It's official – Auckland, the 'Queen's City', has been confirmed as New Zealand's gay capital, according to new research just published in the Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, by researchers from the New Zealand AIDS Foundation. The research, based on a combined analysis of Census data and a national survey of sexual behaviour from 1996 found that 45% of New Zealand gay men live in Auckland, compared with just 26% for all males aged 15 years and over. Furthermore, a 'gay district' has been identified, comprising the Auckland suburbs of Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Herne Bay, St Mary's Bay, Auckland Central, Freeman's Bay, Westmere, Surrey Crescent, Newton, Grafton, Arch Hill, Eden Terrace, Newmarket and Kingsland – all within a few kilometres of the CBD. "Migration is the strongest explanation for this," says NZAF Senior Researcher Peter Saxton. "Gay men have the same basic desire to find a partner, to be understood, to feel affirmed, as everyone else does. It's not surprising that when gay men comprise only a small proportion of the population, they often want to congregate together." The concept of a gay district, while not surprising, has implications for research and service delivery, says Saxton. “For example, if this district were left out of a national survey, it would exclude only 1.3% of all males aged 15 and over, but 12-13% of the estimated gay male population. Prior to this survey, a lack of basic demographic information about New Zealand's gay male population has been a "long-standing problem," says Saxton. "These findings are an important first step in addressing this problem," enabling "further health research on gay men more viable, and it helps providers allocate resources and tailor services more effectively." The researchers now plan to analyse the 2006 Census and see if rising house prices and better communication technologies such as the Internet and texting have had an effect on where gay men live. "Changing technologies have provided new ways to experience a sense of community, so it's possible that the concentration of gay men within this district may have changed, or the boundaries of this district have shifted to encapsulate more affordable areas," Saxton says. Ref: GayNZ.com (d)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 6th September 2006 - 12:00pm