In this podcast Elizabeth Kerekere delivers a keynote presentation. Elizabeth is introduced by Kevin Hague. The presentation happened in the Ilott Theatre during the opening plenary: Intersectionality - the whole of us.
Summary
The summary of Elizabeth Kerekere's keynote presentation at the AsiaPacific Outgames captures the essence of a powerful speech delivered in the Ilott Theatre, Wellington Town Hall. The recording, dated March 16th, 2011, begins with a traditional acknowledgment to Papatūānuku (Earth Mother) and Ranginui (Sky Father), as well as a mention of global crises in Haiti and Japan, linking them to environmental degradation.
Kerekere opens with expressions of gratitude toward the indigenous Iwi, event organizers, and Kevin Hague for representing takatāpui—a term encompassing Māori people who identify with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. A significant portion of the speech is devoted to sharing personal identity as Māori, a lesbian feminist, an artist, and being in a civil union for 19 years, highlighting consideration of such unions as an act of revolution.
Central to the presentation is the exploration of takatāpui history and identity. Inspired by ancestors, Kerekere delves into the open acceptance of diverse sexualities within Māori culture before colonization and how European accounts from the 1770s documented such practices. The term 'takatāpui' itself was reclaimed from traditional narratives about relationships like that of Tutanekai and Tiki, which included affection beyond heteronormative bounds.
Kerekere outlines the influence of colonization and Christian missionary teachings, which suppressed overt expressions of non-heteronormative sexualities within Māori communities. Despite these challenges, takatāpui resilience is celebrated, and the need for ongoing research and community support is articulated, especially concerning the well-being of youth facing rejection and discrimination.
Aspects of strategic planning and policy development are touched upon, emphasizing the importance of leadership, decision-making, and human resources in driving effective action for takatāpui and broader queer communities. Kerekere asserts that multifaceted approaches, rather than isolated initiatives, are crucial for creating inclusive and supportive environments.
The speech encourages pride in takatāpui history and achievements, acknowledging key figures who have fostered Māori culture and promoted LGBTQ+ rights. Recognizing the need to resist complacency, it calls for leveraging privilege to support those who are marginalized, particularly youth.
In the latter part of the presentation, Kerekere shifts focus from past accomplishments to the future, urging research on the impacts of colonization on Māori sexuality, development of strategies to combat homophobia and transphobia, and fostering safe spaces that do not require silence or sacrifice.
The keynote concludes with an invitation to unity and action, urging attendees to maintain momentum in the movement for acceptance and recognition. It ends with a musical note, embodying the spirit of Māori oral traditions and cultural performance, further emphasizing the interconnectedness of culture, identity, and advocacy.
This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.
Tags
Tags (computer generated)
1880s, 1930s, 1970s, acceptance, addiction, ancestors, artist, arts, asia pacific outgames, attack, attraction, beauty, benefits, bisexual, board, body image, books, brisbane, bullying, capital, change, children, chocolate, choice, christchurch, community, complacency, conference, culture, david, discrimination, diversity, dominant, education, elders, employment, environment, expectations, family, feminism, film, fun, future, gaming, gay, gender, gender identity, gender studies, government, grief, haiti, haka, health, health education, heterosexual, history, hockey, homophobia, homosexual, human rights, identity, japan, job, joe, kicked out, knowledge, language, leadership, legislation, lesbian feminism, lgbt, love, march, mental health, mining, minority, missionary, opportunity, oral history, other, pacific, people, performance, pink triangle badge, policy, politics, prejudice, privilege, publishing, punishment, queen, queer, questioning, records, revolution, ritual, running, safety, self harm, sex, sexual orientation, sexuality, shame, silence, sin, space, spaces, spectrum, speech, storytelling, strength, stuff, suicide, support, teeth, threats, time, tokyo, top, trans, transgender, transphobia, treaty, treaty relations, turkey, university, visual arts, vote, wellington, wisdom, women, women's studies, work, writing, youth