July.

“These identities are so complex and multifaceted, but in an academic institute such as this we have to allow room for discourse to occur. My job is to follow university policies and procedures, and the university has absolutely no policies around telling us what to do with a trans. I’m doing my best.”

Rowling is reportedly a staunch advocate for the rainbow community, with much of her background being in the field of intersectionality in written media.

Her publications are demonstrative of her own revolutionary advocacy lens, known as ‘retrospective inclusivity’ - a perspective never deemed mainstream, or even feasible, until she brought it into the public discourse and even thereafter.

The role was previously filled by intersex youth advocate Georgia Andrews, who departed from the role due to repetitive back strain caused by carrying the wellbeing of approximately 3,500 LGBTQAI+ students alone for two years.

It is expected that the university will benefit greatly When asked about Rowling’s appointment to the from this new appointment, with both parties looking role, Manager of Student Wellbeing Vick Toria forward to a partnership with the rainbow community commented, “Joanna is incredibly vocal on issues to that will require them both to do absolutely nothing. do with the BLT community, especially when it comes to issues to do with trans people. I believe that she will fit in perfectly with the university and its values, and I really can’t wait to have her on board.”

www.salient.org.nz

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Ace of Hearts Jean Campbell (she/her)

Never has there been a piece of media that sums up the perceived difference in sexual desires between men and women more succinctly than Grease. You know the story: Sandy is happily singing about holding hands and going on lemonade dates; Danny is bragging to his buddies about how his girl got “friendly, down in the sand”. She wants to watch a movie at a drive-in; he’s busy doing the old arm-around-the-shoulder trick. For her, sexual advances are something to fight off; for him they’re a basic need.

Let me get this disclaimer out of the way—Grease is not a film to take any cues from, ever, and that’s intentional.

You’re meant to be having fun doing the hand-jive, not pausing to ask “Who let all these 40-somethings play teenagers?” or “Holy shit, did the radio host just try roofie this girl at a school dance??” or “How the HELL did she fit into those leather pants?” But when you watch it in Drama class age twelve, it sets a precedent: guys want sex, girls want love. Everything you read from then on in—curse you, CHERUB series—establishes the idea that a girl will sleep with a guy to keep him from straying, but only begrudgingly. She’ll never initiate sex, but if she does, it’s to stop her man from storming out.

And, we learn that a guy’s need, not want, but need, for sex, will steer him through most of life. In other words: if you’re a girl and you don’t have a “Open 24/7” sign over your vay-jay-jay, prepare for heartbreak.

Over the years, there’s been a real growth in sexpositive media for women, and specifically young women. Teenage Bounty Hunters has a side-story about a character breaking through her reluctance to masturbate, Big Mouth has an animated clitoris cheerfully giving advice. So why did this not make me happy? Why did reading the autobiographies of Ali Wong and Rachel Bloom, where they talk frankly about masturbating from a young age, make me feel kind of uncomfortable?

Imagine you’re me for a moment—try getting into the role by getting diagnosed with anxiety, obsessing over Pacific Rim, and surrounding yourself with gay idiots. You’re in your first year of university and for the first time, sex and love have become two separate things. It’s no longer an Now, I could write an entirely separate article about how act you do with someone you love because you want to damaging this is for guys—about the sexual pressure it make them feel good and be intimate, but something you puts on them, about the themes of toxic masculinity and can go out and find! There are whole TV shows around aggressive sexuality that keeps this ideal alive—because this premise! You’re like a girl in New York City, and it’s how much of Danny Zuko’s behaviour was driven by his up to you to experiment with the guitar hipsters and the asshole businessmen, because you’re honouring the early need to fit in, to seem like a ‘cool guy’ and a ‘real babe suffragettes by having a damn good time! magnet’. But that’s not why I’m here today, folks.

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Feature: Ace of Hearts

Positive representation of asexuality and its wide spectrum is still rare in the media. Back in 2012, the medical show House MD got fans all excited when it dropped a trailer promising a story about two asexual patients. And then, because we can’t have anything nice, it turned out the guy had a disease that effectively killed his sex drive, so his wife was pretending to be asexual to make him happy. Because according to one blue-eyed asshole doctor, “the only people who don’t want [sex] are either sick, dead, or lying.”

(Insert Owen Wilson “wow” meme here, but like 500 times more deadpan).

Now obviously anyone looking for positive representation of ANY kind shouldn’t search in a show that was basically just a vehicle for Hugh Laurie to prove he had range beyond jolly-old-school-days, upper-class British twits.* *No luck, buddy, you’ll always be Bernie Wooster to me.

Because you’re sex-positive, right? That’s just good feminism. You think women should have the right to an active sex life without shame or judgement, you respect and applaud any woman doing it for herself (wink wink), and you think talking about all this stuff should be normalised… so why aren’t you interested in it? Why does a certain purple, white, grey, and black flag keep catching your attention?

But one isolated episode isn’t the issue here, it’s the overlying assumptions. That anyone who doesn’t like sex just hasn’t had a ‘proper dicking-down’. That someone who doesn’t like sex is just a prude needing some kind of sexual awakening, or has past trauma linked to sex in some way—because sex is just ‘sooo natural and a basic human need, so basically by not sucking my dick you’re violating the Geneva Convention’. It’s the fact that in most of the media I consume, sex is taken as a natural stage. It is what happens after the daring first kiss in the rain/atop a Ferris wheel/after crashing a wedding, but before the “I love you.” Everybody does it, and everybody wants it.

www.salient.org.nz

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So what happens when you’re a girl and you realise you’re not interested in any of that?

You worry. You worry because sex is seen as a way to get validation and for someone to look at you and to be held for a moment. You’ve internalised that ever since the world started seeing you as a Girl, and not just a bad haircut in a rugby sweater. You worry because the world is already so oversexualised, and being a bi woman just adds to that, because it’s part of your stereotype to be out there screwing whoever you want. You worry because everywhere you turn, queer women are making posts about Keira Knightley and The Favourite, and how they’d let Rachel Weisz destroy them, throw them up against a wall, and pin them to the ground.

That’s not to say you don’t try. When your friends see a picture of Hozier with his hair up and say they want to do filthy things to him, you nod along. But really, the most daring thing you want to do with someone else’s body is to rest your head on their chest. When you look at the beautiful girl sitting opposite you there is no want, A few years ago I invited a guy off Tinder to come stay no heat. Kissing the hand of the boy in your History the night—it was late, we’d both gone a while without tutorial is all you want. human contact, and so on.

You worry because you want to be loved just like anyone, and who’s going to give you the time? A lot of people out there want sex, as something to give and receive, as a way to show their affection for someone they care about, and you GET that. It just doesn’t, uh, spin your wheels. You’ve had people in your life who have liked you and loved you, but that’s before you even I tell him as we share a hot chocolate. He accepts that, understood a little thing called the asexuality spectrum, but gently tells me I might be on the wrong dating app, and then we fall asleep half on top of each other. and where you fell on it. Now that you’re trying to own Honestly, his point was valid—anyone who goes on that part of yourself, hasn’t your field shrunk down?

Tinder looking for non-sexual relationships is kidding themselves as much as anyone who watches handyman porn because they want to see how a dishwasher gets fixed. But what are my other options? What are my options when I’m lonely and I want someone to hold me close, to make me feel wanted for a moment, and all my flatmates are out?

“Just so you know, I don’t think I’m into sex”

So you understand that when the fucking GROUNDBREAKING show Sex Education features a sub-plot around a character struggling with asexuality, I’m glued to my screen. And when sex therapist Jean gently says, “Sex doesn’t make us whole, so how could you ever be broken?” I start to cry. Because I have been dealing with this deep-rooted fear, this ache in the pit of my stomach, for so long: that I am broken.

But maybe I don’t need to see myself like that anymore.

Maybe one day a girl like me will get her own story, and there’ll be nothing in it but love as far as the eye can see.

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Feature: Ace of Hearts

Feminism or Lesbianism?

My journey to owning the ‘L-word.’

Lauren Davies (she/her) Hello, my name is Lauren, and I am a lesbian.

I blanketed my repulsion with the word feminism. I frankly just did not see myself to be loveable. I was I came out of the closet recently. But, unfortunately, I did a chronically ill, anxious wreck, constantly seeking not find Narnia in all my 18 years of investigation. validation to be told “good girl, good job”. I did not feel loved, but the audience clapped, the strangers loved me, Growing up, the L-word caused me to panic. The idea and I told myself that was love, that was success. baffled me. Two women in love? Having *shudders* sex, and how?

Then I met her.

I thought I was an all-in a fierce ally—LGBTQIA+ positive It is not always a person, but for me, it was. I felt and a drag race stan. But I was distressed and downright unquestionably valid when she gave me her love. dismissive of my own queerness and desire.

Then I accepted myself, and my world of monochrome I genuinely thought every person was just repulsed by turned into a beautiful rainbow. the idea of a penis, kissing boys, being his… girlfriend.

Turns out it is due to having a touch of something called I was determined to not label myself, scared of the truth. lesbianism.

One day, I was driving, talking to myself in the car, as rational people do.

I found myself locked in a bathroom. I should have sex with him. I need to. Everyone else does it. Womanhood.

Do I like kissing boys? Sex? Being with him? His Though gagging over the toilet bowl, I decided then and girlfriend? His wife? No. there I had no obligation, want, or desire to sleep with this boy.

Shit… I am a lesbian.

For a few years, I still pushed the gay down. I was told Marriage, to me, was a patriarchal construct and unthat I would know if I were gay. I didn’t even know myself. feminist. Now I envision myself standing next to my How was I supposed to understand my sexuality? beautiful wife, maybe children, some poodles, and a ginger cat.

People looked at me, heard me talk, rolled their eyes, and muttered the word feminist like it was a bad thing. I The challenge I am faced with now is deconstructing my shrugged it off, and probably said something like “down own heteronormativity. A woman, owning her sexuality? with the patriarchy” in response. Then they muttered the Let alone a woman loving another woman!

L-word. I froze.

I still muse about men. My parents would love to see me I should be insulted. I should be repulsed. Then they with him. My Nana would squeal! But, even if it takes whispered, and then they shouted. I was told that I look time for them to re-route their idea of my future, they like a lesbian. A “Vegan Feminist Lesbian”. Well, I am still would rather see me happy. My happiness is to be a working on veganism, but they were not wrong. woman-loving, out-and-proud feminist lesbian.

Every straight girl listens to ^girl in red^ and is repulsed by the idea of heterosexual sex, right? I still counted the days, the weeks, the months of being untouched. Facing the facts, no one wanted me.

The other day I used the L-word. My lovely gentleman friend here is not my boyfriend.

I am, in fact, a Lesbian. www.salient.org.nz

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Anonymous

It was CompHet all along!

My best friend of ten years knows me better than myself.

So I guess I just had to trust them when they pointed out that my attraction to all women but exclusively feminine men made me a lesbian, and not really much of the bisexual I thought I was. Now I understand that bisexuality has a spectrum of meaning, unique to each individual. In no way am I invalidating bisexuals who feel the same way. But recently, the way-too-specific TikTok algorithm has been pushing me to reconsider that label.

All these callouts have made me face myself and ask: am I really attracted to men, or was it just comphet all along?

find any clarification on my mixed feelings, and oh boy did I find some points that struck a chord with me. I could fill a whole Queerlient with every section I related to, but the loudest for sure was: “You constantly test your attraction to men.” I suppose it is weird that I can’t be in a room with any number of guys and not catch myself trying to trick my brain into finding at least one of them attractive. I play this game in some sort of measly attempt to prove, “See, the bisexual label I’ve been clutching onto for the past six years wasn’t all a lie!” It’s a toxic way of thinking—and has been a form of denial for too long.

“Comphet”—short for compulsory heterosexuality—is an experience many queer people go through as a result of our heteronormative and patriarchal society. It affects people of every gender, but is more commonly seen as a phenomenon that affects women. Specifically, it refers to lesbians being conditioned into feeling that they need to be heterosexual. This happens because of how society revolves women’s identities around their relationship with men. For me, learning what compulsory heterosexuality was made me realise how much of my life was performing my attraction to men.

If I sit down and think about the men I’ve found genuinely attractive, it becomes a bit more obvious. It’s either the unobtainable feminine idols, the guys who were dicks to everyone except me, or… the DILFs. All classic cases of the Lesbian in Denial.

If you’ve been around the queer side of the internet, you’ve probably heard of the Lesbian Masterdoc. In my recent identity frustration, I gave it a skim through to

Case 2: The absolute assholes… with their exception being me. I historically have had strangely intense crushes on these guys. But whenever I’m asked, “Why

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Feature: It was CompHet ll Along

Case 1: The idol. The man who I can’t and won’t ever have to date, with a carefully crafted personality, and attractiveness mainly due to their feminine expression.

The man who exists mostly in my mind, an ^idea, which probably doesn’t reflect what men in real life are like.

A questioning lesbian’s journey to figuring it out don’t you ask him out?” I immediately cringe and spew rapid-fire denials back: “Nooo, I could never!” I just “Wasn’t ready for a relationship”, right? Who am I kidding, it was because I enjoyed the idea of a man validating, and being into, ^me, more than I was into him.

Coming out of my Christian Phase™, I learned to let go of that guilt. However, I started to feel a different kind of shame. This time it came from knowing my parents emigrated from India and tore themselves from their own homes, to give me a better life. I’m forever indebted to them, which meant I felt like I owed them what they And Case 3: Well, I think that one’s just the never-hadwould describe as a “traditional family”. I’m an only much-of-a-father issues shining through. child, and even though it is unspoken there is a looming pressure on my shoulders to make my family’s efforts Diving deeper, another reason why I think I’m so trapped feel worth it. What the hell would they think if I brought in this performance is that I grew up in a brown Catholic a girl home? I already dread the debate over whether family. I was really serious about my Christian faith or not I can raise a family without a man, let alone bear up until about my last year of college, and this really children. Perhaps they would resurface all the Catholic affected how I approached my queer identity growing Guilt that I spent so long shedding. It was easier for up. Sure, by age fourteen I was out and proud. But me to not think about it, and keep imagining a future then in Year Eleven, I had one incredibly gorgeous and where my husband and I are in love and have a large and incredibly queer girl ask me out on a date. And just like fulfilling family—like my parents, and God, would want. how I drive down The Terrace, the day after I happily agreed to lunch I slammed hard on the brakes and Although I still fear coming out to my parents, rejected her. I had never felt such strong anxiety that understanding what comphet is has been a big step in night she asked me out. It came from a tidal wave of finding my identity and escaping the clutches of denial.

Catholic Guilt telling me it would be wrong to act on It’s a relief to draw the curtains on my performance and my gay feelings. I persuaded myself that God intended seek comfort knowing I can start getting what I really it was in my best interest to keep them as they are— want out of love and life. If anyone else finds themselves just feelings. I never got that chance to explore my thinking or feeling the same way I did, I hope you can queerness in college, as much as I wish I did. Instead, I find a bit more clarity in your identity, too. Happy Pride spent a lot of that time convincing myself that I would, Month, lesbians. and should, end up marrying a man. www.salient.org.nz

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When You Don’t Tick the Boxes Oliver Donaldson (he/they)

When I came out as transgender, my mum was mainly concerned that I was wrong. That I was mistaken, because “you were so girly as a kid.”

But what does it even mean to be girly?

What does this socially constructed ideal of femininity have to do with me being trans?

Feminine guys exist.

People tend to forget that there isn’t just one way to be trans. There’s such a normalised assumption that we must know we’re “in the wrong body” from a young age, and that we must act out against this expected gender performance from a young age, too.

This expectation of what a trans person’s transition should look like can be harmful. The common timeline, seen in the likes of transition videos on YouTube, is that we knew we weren’t cisgender since we were really young. The maintenance of this idea can be isolating, especially for queer people with experiences or identities that don’t fit into these norms.

Growing up, YouTube was my only access to queer and trans content. Even then, it was something I had to watch on a private browser and quickly exit when a family member came into the room. Being trans didn’t seem like an option, because I didn’t tick the boxes that so many videos were telling me I should.

I only started questioning my gender at 19, and the fact that I was quite feminine growing up almost removed the possibility from my mind that I could be a trans man. Even when I came out to my parents, my mum’s response unlocked these same insecurities that I had about myself, and the concern that I could potentially be wrong.

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Feature : When You Don’t Tick the Boxes

I talked to my mate (let’s call him Barney) about this, and he added that from childhood most trans people are forced into the gender role they were assigned at birth. This pressure adds difficulty to filling the expectation that you must know you’re in the “wrong body” from a young age. If you have to both fulfil your assigned gender role and indicate discomfort with that, things become a bit paradoxical.

Barney said, “It makes it way harder to figure out who you are when everyone around you is encouraging you to perform your gender in a certain way.

So even for kids who may have been more stereotypically trans (in my case liking ‘boys’ things) it can still take a long time to figure out, thanks to society’s strict gender binary.”

Even though Barney was fairly masculine as a kid, he was encouraged to present more femininely and meet his assigned gender role, especially as he got older. My journey was complicated as I grew up in quite a traditional religion, where women wearing only skirts or dresses and having long hair was something ingrained in me from a very young age. So not only did I have this pressure to match my gender presentation to my assigned sex, I also didn’t want to be different in the church, especially as being part of such an enigmatic religion (it has no name) was isolating enough.

Even when you apply for hormone replacement therapy (HRT), one of the questions they ask on the form is “what age were you when you started questioning your gender?” It’s already messed up that we need to prove our identity before receiving lifechanging treatment, let alone answer questions that have ideal responses attached to them. It made me nervous that my answers weren’t “trans enough” or that I would be turned down because of them.

Unfortunately, even the more progressive doctors are restricted to using these old documents, and gender dysphoria diagnoses still hold too much significance

in the medical system. Barney said, “While I’ve never been made to feel like any individual medical professional wanted me to prove to them I’m trans, the wording of a lot of the documentation and the regulations […] gives the impression that they still have to assess our transness.”

While it often feels lonely to have trans experiences that don’t align with common narratives, many great resources have helped me. I mentioned YouTube as an example of media that tends to portray the more normalised journey of trans people. However, certain YouTubers made me feel seen when I was questioning my gender because I could relate to their journeys more. These include Aydian Dowling, CallmeLaddie, Jammidodger, amongst many others.

Also, an activist and author whose name deserves to be more well-known is Lou Sullivan. His published diaries (We Both Laughed in Pleasure), written from when he was ten until just before his death in the ‘90s, cover much of his gender discovery and transition.

Usually, in trans timelines you hear the realisation, rather than the questioning, but Sullivan’s diaries cover all of this.

From him going through puberty and proclaiming, “I love being a girl” to going on testosterone and getting surgeries, writing “It was so nice to allow myself to say I am a man, to know I am a man.” These diaries helped me with my trans realisation, and they help in dismantling the myth that we must know we’re trans from early on.

In saying all of that, it does make it harder to discuss these ideas with family, because it is usually your parents pushing you into that assigned gender role.

Like, I can’t really tell my mum that the reason I was “girly as a kid” was because she raised me in a religion that placed so much value on traditional gender roles.

I guess I’m writing this because it is something that I would have benefitted from reading years ago. It was hard to unlearn the idea that, just because my journey has been different to the norm, that doesn’t make it any less valid. People whose gender discoveries and transitions take different timelines to the expected are still valid. Those who struggle to see themselves reflected in the media are valid. You are valid.

www.salient.org.nz

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“Self-Titled” Rosie van Beusekom 21

ARTIST PROFILE

Rosie van Beusekom (they/them)

Kia ora, my name is Rosie van Beusekom. I’m 25, an education major, and absolutely bloody stoked that you can feast your eyes on a little snippet of my soul in this year’s Queerlient.

This piece is called Self-Titled. It’s something of a visual of how it felt to refer to myself out loud by name for the first time since I changed my name about three years ago.

Being a member of the rainbow community, you often watch the names of those around you change as people adjust their spoken address to match their internal perceptions of who they really are. It always seemed like such a significant event in people’s lives; I almost couldn’t justify changing my own name as I didn’t have quite as solidified reasons for the change when compared with my peers.

But I did it. And I honestly would never ever take it back.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah I’ve just never done that before.”

Introducing yourself as your new name is super vulnerable for the first time. You worry a lot about how people are going to react, if they’ll think it’s a weird choice, or even if you’ll forget to use the right name. But eventually you get over that hurdle and you fuse with this new name as if you had never been without it. But by that point, you’ve already conditioned yourself to be weird about addressing yourself.

I got home that night and desperately wanted to capture that feeling. It kind of felt like a sunset, kind of felt like a galaxy, and it felt both calming and exciting all at once. I’m not usually one for doing any abstract shit. In fact, this was my first abstract painting. But I feel that it’s oddly appropriate, given what the subject is.

So yes, I’m alright. I’ve just never done this before.

So there I was, sat in an office at uni, spinnin’ a yarn with someone quite dear to me. And as natural as can be, without even realising, I address myself in the third person. I stop. This person sees my eyes widen.

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Artist Profile

Butch Is Not A Dirty Word: on identity and belonging.

Helen Howell (she/her)

When I was growing up, “Butch” was the name of either the tough but kind-hearted father of one of my school friends, or a dog food brand whose jingle haunts me to this day. If it had to be pushed beyond that, it might be used to describe the sort of man Butch typified: a humble, number 8 wire Kiwi bloke who worked dawn to dusk and could whistle loud enough to split the air.

It wasn’t until I was about 16 that I learned the word butch had a rich history in the lesbian community.

Considering my job at that time was physical labour, I felt entirely comfortable with the working-class roots of the identifier, but I never believed I deserved the word. I wasn’t hard enough. My attempts to chop firewood had all gone embarrassingly poorly, I couldn’t hammer a nail in straight, I wasn’t a good driver (I now know these to be the result of astigmatism; thanks, Specsavers). I cried too easily, I thought, to be butch. Besides, butches only dated femmes. I tended towards short-haired girls who were more confident and capable than me.

Around the time I started university, lesbian masculinity rapidly fell out of fashion—not that it had been in fashion before that, really. Fluidity was in, and anything seen as rigid was out. The face of non-binary was a skinny white person with colourful hair and an eclectic combination of clothing from both sides of the store. I sort of slid into this category without even realising it, losing myself in the process.

It was, of course, Stone Butch Blues which saved me.

The experiences of the main character Jess were very loosely based on those of the book’s author, Leslie Feinberg, and could not be more different from my own.

For those who are unfamiliar with Stone Butch Blues, it’s available for free online, as Feinberg wanted to make sure it would be accessible to those who needed it.

While incredibly harrowing in many places, the book is beautifully written and a rare window into the history of our community.

Stone Butch Blues taught me what it really means to be butch, that there is no single definition, no tick-box list of criteria. Tough is not an essential component— not even always a desirable component—of a butch, but a mechanism for survival. I should be grateful for the tears I freely cried, for the barriers I had not needed to build around my heart. Tender was still butch. Butch could love butch, and it could be as Image: “Stone Butch Blues” 1993 cover, By Leslie Feinberger beautiful as any other love.

www.salient.org.nz

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Calling myself butch felt like coming out for the second time. Only this time, I was coming home.

Many people today see butch as an insult. This perception is so widespread that in 2017, Esther Godoy founded the magazine Butch is Not a Dirty Word—from which the title of this piece is derived—to battle the taboo against female masculinity and transmasculinity.

Last year, inspired by this magazine, I wrote a research project on all the things butch means to us. There is no way to condense butchness down to a simple definition. We are vulnerable, brave, shy, open, confident, supportive, scared, strong, sensitive, generous, loving.

We are carpenters, dancers, professors, farmers, audiologists, writers, pilots, electricians. Our pronouns are she/her, he/him, they/them, xe/xir. Our gender is woman, non-binary, transmasculine, dyke; our gender is butch; our gender is something which refuses entirely to sit inside any set of parameters.

The one strong, consistent thread was that butchness cannot be separated from its roots. There is a rich culture of unionism among butches, of a desire to protect and provide for our communities, however we may define them. This need has been present for far longer than the word butch has been around. During the World Wars, many lesbians worked as ambulance drivers and caretakers. Gertrude Stein and her partner Alice B. Toklas are two such examples.

You’d be forgiven for believing that the butch identity never took root in Aotearoa. We’re largely missing from the narrative, visible only through a handful of academic texts and Jac Lynch’s Butch on Butch photography and podcast project. But butches as a group are generally part of the social consciousness, thanks to public figures like the Topp Twins, whose unique blend of comedy and rural sensibility managed to bridge many gaps that were otherwise difficult to cross. Our respect—bordering on obsession—for the ‘good keen bloke’ means that masculine women in Aotearoa may be more accepted than in other countries, albeit sometimes begrudgingly.

In a rural environment, respect is earned by being hardworking, capable, and tough, and a masculine woman can display those qualities as well as anyone else.

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Feature : Butch is Not a Dirty Word

Image: Issue 4 and 3 covers of “Butch Is Not A Dirty Word” Magazine

That isn’t to say that standing out in this way doesn’t bring its own challenges; that it can’t be exhausting, isolating, or dangerous. But it’s true that no one ever yelled a slur at me until I moved to a city. As much as butches are misunderstood by wider society, so too are rural societies. They are as varied and as unique as those who claim the butch identity. While there are many reasons rainbow people might be wary of rural communities, we also have a lot in common.

Four years ago, Butch died by suicide. Two years later, Counting Ourselves revealed that 79% of its participants had seriously considered suicide at some point in their lives.

There are a number of factors which play into this. For rural men there is a lot of pressure not to appear ‘weak’ by talking about their mental health or feelings, and this pressure is felt similarly strongly by butches. Both rural communities and the rainbow community often have insecure sources of income—rainbow people earn significantly less than our cishet counterparts, and many rural incomes are entirely dependent on the fickleness of weather systems. Most notably, there’s the isolation.

For people living rurally this is often physical; for rainbow people, it’s the loneliness of existing in a society which would often simply prefer that you did not exist.

I often wonder when the rural and rainbow communities might turn towards each other and realise our differences are not so heavy. As two close-knit communities filled with people who would drop everything for one another at a moment’s notice, it’s a logical match. Being a little more open to one another might help with that isolation we all feel far too often.

It isn’t always easy to bridge a gap, but this is a bridge which seems worth building.

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Tailor your programme of study to suit your interests and career goals, for example, towards a career in finance, human resource management, international business, entrepreneurship and more.

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T E K UNE NG A K I P UR E HUR OA www.salient.org.nz 25

Ngāi Tauira Renati Waaka | Te Arawa, Ngati Maniapoto (He/They)

Dear Girls, Gays, and Theys x As someone who identifies as takatāpui, intersectionality is something that impacts my daily life and relationships to others. The term “takatāpui” applies to any Māori who identifies as LGBTQ+. It communicates not only sexual orientation and/or gender, but also the cultural identity of an individual. It has become a term that builds solidarity against Western ideologies of sex and gender.

It immediately communicates the intersection of being queer and Māori.

Being queer is one thing. Being Māori is another thing.

Both face inequality to different extents on their own, but what does it look like when they intersect? I grew up almost exclusively surrounded by hetero Māori, went to an all-boys high school, and had transitioned into an environment where I was one of a few Māori and/or queer in my cohort. The transition from what I was exposed to, to what I had to adapt to, is where I learnt what it means to navigate society with my identity.

It is important to recognise the interconnected nature of race and sex, and how they can affect the quality of someone’s mental health. I knew that once I embraced my identity I would have a lot of questions from others and from myself. Questions that often made me fearful. I questioned my value as tangata whenua, I questioned my value as an artist, I questioned who I was as a first born son. Almost every takatāpui person that has entered my life has expressed these same thoughts. This goes to show that being takatāpui is a shared experience across all of Aotearoa, and is not exclusive to one person. Questioning your belonging in a space that you grew up in after embracing and expressing your gender or sexuality can have a very detrimental effect on your perception of yourself, as it did for me. Intersectionality happens when I become too hesitant to step onto my marae, anxious to express my queerness, and weary of judgement. It happens when I walk into a predominantly Caucasian queer event as tangata whenua.

There are endless experiences of inequality amongst takatāpui. The process of coming to terms with who you are, and learning how to navigate this in this colonial society can be hurtful and draining, but it is undoubtedly a healing experience you will thank yourself for. If you’re reading this, this is your sign to be yourself in all your glory (unless being yourself is to uphold racist, sexist, homphobic, transphobic, or ableist behaviour and systems).

To conclude, Decolonise x

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Column : Ngāi Tauira / Rainbow Law Student Society

Rainbow Law Student Society Natalie McDonald (they/she) Our rainbow community is inspiring, beautiful, loving, resilient, passionate, and reflective. Not only do we exist at the forefront of culture and fashion, but we also push notions which have been considered binary truths, such as gender. We create family and community where none are given, we carve out our spaces everywhere and every when—we exist despite everyone who has ever argued the contrary.

Existing while queer can be daunting. Naturally, we create our own safe and supportive community with people generally close to us in age and stage. However, no matter how often we create these communities ourselves, having to enter spaces without a queerfriendly guarantee can be anxiety inducing and risky.

These spaces can push people further into closets or induce compulsory coming outs. This is especially true for careers and workplaces.

The legal community and the law itself is especially stubbornly conservative. Victoria University of Wellington Law Rainbow Students’ Society aims to illustrate to Law students that there are in fact people beating the track before us. We create community across our Faculty, and in the profession. Having people in your corner has the capacity to make a huge

difference in the lives of rainbow students. In a world where adversity and struggle can weigh heavy on the shoulders of rainbow people and students, we aim to educate, uplift, and support to make our journeys that little bit easier.

VUWRLSS was established in the summer of 2019 to uplift the rainbow community in Law School. We are based in the Old Government Buildings, but we are around at Kelburn every so often to support our firstyears. Check out our chill social events, get involved with volunteering, or help out with our advocacy. We link-up rainbow Law students with people working in a wide range of legal professions, through events such as panels and mentor programmes.

Creating a strong community allows us to use people power to educate those around us, make students feel at home at Uni, and advocate for change in our city.

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Somewhere, a queer person eats religious trauma for breakfast.

How to reclaim the anatomy of a broken church:

Untitled The ancient Greeks got one thing right— They loved to be decadent.

I am such a disgusting hedonist when it comes to you, my love, I cannot get enough. Let me take a cue from their books, let me drink spiced wine from your collarbone.

My lover is the wind in the trees and the muse of a hero on far-flung shores. My love— Is waiting at the temple and I am a simple animal, ready to carve myself open so she is fed.

All my poems are about religion even though I am not, but this is a kind of faith, a kind of worship. Just not in the traditional sense.

I am the confessional booth in a church. Tell me your cares.

I am the bread and wine, body and blood. You are fed.

We are divine.

(Holiness and absolution are overrated anyway) Jean Campbell (she/her)

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Poetry

I build an altar of our bodies, your ribcage my ceiling beams, our collarbones crosses, I, raised to the sky, steeple, and you nave.

What holy things can be whispered between us, when girlhood & godhood stand side by side.

From the hollow of your throat comes my voice, and in its echo I find the whole universe, reflected, beautiful, we are anything but alone.

Can they not see this is divine in the making?

This worship as one body names us sinners, by their eyes.

Hair spread around our faces like fallen angels do, hands to each other’s chests, prayers; no sharp corner to be bled homicidal on.

Queer love has fought to survive.

We’ve stood over the sacrifice they made of us and it’s time we learnt to carve our own pearl gates.

Let every instance of joy be an act of resistance, our existence a daily rebellion.

For what has paradise got to offer that I cannot find by a woman’s side?

I’ll outlive God to have the last word; What is heaven to our love anyways?

Clémence Williams (she/her)

an open letter to the (white) gay community things were so simple then I don’t remember who I told first but the count stacked up so quick it was so simple then coming out into a whole new world of boundaryless excitement, colour, awe thought it all would be so easy now to find a place to call my own cause I was free but I was wrong things were too simple then I looked around wide eyed thinking it was all so new I blushed when people called me cute was grateful when they took it on themselves to introduce me to my gay debut the things to say and wear and do to make my wildest dreams come true except they weren’t my dreams I see now looking back with melancholy cause I’m sorry but I couldn’t care less if you’re hairless or a bear less talk about the grind and sexual conquests I confess that for a moment you convinced me these were what I needed to be me and now I see they’re what you need to be you

there may not be as much homophobia in the gay community but that does not mean there are no skeletons hiding in the closet like, how is okay to indiscriminately uplift culture from black members discriminate against indigenous genders fail to stand up for those more vulnerable beneath the queer umbrella selling out our siblings by thinking marriage equality means we’ve won when the fight is far from over and even within our number how dare we trumpet our inclusiveness when this *me* does not feel comfortable here and from what I hear I know this *me* is not alone is it okay for us to just to be us? because we cannot be like you we’ll be over here if you need us just waiting here for you Ethan (he/him; England, Scotland, Malaysia, China)

that’s cool but you do you and I’ll do me and you’re not doing me, okay?

I see your hungry eyes; I didn’t come all this way just to be your prey thinking it was all okay and getting burned so now I’ve learned:

www.salient.org.nz

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Review

Book

The Boy from the Mish (Gary Lonesborough) Etienne Wain (he/him) CW: racism, colonialism, queerphobia

As an avid reader of young adult (YA) fiction, it saddens me that the genre overwhelmingly features white protagonists. Unfortunately, this is even more true of queer YA fiction. So, I get extremely excited every time a novel comes out that features queer protagonists of colour, and/or indigenous queer protagonists. What’s more, as Tangata Tiriti (a non-indigenous person living in this land by virtue of Te Tiriti), I believe I have a responsibility to prioritise indigenous expressions in all areas of life.

Because of this, I wanted to use this space to introduce The Boy From The Mish by Gary Lonesborough. In his own words, Lonesborough is “a Yuin writer, who grew up on the Far South Coast of NSW as part of a large and proud Aboriginal family”. The novel is set in Koori country—a referential term used by people with ancestral connections to the approximate region the Australian Government calls southern New South Wales and Victoria. Lonesborough’s novel follows Jackson, a Koori teenage boy, as he journeys into greater understanding around both his sexuality and his culture.

It’s no accident that his most profound and intimate experiences with his love interest Tomas, a Koori teenager staying with Jackson’s aunt, take place in Koori settings—on a Koori mountain, in a Koori ceremony, on a Koori canoe. My favourite scene in the novel involves a Koori elder explaining to Jackson how his Koori identity coexists beautifully with his queer identity, and vice versa.

At the same time, experiences of queerphobia are present throughout the novel, both within Jackson’s community and from the “white fellas”. One hopeful arc in the novel is the journey taken by one of Jackson’s Koori friends, who is initially fearful of, and confused by, Jackson’s queerness, but moves towards accepting his friend in all his fullness. Jackson and Tomas’ wider experiences of colonisation are also woven throughout the novel, with references to racism from the “white fellas”, especially the police, and the ways Jackson and Tomas negotiate tensions between Koori and white ways of life.

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Review : The Boy From The Mish

Image: Cover of "The Boy From the Mish”

It is a shameful fact that colonisation oppresses queer indigenous people in particular; this oppression continues on in the parts of the queer community that do not acknowledge, or fail to uphold, indigenous genders and sexualities. In these motu, the work of people such as Dr Elizabeth Kerekere in researching and advocating for takatāpui has made significant strides in countering this oppression and reclaiming mana takatāpui. Worldwide, novels such as The Boy From The Mish are another key part of the effort to reclaim the mana of queer indigenous people.

Somehow, despite all the tensions his work entails, Lonesborough writes sensitively and hopefully. He writes in a way that recognises the barriers faced by queer indigenous people within their communities and in Western settings, while pushing for a world where these barriers no longer exist. Jackson reaching a point where he begins to feel comfortable in his queer, indigenous identity gives me hope that this world is possible. And I believe the publishing of this novel brings us one step closer to reaching it.

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Review

Coffee

Gay Coffee Review Billie Angus (she/her) Vic Books: You’re a first-year or a member of staff. The coffee’s alright; I still mourn the pistachio pear Danish that they had in my first year and haven’t seemed to make since. (Blue Is The Warmest Colour/10)

The Hunter Lounge: Absolutely sick! They just started doing filter coffee for $3 a cup—cheapest coffee on campus. Staff are always lovely, and I can listen to sick music and sip a coffee while I do my work. (Sappho/10)

Wishbone: Why are you buying coffee here? Oh, you’re a science/engineering student? Oh okay. You smart then.

I’ll give you a pass, but seriously, find another place to buy your coffee. (Call Me By Your Name/10) (Also the sequel was cancelled, happy pride!)

Milk and Honey: I was dragged in here by another firstyear who ordered a coffee, and I felt like I was going to be kicked out the entire time. Most terrifying experience of my life. You can tell I don’t get out much. (Montero/10)

Louis’: Coffee is nice, plus the staff are always great, but the real perk here is that I can grab a can of V if I forgot on my way in. Love that for me. (Korrasami/10)

The Lab: The last time I got something here it was frozen solid in the middle. Haven’t gone back. Always packed, so can never get anything within a reasonable time. (Cavetown/10)

Honorary mention—Krishna Food: Yeah, okay, they don’t do coffee, and the vibes are kinda cultish. But, the lemonade with mint is really nice on a hot day, and soothes your stomach if you’re nervous. (Carmilla/10) (Look it up, it’s a lesbian vampire web series)

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Review : Coffee

Weir House Queer House: What brings the queer into Weir

Straight Gay Lesbian Bisexual Pansexual Queer I don’t label it but I’m more attr...

Somewhere near straight Bi-curious I don’t FW labels

Zoȅ Mills (she/her) & Jeanne-Claire Gordon (she/her) We’re both quite queer. Fruity as HELL. Part of the alphabet- While we dont have the scientific evidence to prove that mafia. And this year, we are living at VUW’s oldest hall of queer people are more likely to study a BA than another residence, Weir House. degree, we can assume that fruity people are more drawn to the humanities than any other discipline—I mean, which And we have noticed some... things about it. other degree has Gender Studies?

Simply put: Weir House is a bit fruity.

Built in the 1900s, Weir House was originally built as a maleonly University hall designed to support “upstanding young men” in their educational pursuits—but Weir has recently been overrun. By the gays.

Jeanne here—I caught on to this fruity trail in the first week, when I noticed a lot of people on my floor identified as bisexual (the amount of mullets were also a good indicator).

So, what draws in the gays to Weir? Is it the old architecture that gives major cottagecore-dark-academia vibes? Is it the act of reclaiming a space originally reserved for the straight white man? Or is it just the fact that Weir just happens to rhyme with queer, serving as a subconscious marketing ploy to the gays?

Although I’m stoked that our founder William Weir left his money to be put forward for the hall I call home, he was very clear that that the money was to be put towards a male only residential hall. After our buddy Will died, a litigation in his will meant that women were formally allowed to attend in 1994. While women have only been allowed to come to Weir for 27 years, we have found out, thanks to our survey, that 64% of residents identify as female (so suck on that, Willie Weir).

I caught on shortly after Jeanne—Zoe here—when I pulled up to Ivy during OWeek and ran into half the hall at the bar (the amount of Willow Smith I heard blasting through the halls was also a factor). So, in order to set the record straight—haha, get it—Jeanne and I conducted a survey to our fellow Weir House residents to finally answer the age old question: just how queer is Weir?

Perhaps it is an accumulation of all these factors that brings in the queer to Weir—that act of being able to occupy a According to our poll which asked students to identify their space that historically would have excluded you for who you sexual preferences, we have discovered that whopping 45% are; being able to forge an accepting community with likeof Weir House identifies as queer, meaning that one in every minded individuals with shared experiences.

2-3 residents will own a long black leather jacket and Doc Martens.

So—is the mystery of Weir House Queer House solved?

No, not really. But, I think Zoe and I can both say that, for Other residents also added their own additional identities, whatever the real reason is, being in such an inclusive and such as “questioning” and “I don’t really fuck with labels”. welcoming environment is worth whatever gay magic is The most common queer sexuality was bisexual, with 23%, happening. followed by queer. It’s worth noting that 58% of students are taking an Arts degree, followed by Law, which is taken by (Fun fact: Weir House also was the hall Guy Williams attended 19% of students. in 2006. It’s not particularly relevant to what we are talking about, but it’s worth a mention. He’s NZ royalty after all.)

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Which Body Mod Should You Get Next?

Quiz by Joseph and Jamie :)

1) How do you feel about having kids? a) Not for me, thanks b) No strong opinions? What a weird question... c) Ew! Why wouldn’t you just get a dog? d) My friends should have kids so I can be the cool uncle

2) Role-playing? a) As long as you don’t make it weird b) I love D&D! c) As long as I’m in charge d) I’m an empath, so I really get into character

4) Speaking of movie monsters, who’s the hottest in The Mummy (1999) with Brendan Fraser? a) Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay—a sexy Egyptian warrior with some impressive face tats b) Brendan Fraser as Richard O’Connell—a strapping adventurer c) The Rock as the Scorpion King—he’s from the sequel, but it still counts d) Rachel Weisz as Evelyn Carnahan— sexy librarian is a trope for a reason, goddammit

5) What book series were you obsessed with as a kid? a) I watched TV cause I’m not a nerd! b) Harry Potter c) Skulduggery Pleasant d) Famous Five

3) Which classic movie monster is the hottest? a) Dracula b) Uhhhh… I’d prefer to stick to like… people? c) The Creature from the Black Lagoon d) The Werewolf

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6) Cops at Pride? a) No. b) Uhh… it’s a complicated issue? c) No! d) no.

The Hub 11 am–2 pm Thursday 29 July

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Postgraduate Study Expo 2021

EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Mostly A’s: Septum piercing You’re a classic Wellington gay, and you know it. You stopped bothering to explain yourself to The CisHets a long time ago. You’re at Ivy every other Saturday night after too many white wine sangrias, even though you know deep, deep down that it’s a bit of a shit hole.

You cut all of your friends’ hair despite not having any qualifications, so why not use that confident energy to stab a brand new hole bang in the middle of your face?

Mostly B’s: Funky hair dye You’re the gay cousin, but maybe you don’t know that yet (even if everyone else does).

You‘ve been wearing a lot more flannel shirts recently, but you swear it’s just because layers help you keep warm as it’s getting colder. Does this really count as a body mod?

No. But, considering you probably only have your lobes pierced at this point, dying your hair can be a good way to dip your toe in without fully committing to a new hole/piece of art on your body.

Mostly C’s: Bridge piercing I’m scared of you, but I also want you to step on me. Your eyeliner wings are so sharp they could stab a bitch. Your wardrobe is almost exclusively black, with the only exception being the yellow thread on your platform Doc Martens boots. You’re already covered in tattoos and have enough piercings to set off a metal detector, so it’s time to branch out—a bridge piercing would make a great addition.

Mostly D’s: Fineline tattoo You have a schedule for watering your plants, and it shows. Your love for all things green means you have a borderline concerning number of itchy sweaters, thanks to exclusively shopping at op-shops. Your perfect day would be spent hanging out with your cat, who you swear can sense people’s auras—it’s why she scratched your ex that one time. Why not get a dainty tattoo of something special to you, like your prized Monstera for instance?

Answers:

Crossword: All in Favour, All Opposed

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ACROSS

DOWN

1. Psychoanalyst Sigmund with a lot of weird hang-ups (5) 4. ‘Wedding Crashers’ actor Vaughn (5) * 7. Prefix that can come before the answers to all the starred clues (3) 9. Put together, genetically speaking (7) 10. Giving an exam to (7) * 11. Valhalla fella (4) 14. Famed ‘microwave’ pronouncer Nigella (6) 17. Heroine of Ibsen’s play ‘A Doll’s House’ (4) 18. Tattoo artist’s supplies (4) 20. Career choices (9) * 21. Elwes of ‘The Princess Bride’ (4) 23. Coldest tempreatures of the day (4) 26. Chocolate-coffee concoctions (6) 29. Only person in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times Clapton (4) 31. Farm vehicle (7) * 32. Stylish way to turn paper into fliers? (7) 33. Prefix that can come before the answers to all the starred clues (3) 34. Located; establish (5) * 35. Root vegetable; Stockholmare (5)

1. Blended, like two cuisines (6) * 2. Bakery treat whose name means ‘lightning’ (6) 3. Ventilation tube (4) * 4. The kick in a Moscow Mule (5) 5. Marginalia; octave parts (5) 6. Printer company whose cartridges register as empty when they’re still a fifth full (5) 7. ‘Every Rose Has Its Thorn’ band (6) 8. Cathedral instruments (6) 12. Nickelodeon explorer (4) 13. Deep blue shade (4) 14. Brazilian ‘Overwatch’ character with the ‘Crossfade’ and ‘Amp It Up’ abilities (5) 15. Tend (5) 16. High-pitched reed instruments (5) 18. Skye or Man (4) 19. Bird protected by Operation Nest Egg (4) 21. Like the mythology of Aonghus and Danu (6) 22. Stay behind (6) 24. Designed with complexity (6) 25. Ancient writer of documents (6) * 26. Repeated design (5) 27. One of the Ionian islands (5) 28. Shun (5) 30. Belongs; can be contained (4) *

Puzzles

Skuxdoku

Word of the Week

“Partner” Te Reo Māori hoa, whanaunga New Zealand Sign language

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D Aries

Taurus

Gemini

It’s the first full week of uni, and you’re ready. You’ll move through this week smoothly, calmly, and calculatedly, looking for adventure and excitement.

I’m telling you this week, though, be wary of first appearances and how they can deceive. Don’t let high libido lead you astray, count your emojis, and remember—there are straight men who have mullets.

This week will be peaceful for you, Taurus, but only if you back yourself and trust others. Listen to your friends and family, and notice the subtle details in their actions. You’ll be dreaming about future plans this week; not sure if that’s a new tattoo, adopting a cat, or travelling with your partner. It’s fun to lean into the romantic sometimes, but remember to ground yourself in reality.

Cancer

Leo

This week, the universe wants you to observe and chill out. Tap into that airy energy, and your resilience to go with the flow will be recognised.

You will receive a message towards the end of the week; not sure if it’s a pay rise, a party invite, or a message from that person you met last weekend, but trust me it’ll be good. Also, beware of your flatmate borrowing your favourite fluffy coat on Wednesday—hide it first.

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

This is a stand out week for you!

Something is going to get you noticed— not sure if it’s your perfectly curated outfit or your ability to stay calm when in reality you’re trashed—but you’ve got some admirers. I’m seeing an opportunity to blend work and your passions; will you be the founder of Wellington’s next hottest gay bar? I’m not sure, but it’s definitely on the cards if you keep leaning into this power.

This week starts a bit of a waiting game for you, Scorpio—ground yourself in what feels comfortable, and be patient. You could find that the fun you crave this week comes from staying in. I see you and someone you’re close with watching shitty 2000s rom-coms. Think about sharing your outfits on Instagram this week, because somehow your flat will be blessed with the perfect lighting.

This week, it’s leaning into a quieter energy that will save you as uni picks back up. You might have a breakthrough with emotional healing this week—I feel like you may rebuild a relationship with an old friend, or a problematic relative might finally come through for you. Remember to think about your budget; only buy a box of Odd Company, and skip 2 for 1 cocktails this week.

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

Oooo someone loves you, Capricorn. I know you’re not the most affectionate person, but open your arms to this energy. It’s well deserved, and may just be the perfect pick me up. I feel like it’s flat-inspection time, or you’re signing some document—make sure you don’t do this alone. Don’t wear pink this Wednesday!

Wait for a surprise this payday! Might not be extra money necessarily but you’ve got something good coming your way this week. Brace yourself for potential stress coming early next week by prepping as much as you can this week. Try waking your partner up with dog videos if they won’t get up— this week you want to be as productive as you can. Also uncuff your pants on Friday, it’s way too cold for that!

This week starts off on a high note; you will be extremely lucky on Monday. You may be feeling a lot of productive energy, but you also may not know what to do with it. Channel it into pushing yourself forward. Make a mood board, write a list of goals. Just avoid anything that is holographic or sparkly this week— trust me, it’s for your own good. If you encounter more tarot TikToks than usual, take it as a good sign.

Yay, it’s Cancer season! The opportunity you have been waiting for is now coming to you. Take everyone out to Ivy and celebrate! I see you being impulsive this week. Instead of trying astral projection or getting a new piercing, maybe channel that energy into giving your friends advice on their impulses—this will help you take a step back. But, most importantly, don’t give yourself frosted tips at home.

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Columns : To be Frank Horoscopes

Just rest for a minute, it’s not too late, trust me! Put those big plans on the back burner; if you pay attention you will receive the answers you need to keep moving on with them, but now is not the time. Be confident in where you are right now, you have all the ^charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent^ you need. On Sunday, try your luck with a dating app.

Virgo

Try shifting your focus onto having downtime with friends this week, rather than your partner. It’s obvious that there is something bothering you, and your friends can give you the support you need—you just have to be willing to listen. Try a fake nose piercing or a temporary tattoo; slow shifts will help you feel settled for the new coming to your life before you dive right in.

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The Team Guest Editors

Ethan Wellington Rosie van Beusekom

Editors

Sally Ward & Matthew Casey editor@salient.org.nz

Design & Illustration Padraig Simpson designer@salient.org.nz

Sub Editor Jamie Clarke

News Editor

Lily McElhone news@salient.org.nz

Centerfold

Rosie van Beusekom

Contributors

Katrin O’Donnell Jean Campbell Lauren Davis Oliver Donaldson Helen Howell Renati Waaka Natalie McDonald Clémence Williams Ethan Etienne Wain Billie Angus Zoè Mills Jeanne-Claire Gordon Puck Francesa Georgia Pietkiewicz

Chief Reporter Niva Chittock

Staff Writers Janhavi Gosavi Ronia Ibrahim Lachlan Ewing Azaria Howell

Social Media & Web Manager Kane Bassett and Brittany Harrison

Podcast Manager

Francesa Georgia Pietkiewicz podcasts@salient.org

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