Participants at NXT:15 talk to Tabby about what the conference meant to them.
Delegates representing rainbow youth groups from New Zealand and the Pacific Islands came together in Auckland for three days (19-21 February 2015) of workshops and discussion.
This podcast was made possible through generous support from the Rule Foundation
Summary
The "NXT:15 - LGBTIQ Youth Leaders Conference," recorded on February 21st, 2015, in Auckland, New Zealand, showcases various speakers and interviews by Tabby Besley. The 32-minute recording encapsulates personal experiences, organizational stories, and ideas communicated in the event. At the heart of these conversations is the mutual learning and sharing among attendees from diverse backgrounds about LGBTIQ issues, the preservation of language and histories, and the significance of creating safe spaces.
Attendees emphasized the value of understanding intersectional challenges within the LGBTIQ community, recognizing the need for broader inclusivity and raised critical topics such as the loss of queer language, documentation of histories, and the importance of providing support to those facing psychological distress. Through the narrative of different speakers, the conference recognized the issues of feeling like a minority within a minority and the taboo subjects in Asian communities. Highlights of the event included the discussion on the language of LGBTIQ people as well as the presentation on how an organization named Legacy expanded despite opposition.
Challenges and struggles were openly discussed, underscoring a universal truth within the community's advocacy efforts: that work in this area will never be complete. Voices also expressed a desire for increased discussion around bisexuality, pansexuality, asexuality, and other less represented orientations and identities. The conversation pointed towards a gap where monosexual identities had predominated over more fluid sexualities.
Furthermore, there was a feeling that the LGBTIQ community would benefit from a national network for sharing resources and that there are possibilities for even more international perspectives to be included, pointing out the potential inclusion of different Pacific Island nations that were not present at the event.
Participants took away new connections, perspectives, and knowledge back to their respective communities, valuing the exchange of strategies to deal with challenges. The attendees recognized the essential nature of united efforts across organizations and the empowerment gained from supporting one another. The conference was not just an educational experience but also fostered a sense of family and community through shared experiences and hopes.
Looking ahead, there was an aspiration for discussions on good governance, engaging with communities, and inclusive panel discussions featuring more young voices within the New Zealand context. A suggestion for future conferences was to house all participants in a single location, fostering deeper bonds and cohesive networking. Lastly, there was a consensus on the significance of cherishing the 'rainbow community' connections formed and the wealth of knowledge that fostered personal and communal growth.
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.
Voices
Tags
2010s, aromantic, asexual, auckland, ben isderman, bisexual, buggery, depression, discrimination, drodrolagi movement (fiji), embassy of the united states, equasian, fa'afafine, female sexuality (femsex), fiji, friends, gay, gender, governance, greysexual, history, homophobia, identity, insideout kōaro, kevin schuster, language, lesbian, mani bruce mitchell, melissa janson, mental health, monosexual, new zealand aids memorial quilt, nxt15 - lgbtiq youth leaders conference, nxt:14 youth leaders conference, pacific, pansexual, pema wu, polari, racism, rainbow youth, robbie van dijk, rule foundation, sexism, sexuality, stigma, suicide, tabby besley, tarn billingsley, transphobia, un youth new zealand, welby ings, women, youth
Tags (computer generated)
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