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Timeline: February

February 1901

  • Painter Frances Hodgkins leaves New Zealand for Europe (New Zealand). Hodgkins and close friend Dorothy Richmond would later travel through Europe together. Links: Te Ara, Papers Past

February 1933

  • The Nazi Party launches a purge of gay clubs, publications and groups (Germany). Link: Wikipedia

February 1975

  • Members of SHE Christchurch help organise the first Women's Refuge conference (Christchurch)
  • The second National Lesbian Conference is held (New Zealand)

February 1977

  • Gay Liberation pickets the Labour Party conference for failing to defend MP Colin Moyle (New Zealand)
  • The Auckland Gay Social Club is formed (Auckland). The club later becomes the Laetus Social Club in March 1978
  • The social Hawkes Bay Gay Society is formed (Hawke's Bay region)

February 1980

  • The Auckland Gay Task Force is formed (Auckland). The group is formed as a result of the Westside Sauna raid. Link: LAGANZ

February 1981

  • Lesbians picket the Human Rights Commission office (Auckland)

February 1992

  • HERO 2 festival is held (Auckland). The festival includes the first HERO parade. Link: Wikipedia
  • Moving-image footage: Mika - Lava Lover (Auckland). Hundreds of dancers choreographed by Mika at the HERO party. Ref F62152. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

February 1994

  • The New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt is displayed at the Aotea Centre (Auckland). The Quilt is displayed for one-and-a-half weeks, followed by two days laid out on Aotea Square. Link: New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt

February 1995

  • Devotion 95: a gay and lesbian celebration by Elizabeth Smith and Rachell Rose is published

February 1997

  • Television coverage: 1997 HERO parade (Auckland). Edited coverage of the 1997 HERO parade (22 February), featuring Anita McNaught, the Topp Twins, Petra Bagust, Jon Bridges and Nathan Rarere. TV3, ref F29050. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

February 1999

  • Documentary: Follow The Yellow Brick Road (Auckland). The Auckland HERO parade. Includes interview material and footage of the parade. Produced by Triangle Television. Follow The Yellow Brick Road, ref F48156. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision
  • Television feature: coverage of the HERO parade (Auckland). Coverage of the HERO parade, with Mika, Hori Ahipene, Georgina Beyer and Louisa Wall. TV3, ref F40007. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

February 2001

  • Television coverage: HERO Parade (New Zealand). Robert Rakete and Vanessa Wagener, one of Australia's top drag queens host coverage of the [final] HERO parade. Ref F50420. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

1 February 1973

1 February 1980

  • Police raid Westside Sauna (Auckland). Eight men are arrested and charged. Link: GayNZ.net.nz

1 February 1993

  • The HERO 3 festival is held (Auckland). The festival's theme is: a celebration of diversity

1 February 1994

  • The Human Rights Act 1993 is enacted (New Zealand). The Act outlaws discrimination on a wide variety of grounds including sexual orientation and disability. The Act also provides protection against discrimination for those living with HIV/AIDS. Links: Wikipedia, New Zealand Legislation, NZ.com

1 February 1997

  • The second Freedom dance party takes place (Christchurch). The party is at the Civic of Canterbury on Manchester Street. Link: NZ.com

1 February 2019

  • Auckland Pride Festival takes place (Auckland). The festival runs from 1-17 February. Link: Auckland Pride

2 February 1985

  • Gay BC begins broadcasting a weekly programme on Wellington Access Radio (Wellington). The Gay Broadcasting Collective is formed to connect the community and advocate for homosexual law reform. Links: LAGANZ (1), LAGANZ (2)
  • Jeff Whittington is born (Wellington). Whittington was later murdered in Wellington by Jason Meads and Stephen Smith in May 1999. Link: Wikipedia

2 February 1994

  • Television feature: All About Eve (New Zealand). A documentary about Eve Van Grafhorst, ref F21298. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

2 February 2018

  • The Auckland Pride Festival takes place (Auckland). The festival runs until the 18 February. Link: Auckland Pride Festival

3 February 1944

  • Sister Paula Brettkelly is born (United Kingdom)

3 February 2021

  • Auckland Pride takes place (Auckland). The festival runs from 3-28 February. Link: Auckland Pride

4 February 1995

  • The fourth Devotion dance party is held at Civic Square and the Wellington Town Hall (Wellington). (note there was no Devotion party held in 1994). Link: GayNZ.net

5 February 1987

  • Newspaper report: Father Felix Donnelly speaks out against the Pope (New Zealand). Link: Bay Area Reporter

5 February 1996

  • The first broadcast of Express Report occurs (New Zealand). The programme is a regular rainbow tv news and current affairs show. It is later called Out There

5 February 1998

  • The HERO festival takes place (Auckland). The festival runs from 5 - 21 February. Link: NZ.com

6 February 1840

  • The Treaty of Waitangi is signed (Waitangi). New Zealand becomes part of the British Empire. This in turn makes homosexual acts illegal and punishable by death. Link: NZ History

6 February 1915

  • Albert Edward McGurk is sentenced to 7-years imprisonment for committing an unnatural offence (sodomy) (Auckland). John Leslie Lander (24) testified against him. McGurk (34) would later testify against Lander - seeing him also convicted of an unnatural offence and sentenced to life imprisonment. McGurk was released from prison on 24 June 1920. He would later marry. Link: Papers Past

6 February 1981

  • Lesbians carry a "Lesbians Oppose Racism" banner to protest Waitangi commemorations (Wellington)

7 February 1925

  • NZ Truth reports The Dazzling Dandies - a prisoners' extravaganza at New Plymouth Prison (New Plymouth). Since 1917, New Plymouth Prison had mainly housed sexual offenders - including homosexualists. Link: NZ Truth

7 February 1944

  • Writer Witi Ihimaera is born (Gisborne region). Link: Wikipedia

7 February 1997

7 February 1998

  • The Freedom festival and dance party take place (Christchurch). The Freedom dance party takes place on 14 Feburary at the Civic of Canterbury on Manchester Street. Various other events take place: an art exhibition 3 - 21 February, a film festival 7 - 13 February, a picnic on 8 February, a cocktail party on 9 February and Bar Olympics on 12 February. Link: NZ.com

7 February 2014

  • Auckland Pride is held. (Auckland). Link: Gay NZ

7 February 2021

  • Paparoa Pride Parade takes place (Northland region). The parade starts at 5pm from the Thirsty Tui Hotel. Link: Facebook

8 February 1972

  • Television news report: Katherine Mansfield manuscript from 1915 discovered (New Zealand). Newsview, ref TZP144383. Link: TVNZ

8 February 1980

  • 600 people march to protest the raids on the Westside Sauna and OUT! Magazine (Auckland). Link: GayNZ.net.nz

8 February 1984

  • Television: A man who contracted AIDS overseas is being treated at Taranaki Base Hospital (New Zealand). ref: TZP18767. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

8 February 1996

  • Pride Stories our Mothers never told Us takes place (Auckland). The event is organised by the Pride Centre as part of the HERO Festival. It takes place at Footsteps Nightclub and features Mary O'Hagan, Clare Bear Reader, Robert Leak, Karin Kahurangi and Frankie Hill, poet and activist Uma Kali-Shakti, and comedian Philip Patston. Link: NZ.com

9 February 1903

  • Writer James Courage is born (Christchurch). Link: Te Ara

9 February 1987

  • Television news report: Rev Carl Titchener gives out condoms during church services (New York, United States of America). Eyewitness news, ref F58280. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
  • The media reports that the Rev Carl Titchener is giving out condoms during church services (New York, United States of America). Titchener, a Unitarian minister in New York, gives out condoms to help prevent the spread of AIDS

9 February 2019

  • The first #ourmarch attracts an estimated 3,000 people (Auckland). The #ourmarch grassroots event replaced the Auckland Pride Parade which had been held annually since 2013. The march followed the "graduation route", from Albert Park, up Queen Street to Myers Park. Link: Gay Express

10 February 1996

  • The fifth Devotion dance party is held at Shed 6/Queen's Wharf Events Centre (Wellington). Link: Stuff.co.nz

10 February 2000

  • Television news report: Chris Truscott, who is HIV+, is being held under the Health Act (New Zealand). TV3 news, ref F44223. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

10 February 2005

  • The New Zealand AIDS Foundation comes out in support of the Human Rights (Gender Identity) Amendment Bill (2004) (New Zealand). NZAF Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier said that "safe sex is a self-care behaviour that is enhanced when people feel that they belong to, and are accepted by, their communities and society at large. Legal protection against discrimination will go a long way toward achieving that.". Link: Scoop

10 February 2007

  • MP Chris Carter (Te Atatu, Labour Party) and Peter Kaiser are civilly joined (New Zealand). Carter and Kaiser's civil union is the first for a Cabinet Minister or Member of Parliament in New Zealand. Link: Wikipedia

10 February 2019

  • The 20th Big Gay Out takes place at Coyle Park (Auckland). MP Tamati Coffey announced at the event that he and his partner Tim Smith are expecting their first baby in July. Links: Stuff.co.nz (1), Stuff.co.nz (2)

11 February 1977

  • Television: Founding of a group opposing the persecution of MPs Marilyn Waring, Gerald O'Brien and Colin Moyle (New Zealand). ref: TZP28785. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

11 February 2018

  • Zena Campbell dies (Wellington). Campbell is found in a car in Aro Valley. Her partner was subsequently accused of murder, but the judge dismissed the charge on the day the High Court trial was due to start (12 February 2019). A pathologist said the death was "likely due to methadone and alcohol toxicity, or neck compression or some combination of the two.". Link: Stuff

12 February 1985

12 February 1997

  • Best Mates: Gay Writing in Aotearoa New Zealand edited by Peter Wells and Rex Pilgrim is launched (Auckland). The book is launched in the Wintergardens at the Auckland Domain

12 February 2012

  • Andreas Derleth wins Mr Gay New Zealand 2012 (Auckland). Link: GayNZ
  • Big Gay Out is held at Coyle Park in Pt Chevalier, Auckland It is estimated 14,000 people attended

12 February 2018

  • Dana de Milo dies (Wellington). Link: Facebook

12 February 2019

  • A judge dismisses the murder charge against the partner of Zena Campbell (Wellington). Campbell's body was found in a car in Aro Valley on 11 February 2018. Her partner was subsequently accused of murder, but the judge dismissed the charge on the day the High Court trial was due to start. A pathologist said the death was "likely due to methadone and alcohol toxicity, or neck compression or some combination of the two.". Link: Stuff.co.nz

13 February 2008

  • The Awhina Centre opens at Level 1, 187 Willis Street (Wellington)

13 February 2011

  • Big Gay Out is held at Coyle Park in Pt Chevalier (Auckland). Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
  • Television news report: the leaders of the two main political parties attend Big Gay Out (New Zealand). Features PM John Key, Phil Goff, and Jordan Harris from the New Zealand AIDS Foundation. TV3 news, ref F206698. Links: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision, University of Auckland

14 February 1971

  • Television news report: interview with Mayor of Mount Roskill Keith Hay (Auckland). Hay would later become a staunch opponent of homosexual law reform. This Day, ref TZP107523. Links: TVNZ, Wikipedia

14 February 1977

14 February 1987

  • Television news report: the World Health Organisation reports 2,000 more AIDS cases in the last month (New Zealand). There are currently 40,000 cases world wide. 6.30pm news, ref F92297. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

14 February 1998

  • The dance party Sprung at Devotion is held (Wellington). The party is held at the Overseas Passenger Terminal. It followed on from the earlier Devotion dance parties of the 1990s. Link: Stuff.co.nz

14 February 2012

  • A lesbian couple saboutage the "win a divource" promotion on the The Rock radio station (New Zealand). Link: Gay NZ

14 February 2017

  • The children's fairy tale book Promised Land is published (New Zealand). The book is co-authored by Adam Reynolds and Chaz Harris. Link: PrideNZ.com

15 February 1977

  • Television news report: Labour Party selects a candidate to replace Colin Moyle (New Zealand). ref: TZP27933. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

15 February 2003

  • The Outlines conference takes place (Wellington). The conference is about lesbian and gay history in Aotearoa. Link: LAGANZ

15 February 2012

  • Green MP Jan Logie makes her maiden speech in Parliament Logie describes herself as a "leftie, feminist lesbian"

16 February 1975

  • Television news report: Father Felix Donnelly speaks out against the Roman Catholic church's submission on homosexual law reform (New Zealand). TV news, ref TZP32842. This item has been digitised and an online viewing copy can be requested from the archive. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

16 February 2012

  • Sam Johnson wins Young New Zealander of the Year Johnson was the founder of the Student Volunteer Army that assisted during the Christchurch earthquake recovery

17 February 1930

17 February 2001

  • The final HERO Parade is held (Auckland). The parade is held along Ponsonby Road. This would be the last HERO Parade. A smaller march happened in March 2002, but it wasn't until 2013 that another large scale pride parade occurred. Links: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision, Wikipedia

17 February 2016

  • Ferdinand Ambach is released from prison and immediately deported to Hungary (Auckland region). Ambach, a tourist to New Zealand, was found guilty in 2009 of the manslaughter of Auckland pensioner Ronald Brown. Originally charged with murder, Ambach successfully used the provocation (gay panic) defence, claiming Brown had made an unwanted homosexual advance. Link: Stuff

17 February 2018

  • The Prime Minister marches for the first time in the Auckland Pride Parade (Auckland). Featuring more than 50 entries the parade will "march for peace, love and unity at a time of escalating global unrest, when human rights are increasingly under attack all over the world." The parade begins at 7.30pm at the north end of Ponsonby Road, near the Tole Street intersection, before progressing south along Ponsonby Road, and ending just past Western Park. Although former Prime Minister's Helen Clark and Jenny Shipley had attended previous parades, Jacinda Ardern was the first to march in one. Link: Auckland Pride Festival

18 February 2001

  • Television news report: crowd numbers were down at last night's HERO Parade (New Zealand). Tv3 news, ref F49202. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

18 February 2019

19 February 1985

  • Civil libertarian Walter Scott dies (New Zealand)

19 February 2003

  • The second reading of the Prostitution Reform Bill takes place (New Zealand). Link: Parliament

19 February 2014

  • The second reading of the Sullivan Birth Certificate Bill takes place in Parliament (New Zealand). Link: PrideNZ.com

20 February 1986

  • Television news report: New Zealand is the first country in the world to register a register a drug for the treatment of AID (New Zealand). The drug registered is Imunovir. 6.30pm Top Half, ref F91889. Links: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision, University of Auckland

20 February 1987

  • Television news report: the New Zealand AIDS Foundation says its funding will dry up next month (New Zealand). Interviewees include Kate Leslie and Warren Lindberg. There's also a news item about the Queen meeting AIDS doctors. 6.30pm news, ref F92320 and Eyewitness news, ref F92321. Links: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision (1), Nga Taonga Sound & Vision (2)

21 February 1960

  • Poet Walter D'Arcy Cresswell dies (London, United Kingdom). Cresswell dies of accidental gas poisioning. Links: Te Ara, GayNZ.net

21 February 1998

  • The HERO parade takes place (Auckland). The parade begins at 8.45pm and runs along Ponsonby Road. It includes 60-plus floats. Links: NZ.com(1), NZ.com(2)

22 February 1980

  • Another protest march takes place against the police raids on the Westside Sauna and OUT! Magazine (Auckland)

22 February 1984

  • Television: New Zealand experts react to American doctor's claims that the Hepatitis B vaccine being used in New Zealand has links with AIDS (New Zealand). ref: TZP115040. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

22 February 1987

  • Artist Andy Warhol dies (New York, United States of America). Link: Wikipedia

22 February 1996

  • The Gay Association of Professionals (GAP) is formed in Wellington (Wellington). The Association changes its name to Rainbow Wellington in the mid-2000s. Links: Queer History NZ, LAGANZ

22 February 1997

  • The HERO parade takes place (Auckland). The parade runs from Crummer Road, into Ponsonby Road and then down to Three Lamps. It's broadcast on TV3. Link: New Zealand AIDS Quilt

22 February 1998

  • The HERO parade is broadcast on TV3 (Auckland). The parade happened the day earlier in Auckland and is broadcast nationally on Sunday at 9.30pm, ref F35117. Links: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision, NZ.com

22 February 2002

  • The Minister of Health Annette King opens the new Awhina Centre (Wellington). The Awhina Centre is the New Zealand AIDS Foundation's Wellington Regional Office. Link: Beehive.govt.nz

23 February 1924

  • A headline in NZ Truth reads "The growth of degeneracy and sex crime - sterilisation proposed" (New Zealand). Link: Papers Past

23 February 1987

  • Television news report: AIDS education programme in schools (United States of America). Also includes a news item about the death of Andy Warhol. Eyewitness news, ref F92325. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

24 February 1989

  • The Lesbian Club ends (Wellington). The Club ends for the third time

24 February 2018

  • The Wellington Pride Festival Tu Whakahihi e Te Whanganui-a-Tara takes place (Wellington). The festival begins with Out in the Park and runs until 10 March. Links: Wellington Pride Festival, PrideNZ.com

25 February 1987

  • Television news report: AIDS causes a review of health requirements for potential immigrants (New Zealand). Interviewee Kerry Burke. 6.30pm news, ref F92342. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

25 February 2007

  • Television news report: Gambian President Yahya Jammeh claims to have found a cure for HIV/AIDS TV3 news, ref F97881. Link: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

25 February 2019

  • Minister for Internal Affairs Tracey Martin defers the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Bill (New Zealand). The Minister wanted to give people more opportunities to submit on the proposed changes as well as seek clarification on legal issues relating to gender self-identification. Link: NZ Herald

26 February 1817

  • Feminist and businesswoman Mary Taylor is born (Yorkshire, United Kingdom). Taylor was a life-long friend and some say lover of writer Charlotte Bronte. Links: Te Ara, GayNZ.net

26 February 1936

  • Eric Mareo is found guilty of murdering Themla Mareo (Auckland). Mareo is sentenced to death. His sentence is later commuted to life imprisonment on 5 August 1936. Links: Papers Past, Te Ara

27 February 1976

27 February 1978

27 February 1997

  • Labour MP Tim Barnett gives his maiden speech in Parliament (New Zealand). Link: Parliament

27 February 2004

  • Television news report: rising rates of HIV in New Zealand (New Zealand). Interviewees include Michael Stevens and Rachael Le Mesurier. One news, ref F62141. Link: Nga Taonga Sound and Vision

27 February 2021

  • Whanganui Pride takes place (Whanganui). The festival runs from 27 February - 6 March 2021. Link: Pride Whanganui

28 February 2012

  • Nicholas Nitro is convicted on a charge of receiving commercial sexual services from a person aged sixteen Nitro is the co-owner of the Closet cruise club in Christchurch
  • Sitaleki Koloamatangi is sentenced to 12 months in jail for attacking Trevor Kaukau Koloamatangi was charging with "injuring that, had death been caused, he would have been guilty of manslaughter". Kaukau was left severely brain damaged

28 February 2013

  • Coroner Gordon Matenga rules Corporal Douglas Hughes committed suicide (New Zealand). Link: Stuff

28 February 2020

  • The first case of COVID-19 is confirmed in New Zealand (New Zealand). Link: RNZ

29 February 1968

URL:http://www.pridenz.com/timeline/february.html