John Archibald Banks is a New Zealand former politician. He was a member of Parliament for the National Party from 1981 to 1999, and for ACT New Zealand from 2011 to 2014. He was a Cabinet Minister from 1990 to 1996 and 2011 to 2013. He left Parliament after being convicted of filing a false electoral return – a verdict which was later overturned.
Daniel John Bedingfield is a New Zealand-British singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. His debut studio album, Gotta Get thru This (2002), spawned three UK number ones, "Gotta Get thru This", "If You're Not the One" and "Never Gonna Leave Your Side", and sold 1.6 million copies in that country. His second album, Second First Impression, was released in 2004. Bedingfield was a judge on The X Factor New Zealand in 2013. He has written songs for other artists and has acted in the West End theatre in London, UK.
Maurice Donald Williamson is a New Zealand politician and former diplomat.
Theodorus Jacobus Leonardus "Dick" Quax was a Dutch-born New Zealand runner, one-time world record holder in the 5000 metres, and local-body politician.
Kim Dotcom, also known as Kimble and Kim Tim Jim Vestor, is a Finnish-German Internet entrepreneur and political activist who lives in Glenorchy, New Zealand.
Big Gay Out is an LGBTQ festival in New Zealand. It has been running in Auckland since 2000. The event was founded by the Hero Festival, but is now organised by Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in New Zealand since 19 August 2013. A bill for legalisation was passed by the House of Representatives on 17 April 2013 by 77 votes to 44 and received royal assent on 19 April. It entered into force on 19 August, to allow time for the Department of Internal Affairs to make the necessary changes for marriage licensing and related documentation. New Zealand was the first country in Oceania, the fourth in the Southern Hemisphere, and the fifteenth in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry. Civil unions have also been available for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples since 2005.
The Auckland Australian Football League which began in 1974, is an amateur Australian rules football competition in Auckland, New Zealand currently consisting of 6 clubs and is one of the leagues governed by AFL New Zealand. The league has a men's competition and affiliated women's competition known as Auckland Women's AFL featuring some of the same clubs. The competition runs from September to December to avoid clashes with the rugby football season.
New Zealand society is generally accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) peoples. The LGBTQ-friendly environment is epitomised by the fact that there are several members of Parliament who belong to the LGBTQ community, LGBTQ rights are protected by the Human Rights Act, and same-sex couples are able to marry as of 2013. Sex between men was decriminalised in 1986. New Zealand has an active LGBTQ community, with well-attended annual gay pride festivals in most cities.
Chapman Tripp is New Zealand's largest commercial law firm. It is considered one of the "big three" law firms along with Russell McVeagh and Bell Gully. Established in New Zealand in 1875, it now has around 52 partners and roughly 240 legal staff across its offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The firm practises in all areas of corporate and commercial, property, construction, finance, tax, dispute resolution, environmental and public law.
The Auckland Star was an evening daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, from 24 March 1870 to 16 August 1991. Survived by its Sunday edition, the Sunday Star, part of its name endures in The Sunday Star-Times, created in the 1994 merger of the Dominion Sunday Times and the Sunday Star.
Kevin Grant Hague is a New Zealand public servant, activist and a former politician.
Colin Craig is a New Zealand businessman and perennial candidate who was the founding leader of the Conservative Party of New Zealand.
Edward Cowley is a New Zealand-Samoan entertainer and fa'afafine.
Amini Tuitavake Britteon Fonua is a Tongan competitive swimmer.
Titanium was a New Zealand pop boy band formed in Auckland in 2012 from the winners of The Edge radio station's competition to create New Zealand's first authentic boy band. The Edge radio station hosted auditions across New Zealand and eventually six young men were selected: Zac Taylor, Andrew Papas, Jordi Webber, Shaquille Paranihi-Ngauma, Haydn Linsley and T.K Paradza. They released their debut single, "Come On Home", which debuted at number one on the official New Zealand Singles Chart on 17 September 2012. Titanium released its debut studio album, All For You in December 2012. It became the first New Zealand band to have three songs in the Top 40 Singles Chart at one time.
Mr Gay World 2012, the 4th Mr Gay World pageant, was held at The Lyric Theatre, in Gold Reef City, Johannesburg, South Africa on April 8, 2012. François Nel of South Africa crowned his successor, Andreas Derleth of New Zealand. 25 countries and territories competed for the title.
Mr Gay World 2013, the 5th Mr Gay World competition, was held over 5 days in Antwerp, Belgium during the worldOutgames 2013, with the Grand Finale at Elckerlijc Theatre, Antwerp, Belgium on August 4, 2013. Andreas Derleth of New Zealand crowned his successor Christopher Michael Olwage, also of New Zealand, at the end of this event. 25 countries and territories competed for the title.
Stephen Berry is a perennial candidate in New Zealand national and local politics, running on right-wing positions.
Nick Hall, better known by the stage name Anita Wigl'it, is a British-New Zealand based drag performer best known for hosting House of Drag from 2018 to 2020, and competing on the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under in 2021. She competed in Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World in 2022.
