Cocacolonisation* of Queer

This year’s theme for the Auckland Pride Parade 2014 is ‘TIME’. The organisers state that the

New Zealand's Rainbow Community is the product of our collective histories, which we need to understand, honour and celebrate in order to move forward. Where did we come from? What did we feel and want? When and why were our community organisations founded? Where are they headed in 2014 and beyond? Who are we now and what do we want to become?

I wonder who exactly they will be celebrating, honouring and understanding?  It is certainly not the shared history of this country’s bicultural or lack of bicultural history – as is apparent in the use of this nation’s colonial term ‘New Zealand’. Being Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, intersex and bisexual peoples, you would think that 'we', of all peoples would understand that identity is imperative to inclusion. In saying this it is refreshing to see takatāpui guiding much of this year’s celebration (correct me if I am wrong).  Nevertheless, over the 10 years of Hero Parade, aka Gay Pride and the Big Gay Out, how representative will Auckland’s 2014 celebrations be? And is it perhaps TIME to stop trying to be a 'community' of likeminded, classless homosexuals?

Recently, much of the LGTB communities ‘celebrated’ the legalisation of same-sex marriage. Many purporting this to be apex of LGTB equality. Whilst it cannot be argued, ensuring that 10 percent of the population’s relationships be legally recognised, I question exactly what this has offered many of the queer communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In my 36 years out and proud, I have witnessed the rise of what I term ‘Gay Cocacolonisation’. This gay cocacolonisation, is founded on a loss of status for the middleclass homosexual. Since time memorable middle-class homosexuals have lived in a state of conflict about their position as (white) middle-class and homosexual.  Endowed with a sense of entitlement, the middleclass found themselves scorned and banished to working class bars and seedy nightclubs. Whilst this banishment has seen many fashion a political riposte, it is one infected with a desire to return to the lost opulence that is understood to be rightfully theirs. This was seen in the midst of the centre-left push for marriage rights.  As middle-class lesbians and gay men roared ‘we are just the same as our next-door neighbours’, you could feel the jubilation of the middle classes as they were welcomed back into the fold.

There has and never will be a ‘collective’ history of queer communities in Auckland’s Rainbow Community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Takatāpui, Intersex, Fa’afafine) or in Aotearoa New Zealand. There is however copious herstories/histories of colonised takatapui, working-class bull/stone/butch dykes, South Auckland's gay Pacifica and dawn raids. Poverty, addiction imprisonment and Auckland’s rent boys. Sadly, these herstories/histories will be masked by sumptuous advertising and hidden tacitly behind well-groomed queer chars, unemployed rent boys and castigated queer beneficiaries.  

Over TIME there has been more inclusiveness of our herstories/histories, however much; much more can be done to show diversity. So for now I will take TIME out and share with anyone interested the herstories/histories of the many communities I have been part of and remember that Auckland’s Rainbow Community is not the full story.


* Term borrowed from Annette Sykes 2013 Waitangi speech.