Tag: gay new zealand

New Zealand Defense Force rated world’s most LGBTI inclusive military

The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) has released a study of LGBTI inclusion in the world’s militaries and has rated New Zealand’s armed forces the most supportive The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) have given a 100% rating for LGBTI inclusion to New Zealand’s armed forces – topping the rest of the world’s… Read more »

Gay NZ skater Skjellerup blasts Olympics hosts

Kiwi speed skater Blake Skjellerup, one of the world’s only openly gay winter athletes, is still sweating on potential qualification for the Sochi Olympics, but remains eager to draw attention to Russia’s views on homosexuality. Skjellerup finished 33rd in qualifying for the Olympic 500m short track speed skating, one spot out of automatic qualification. The… Read more »

A quarter of all same-sex marriages in New Zealand are by Australians

Nearly a hundred Australian same-sex couples have resorted to travelling to New Zealand to get married since August. 47 female couples and 50 male couples have made the journey from Australia, since New Zealand’s equal marriage law came into effect in August. 361 same-sex couples in total have so far tied the knot in New… Read more »

Gay Speed Skater Blake Skjellerup Plans To Defy Russian Ban At 2014 Olympics

An openly gay speed skater from New Zealand says that he will represent both his country and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, next year if he is able to make the team. Blake Skjellerup plans to defy Russia’s recent ban of so-called “propaganda” supporting… Read more »

World’s first transgender MP seriously ill

New Zealand’s Georgina Beyer, who became the world’s first openly transgender MP in 1999, has chronic kidney failure The world’s first transgender MP, New Zealand’s Georgina Beyer, is seriously ill with chronic kidney failure. Beyer had been about to announce her candidacy in the Wellington mayoral election. She has not confirmed if she will no… Read more »

New Zealand: Church billboard questions whether Jesus was gay

A controversial church billboard in New Zealand has been unveiled, which raises the question of whether or not Jesus might have been gay. St-Matthew-in-the-City church in Auckland, unveiled this year’s Christmas billboard, which features a depiction of baby Jesus in a crib, with a rainbow-coloured halo surrounding his head, reported Stuff.nz. The billboard reads: “It’s… Read more »

Gay Red Shirt Day

New Zealanders plan gathering to show Prime Minister that ‘gay’ is not an insult A group of parents have declared this Friday (9 November) ‘Gay Red Shirt Day’ after New Zealand Prime Minister John Key used ‘gay’ as an insult when he criticized a radio host’s ‘gay red top’. The day was inspired by Green… Read more »

New Zealand: Presbyterian Church to defy its governing body and perform same-sex marriages

A church in Wellington, New Zealand, has vowed to go against its governing body if equal marriage becomes legal, and perform same-sex weddings, ”because what matters in marriage is love and commitment.” The St Andrews on the Terrace Presbyterian Church, released a statement today titled “We support equal marriage”, which said that the church would… Read more »

Public debate about marriage equality to be held among Pacific communities in New Zealand

Pacific leaders in Auckland, New Zealand, say it is necessary for their communities to hold a public debate the country’s marriage equality bill to quell fears that it will cause conflict with Pacific churches and undermine “traditional values”. As reported by Radio New Zealand News, Labour’s Pacific Island Affairs spokesperson Su’a William Sio has asked… Read more »

AIDS memorial quilt gets permanent home in the Museum of New Zealand

Memorial quilt for the first victims of HIV/AIDS in New Zealand handed to museum in church ceremony Te Papa, the Nation Museum of New Zealand in Wellington The national museum of New Zealand, Te Papa, accepted the country’s AIDS memorial quilt in a church ceremony yesterday. The quilt, a memorial to the first victims of… Read more »

Mr Gay World 2012 won by German man

The fourth Mr Gay World contest took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday. This was the first time that the contest included black African participants, whose involvement brought its own fraught set of problems. The title was taken by Andreas Derleth, a German man who lives in New Zealand and who beat 21 other contestants.… Read more »

NZ HIV infection numbers drop

Nurse’s care not adequate – report Alcohol warnings to pregnant women Mental illness on rise in children ACC tries to plug another breach Recession’s big role in mental-health spike Study follows 3000 as they age Council backs birthing proposal Release evidence to back claims, Pullar told Home service helps patients recover Widow begins her long… Read more »

One-fifth of gay Auckland men with HIV unaware they are infected

A fifth of gay and bisexual Auckland men with HIV are unaware they are infected, new research has found. The Otago University study is the first community-based biological measure of HIV to estimate of the rate of undiagnosed and overall HIV infection among gay and bisexual Auckland men. The research suggests 6.5 per cent of… Read more »

Regional action needed on homophobia

Australian gay rights activists have called on the Gillard Government to take a stronger stand on LGBTI rights in the region following the release of a United Nations report into high levels of violence faced by LGBTI people worldwide. The report was released in Geneva last week after a UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution… Read more »