(no subject)
Well, the Asia-Pacific Outgames Human Rights Conference is over - and unlike so many conferences, this one has been a zinger.
There were people of a huge variety of human sexual and gender identities attending, from Nepal to Argentina, Hawaii to South Korea, Malaysia to Vanuatu, and some incredible personal stories coming out that fed into the conference themes around Human Rights.
Some of the usual complexities arising out of different cultural conceptions of what it is to be same-sex attracted, what it means to be a man, a woman, third-gendered etc.
A very passionate demand to the NZ Human Rights Commissioner from one aged dyke at the closing plenary - talking of the struggle and effort put into coming out in the 60s, 70s and 80s, and now the fear that as we age we will need to go back into the closet when in aged care facilities, very moving, very real.
We are so lucky here in NZ - even though things aren't perfect, compared to so much of the world, we live in a world of privilege and guaranteed rights that seem like heaven to others.
A big thanks to the US Govt (don't hear that very much, do you ;-) ) for funding scholarships - I guess it helps that the US Ambassador to NZ is a very smart and out gay man. The Dutch Ambassador is gay too, and he got his govt to fund 15 scholarships.
My presentation went well, better than I'd thought it would, good feedback, and I think it worked.
So I'm buzzing a bit from it all still - out to dance at the men's party tonight - a room full of hot sweaty men from around the Pacific... it's got to be good :-)
There were people of a huge variety of human sexual and gender identities attending, from Nepal to Argentina, Hawaii to South Korea, Malaysia to Vanuatu, and some incredible personal stories coming out that fed into the conference themes around Human Rights.
Some of the usual complexities arising out of different cultural conceptions of what it is to be same-sex attracted, what it means to be a man, a woman, third-gendered etc.
A very passionate demand to the NZ Human Rights Commissioner from one aged dyke at the closing plenary - talking of the struggle and effort put into coming out in the 60s, 70s and 80s, and now the fear that as we age we will need to go back into the closet when in aged care facilities, very moving, very real.
We are so lucky here in NZ - even though things aren't perfect, compared to so much of the world, we live in a world of privilege and guaranteed rights that seem like heaven to others.
A big thanks to the US Govt (don't hear that very much, do you ;-) ) for funding scholarships - I guess it helps that the US Ambassador to NZ is a very smart and out gay man. The Dutch Ambassador is gay too, and he got his govt to fund 15 scholarships.
My presentation went well, better than I'd thought it would, good feedback, and I think it worked.
So I'm buzzing a bit from it all still - out to dance at the men's party tonight - a room full of hot sweaty men from around the Pacific... it's got to be good :-)