UniQ Aotearoa

Last updated

UniQ Aotearoa Logo UniQ-natcol-small.png
UniQ Aotearoa Logo

UniQ Aotearoa (UniQ) was Queer Students' Association of New Zealand, a collection of queer student groups at universities, polytechs and colleges of education in New Zealand. [1] [2]

Contents

UniQ was active at most New Zealand universities and several polytechnics. The term queer was considered to had been reclaimed [ clarification needed ] and was used by UniQ to acknowledge both gender and sexual diversity. [1] [3] It was considered to be collective term for non-heterosexual and non-cisgender identities; inclusive but not exclusive to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, takatāpui, intersex and asexual people. [1] [3]

The name 'UniQ' comes from the name given to the work carried out by Matt Soeberg. [4] Soeberg was employed as a Queer Project Worker by New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA) to address the needs of queer students. [4] The overall name given to the work was 'UNIQ - Creating Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students' which was eventually adopted by various student groups as their name. [4]

UniQ worked to promote education and understanding for and about queer students undertaking tertiary study and regular events held around New Zealand's tertiary institutions. This included Pride Week when local UniQs facilitate a week-long series of events usually culminating in a dance party.

Members

UniQ Aotearoa was made up of various local iterations of UniQ and other queer student groups at different universities and polytechs across New Zealand. [5]

UniQ Members [5]
NameUniversity
UniQ Canterbury University of Canterbury
Wintec UniQ Waikato Institute of Technology
UniQ Auckland Auckland University
OUT@AUT Auckland University of Technology
UniQ Otago Otago University
UniQ Waikato (formerly Askew - Waikato) University of Waikato
UniQ Victoria Victoria University of Wellington
UniQtec Unitec Institute of Technology
UniQ Massey Wellington Massey University
Massey UniQ Palmerston North Massey University

National Conferences

UniQ used to meet once annually at a national conference, starting from 1997. [6] Initially known as the Queer Youth and Students (UniQ) Conference, these conferences were opportunities for students across New Zealand to come together to discuss and address the wide range of current issues facing queer students. [7] [8] [9] These conferences usually included workshops, planning sessions and guest speakers (including political, religious and disabled speakers). [2] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

UniQ National Conferences
YearUniversity / LocationHost
1997 Massey University Massey University Students' Association (MUSA) [7]
1998Wellington [7] New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA) [7]
1999 University of Canterbury [8] University of Canterbury Students' Association (UCSA) [8]
2001 Massey University MUSA
2002 Otago University [9] Otago University Students' Association (OUSA)
2003 Auckland University of Technology Auckland Student Movement (AUSM)
2004 University of Waikato Waikato Students' Union (WSU)
2005 Victoria University of Wellington [15] [16] [17] Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) and UniQ Victoria [17]
2006 Massey University [10] [18] MUSA [18]
2007 Auckland University and Auckland University of Technology [13] [19] UniQ Auckland and Out@AUT [13] [19]
2008 Otago University [14] OUSA
2009 Victoria University of Wellington [11] [12] UniQ Victoria [11] [20]
2010 University of Canterbury [21] [22] [23] UCSA
2011 University of Waikato [6] Askew Waikato

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Barnett (politician)</span> New Zealand politician

Timothy Andrew Barnett is a New Zealand politician who was the member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for Christchurch Central from 1996 to 2008, representing the Labour Party. He is a British immigrant to New Zealand and New Zealand's second openly gay politician. Barnett moved to South Africa in 2009 to work in the field of HIV/AIDS. He returned to New Zealand in 2012 when he was appointed by the Labour Party as their general secretary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ culture</span> Common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people

LGBTQ culture is a culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. It is sometimes referred to as queer culture, while the term gay culture may be used to mean either "LGBT culture" or homosexual culture specifically.

The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, formerly the Church of the Province of New Zealand, is a province of the Anglican Communion serving New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands. Since 1992 the church has consisted of three tikanga or cultural streams: Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia. The church's constitution says that, among other things, it is required to "maintain the right of every person to choose any particular cultural expression of the faith". As a result, the church's General Synod has agreed upon the development of the three-person primacy based on this three tikanga system; it has three primates, each representing a tikanga, who share authority.

The bisexual community, also known as the bi+, m-spec, bisexual/pansexual, or bi/pan/fluid community, includes members of the LGBT community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, polysexual and sexually fluid. As opposed to hetero- or homosexual people, people in the bisexual community experience attraction to more than one gender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in New Zealand</span>

New Zealand lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights are some of the most extensive in the world. The protection of LGBT rights is advanced, relative to other countries in Oceania, and among the most liberal in the world, with the country being the first in the region to legalise same-sex marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ people in New Zealand</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen Rupe</span> New Zealand drag performer (1936–2011)

Carmen Rupe, was a New Zealand drag performer, brothel keeper, anti-discrimination activist, would-be politician and HIV/AIDS activist. Carmen Rupe was New Zealand's first drag queen to reach celebrity status. She was a trans woman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bisexuality in the United States</span>

The first English-language use of the word "bisexual" to refer to sexual orientation occurred in 1892.

Intersex Aotearoa is a nonprofit organisation based in New Zealand, and is a national advocacy and peer support organisation for intersex people. The organisation was founded in 1996 by Mani Mitchell, and has previously been known as the Intersex Trust Aotearoa New Zealand and Intersex Awareness New Zealand.

This is a timeline of notable events in the history of non-heterosexual conforming people of South Asian ancestry, who may identify as LGBTIQGNC, men who have sex with men, or related culturally-specific identities such as Hijra, Aravani, Thirunangaigal, Khwajasara, Kothi, Thirunambigal, Jogappa, Jogatha, or Shiva Shakti. The recorded history traces back at least two millennia.

This is a timeline of notable events in the history of non-heterosexual conforming people of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry, who may identify as LGBTIQGNC, men who have sex with men, or related culturally-specific identities. This timeline includes events both in Asia and the Pacific Islands and in the global Asian and Pacific Islander diaspora, as the histories are very deeply linked. Please note: this is a very incomplete timeline, notably lacking LGBTQ-specific items from the 1800s to 1970s, and should not be used as a research resource until additional material is added.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender rights in New Zealand</span>

Transgender and non-binary people in New Zealand face discrimination in several aspects of their lives. The law is unclear on the legal status of discrimination based on gender identity, and also for intersex people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Kerekere</span> New Zealand academic and politician

Elizabeth Anne Kerekere is a New Zealand politician and LGBTQ activist and scholar. She was elected a member of parliament for the Green Party in 2020, but resigned from the Greens on 5 May 2023, following allegations of bullying within the party. Kerekere remained in parliament as an independent until the 2023 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana de Milo</span>

Dana de Milo was an activist and outspoken community member from New Zealand. She engaged with issues faced by the queer community, and transgender people in particular. She was a transgender woman herself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrissy Witoko</span> New Zealand business owner (1944–2002)

Chrissy Witoko was a business owner and prominent figure in New Zealand's LGBTQIA+ community. She was known for establishing and operating the Evergreen Coffee Lounge.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "UniQ Aotearoa". 9 August 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Welcome to University… Welcome to UniQ! » archived article sourced from GayNZ.com". www.pridenz.com. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. 1 2 "UniQ Aotearoa". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "Creating Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students". Salient. Vol. 59, no. 3. Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association. 4 March 1996.
  5. 1 2 "Local Divisions". 13 January 2015. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  6. 1 2 "NZUSA commends 25 years since HLRA". www.scoop.co.nz. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 1998 NZUSA Annual Report (PDF) (Report). New Zealand University Students' Association. 1999. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 1999 NZUSA Annual Report (PDF) (Report). New Zealand University Students' Association. 2000. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  9. 1 2 2002 NZUSA Annual Report (PDF) (Report). New Zealand University Students' Association. 2003. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  10. 1 2 "National UniQ Conf. overcomes obstacles » archived article sourced from GayNZ.com". www.pridenz.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 "UniQ Conference 2009". salientarchive.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  12. 1 2 "Gay Camp Review". salientarchive.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 "¸,ø¤º°' UniQ Conference ¸,ø¤º°'". 11 October 2007. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  14. 1 2 "GayNZ.com Students link up at UniQ Conference". 11 October 2008. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "Cheap booze, Kylie and easy skanks!". www.scoop.co.nz. 16 June 2005. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  16. ↑ "The UniQ fairy visits the AIDS Foundation". www.scoop.co.nz. 30 January 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  17. 1 2 "UniQ's AJ Marsh » archived article sourced from GayNZ.com". www.pridenz.com. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  18. 1 2 2006 NZUSA Annual Report (PDF) (Report). New Zealand Union of Students' Associations. 2007. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  19. 1 2 "Auckland to host annual UniQ conference » archived article sourced from GayNZ.com". www.pridenz.com. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  20. ↑ "Guest editorial". salientarchive.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "Conference '10". 9 October 2011. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  22. ↑ 2010 NZUSA Annual Report (PDF) (Report). New Zealand Union of Students' Associations. 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  23. ↑ "Queer students converge on Christchurch » archived article sourced from GayNZ.com". www.pridenz.com. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.