The title of this recording is "Mark - Q12". It is described as: Mark talks about being young, transgender and gay in 2012. It was recorded in Rotorua, Bay of Plenty on the 19th July 2012. The duration of the recording is 15 minutes, but this may not reflect the actual length of the event. A list of correctly spelt content keywords and tags can be found at the end of this document. A brief description of the recording is: In this podcast Mark talks about being young, transgender and gay in 2012. The content in the recording covers the 2010s decade. A brief summary of the recording is: In a 15-minute podcast recorded on July 19, 2012, in Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, the speaker discusses life as a young, transgender, and gay individual during the 2010s. The podcast, part of a series titled "Q12," provides a personal account that addresses the speaker's experience with gender identity, sexuality, and social interactions. At the outset, the speaker, who uses the name Mark, shares a light-hearted conversation revealing a love for Lady Gaga and a disinterest in religion or spirituality. The narrative quickly shifts to a more in-depth self-perspective, where Mark discusses various dimensions of identity: embracing being gay from a young age, opting to present femininely after a period of identifying as male, and the intention to undergo hormone replacement therapy when the time is right. The speaker shares the journey of self-acceptance without dwelling on society's approval. With a clear sense of self, identifying as feminine and gay, Mark lightheartedly brushes off any negative feedback and strongly supports personal expression. Family reactions to being transgender are touched upon with the observation that while friends are aware and accepting, family members seem to tacitly understand without explicit conversations. Mark's hobbies are mentioned humorously, citing social activities like going out and engaging on Facebook, and there's a playful reference to a hangout dubbed "sky's dungeon." The importance of music and personal styling, including a keen interest in makeup, is also a part of the conversation. The discussion takes a more serious turn when Mark recounts the challenging experience at school, dealing with a homophobic environment, leading to the decision to leave to find more accepting social circumstances. Despite the sense of isolation at times, particularly after leaving school, the speaker articulates maintaining a positive self-image and finding happiness through self-assuredness, although acknowledging some loss of friendships potentially linked to their authenticity. Turning to social relationships, Mark notes the difficulty of seeking a romantic relationship within a non-affirming region. Nevertheless, there's a strong connection with a friend called Sky, and a move into Sky's place has been a source of happiness for the past five months. Family issues are briefly addressed, including a violent incident with a parent that may not have been directly tied to sexual orientation or gender identity but mentions existing tensions. Additionally, the speaker elaborates on sexuality, addressing the personal perception of virginity and reflecting on experiences of abusive behavior. It's indicated that some abusive incidents may not be directly related to their transgender identity or sexual orientation, as factors like substance use and family dynamics played a role. The podcast concludes without further comments from the speaker, ending on an appreciative note for the opportunity to share their story. The full transcription of the recording follows.  It includes timestamps every thirty seconds in the format [HH:MM:SS].  The transcription begins:  Hello. How are you today? I'm good. Thank you. That's good. What's your name? My name's Mark. Where are you from? I've always been from Born and bred. Yeah. Born in bridge. And you're born this way. I was born this gay. Born this gay? Brilliant. Yeah, I'm beautiful. My gay. Um I can be one. Sorry. It's already the beginning of the interview. I've always lost track. Oh, yes. [00:00:30] Um, So, yeah. Um, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Well, OK, I'm pretty. Oh, I love love, love Lady Gaga. Because what gay person doesn't you know, someone has no soul? Yeah, Christian, I don't know what else to say. I'm fabulous. Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. [00:01:00] So you don't like So you're not a religious person? Oh, definitely not or spiritual. What? Oh, spirit. Spiritual. Ah, no. No. So you like to socialise a lot? Um, on Facebook? Yeah. Go out. And not really with her with the sky most of the time, but yeah, that's pretty much it. I I'm a shy person, and yet you're sitting [00:01:30] on the couch talking to me. Surprisingly, yes. This was not supposed to happen. No, it wasn't. I came for your interview. Yeah. OK, so, um, do you like music? Oh, I love music. Yeah, not only that, but other crap as well. Other crap. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was all I did. [00:02:00] Yeah. I. I like lots of music, like different genre, you know, Hobbies, hobbies. Do you have any hobbies? Smoking? That's not a hobby. That's a habit drinking Starbucks. Is that Is that the hangout area? In as well as Hamilton, of course. In different locations? No. The hangout area is sky's dungeon. Sky dungeon, Sky dungeon. Yeah. Oh, [00:02:30] so that's what they call it. The dungeons. Yeah. And put some chains up and some whips. The whoops. Gotta have the whips. Yeah. So, um, so what is your gender identity? Um, I was born a male. I grew up as a male. And then I think it was three years ago. I decided to dress as a female, So Yeah, I'm female. You [00:03:00] identify yourself as a female. How do you express yourself? Masculine? Feminine. I'm definitely feminine. Yeah. Express yourself. Yeah. Yeah, if you know Madonna who? I'm just kidding. Just kidding. Just kidding For the person that's listening to this interview. Don't break the computer. Put the laptop down and breathe. I stick in that. [00:03:30] Don't come looking for me either. Um, so when did you realise? Oh, wait. What's your sexuality? My sexuality? Yes. Um, I'm gay. You're gay? I'm just I'm just gay. So when did you realise? Well, I think I grew up gay, but I didn't realise till I was, like, a teenager. And then I was like, Oh, yeah, I like Penis. [00:04:00] Penis. Penis wasn't always on the mind. And, Yeah, so you identify as female. Have you actually taken any hormones or anything like that? Um, not yet. Are you planning to? I'm planning to. Yeah. I'm just a bit slack at that. I know how to I just need to wait for the right time. For, like, for when I feel right about it. Yeah. You're looking for your moment. Yeah. Looking for my moment to shine the moment of? [00:04:30] I wouldn't call it that, do you? Uh, so do you have your own name? Um, we were actually thinking of names. I was gonna go with Nadia, but that's my cousin's name. And I don't want to steal her name. There was Twiggy. That's my Starbucks name? Twiggy? Yeah. Just because I'm a twig. Yeah. Yeah. And now where? Southern America. Yeah. Yeah. Is that Southern American? [00:05:00] No. Yeah. Yeah, that's yeah. Isn't German or Russian? Russian? Yeah. Uh, no. Russian jet. Yeah, very very. Um, So when did you realise again? Sorry, um, about Well, I [00:05:30] didn't. I fully realised about, like, three years ago when I started dressing as a female. And, um, when did you accept it? Oh, I kind of had a feeling that I was gay. I just accepted it anyway, but you've always accepted it. So there was no window period where you think Oh, I don't want to feel this way. No, no, no. It was like, Oh, I'm gay. I feel comfortable. So, yeah, I don't really care what people [00:06:00] think either. They could just be fucked. Yeah. Oh, that's all right. Um, so So you've never thought of, um are you actually out? Um, to my friends, But to my family, I think I What? What do your family think about you being transgendered? Um, they haven't said anything about it. My dad loves me for who I am. He said He said he's proud of me, and I guess that's [00:06:30] OK. It's a good thing. It's a good thing. Yeah, Um I haven't actually told them I'm gay, but they just know. So why tell them? Yeah, they've always had that. They've always new car. Yeah, they've always known. I think I hope so. I just don't want to tell them. I don't know how to approach them about it, and I'll just get really drunk. And one day I'm gay. So after those that you've got [00:07:00] good makeup on Oh, thanks. Did you do it yourself or Yeah, I'm obsessed with makeup. Aren't we all? Yeah. What do you use? What do I use? Yeah, Like, makeup, makeup? Um, whatever I can get my hands on. I love that. So you're so you're out to your friends and you expect you suspect expect suspect Suspect, um, your parents to know? Yeah, [00:07:30] yeah, yeah. So what's the reaction? What were the reactions like from my friends? They were just like, OK, cool. Like, they accepted me, and they didn't really care because they're gay anyway, So everything's been, like, positive. Mainly, Um, yeah. Yeah, Well, not everything, but, you know, um, [00:08:00] so you still go to school? No, I left, like, a year ago. A year ago? Hate school. And why did I get I got picked on and I just had enough. What school did you go to? Western Heights. Yeah, it was a homophobic school. Uh, there was some gay people there, but they got along with them, but I think they were, like, in the closet. But I knew they were gay because my gator was just dinging born this way ring to Yeah. [00:08:30] Um, yeah, I left because I got picked on. I couldn't handle it. I was just like, No, I'm gonna go somewhere where people accept me. Calm down. Calm down. Seven people. Um, So, um, so how did you feel about people's reactions? Um, well, I was just glad because I I told them I was just glad that they were all like, Oh, that's disgusting. We're not your friend anymore. But [00:09:00] I think that's the case with some of them because, um, I've actually lost quite a few friends from leaving school, but I think that was from leaving school, but I don't know, but I told them when I left and Yeah, yeah, yeah. So um you've had a bit of a support system there. Uh, not really. Not really. No. You had your friends or Well, they didn't know how to, like, approach it. They were [00:09:30] just like, OK, cool. Like and just carried on living our lives. Like like normal. Did you have any support system? I just had myself. I just kept telling myself that everything's OK. And you're I'm fabulous. Yeah, I can get through it. And I did. I still am. And you're happy? I'm happy. Happy Chappy. Kind of happy as Larry. Whoever Larry is, whoever that is. Who is Larry? Does anybody know who Larry is? Happy as Larry? [00:10:00] So have you ever been in a relationship? Um, not yet. Not yet. I mean, I'm looking, but it's hard because is a dump. And no one here is gay. This is a group of friends, and that's the gay group. Pretty much. Yeah. Yeah, they're all lesbians. It's hard for gay men to come out because is very judgmental about It's a very area. Yeah, they're accepting of lesbians, but [00:10:30] so you've got it easy, but yeah, ain't real. They're nonexistent. So, um, so how, um how do you meet other people? Um oh, I don't even know. I just meet them randomly. Those come to you? I pretty much. But I actually didn't have much friends before I met Sky, and then I met her. [00:11:00] And then I just met all her friends that would come over home, became friends with them and all their friends and their friends' friends. So yeah, I'm Yeah. So you love a sky I love? Yeah. I love with Sky how that situation came about, Um, I wouldn't leave. I just wouldn't leave. And I was just like, I don't care. I'm gonna give your mum some board. I'm gonna stay here. How long has it been? Now what? Four months? [00:11:30] Five months? I wasn't living there. Then, technically, technically, I went home for, like, two days and then came back and then started living there five months. Yeah. How did your parents take that? They were happy. They kept asking me, asking me if I was going to live with sky. And I was like, No, I can't bother by. There's too many people who are already. And then I was just like, Hey, I'm living here. See you later. and you're off. Yeah. So, um, what is your definition of virginity? What is my definition [00:12:00] of virginity? Who? Uh, uh, uh, I don't even know. Is there even a definition? Is there even a definition? What do you feel as a What do you feel? What virginity is, uh, when you have sex for the first time. First time? Yeah. Isn't that what everyone thinks of? Everybody has a different Everybody has a different, [00:12:30] different definition. Everybody has a different definition of virginity. So, um, let's look at my book. Um, have you experienced or gotten any abusive or abusive behaviour because it's your sexuality or being transgender? Um, well, my dad beat me up once, but I don't think that was because I'm gay. I don't know. We were drinking one night, [00:13:00] and it might have been actually because Yeah, and II I threw my can at him and I was like, Excuse me for saying this, but I was like, Fuck you. You're not my dad. Blah, blah, blah went inside. And then you just come in and started beating me up. And I was like, Who kicked him in the face with one of my heels? I ran. Yeah. Got a taxi and went to my aunt's house. Yeah, but I don't think that was because I'm gay. I don't know, but he was drunk. [00:13:30] And was it just a random drunk situation? Yeah, it was actually That ruined the night, though. But I remember that. Did you live somewhere else after that? Or, um I did, actually. I. I think it was a month after that. I was sick of that, like my family, because I kept arguing with them. So I moved to Hamilton, and I lived with, um my uncle's girlfriend's daughter. [00:14:00] Oh, Casey, we're going complicated. Yeah, uh, I lived there for six months. I was doing a course, and then I had to move back because the course ended and I wasn't getting any funding because I couldn't find a job while I was the course. It was like school. Pretty much level four. I didn't even know. I can't remember. It was like, um what was it? It's like English stuff. [00:14:30] Something Q a pretty much. But for university entrance, it's like a UE kind. Of course thing to get 11, as it was. Yeah, and yeah. And then I moved back, and then I think it was Three months later, I moved on with sky, and I'm happy. Very happy. Very happy. [00:15:00] So, um, do you have any other comments you you would like to make? Um, no, no, I'll stop. Well, thank you for the interview. Oh, no problem. The full transcription of the recording ends. A list of keywords/tags describing the recording follow. These tags contain the correct spellings of names and places which may have been incorrectly spelt earlier in the document. The tags are seperated by a semi-colon: 2010s ; Aotearoa New Zealand ; Bay of Plenty ; German ; God ; Hamilton ; Job ; Lady Gaga ; London ; People ; Poland ; Q12 (series) ; Rotorua ; Russia ; Stuff ; The Closet ; abuse ; arts ; beating ; board ; bullying ; closet ; coffee ; coming out ; dog ; face ; family ; friends ; fun ; funding ; gay ; gender ; gender identity ; homophobia ; hope ; hormone replacement therapy (HRT) ; identity ; insurance ; internet ; listening ; love ; makeup ; martial arts ; masculine ; music ; normal ; other ; parents ; photography ; podcast ; rainbow ; regions ; relationships ; school ; sexuality ; smoking ; social ; soul ; support ; time ; transgender ; university ; violence ; virginity ; yellow ; youth. The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/q12_mark.html. The master recording is also archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand.  For more details visit their website https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.1089299. Please note that this document may contain errors or omissions - you should always refer back to the original recording to confirm content.