Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Teens embrace love and equality
Mr Gay NZ
When I was invited to speak to the Year 12 and 13 media class at Marlborough Boys College, it forced me to do some internal reflection.
I was given the opportunity to share my opinions and experiences about gay representation in the media and how it affected me growing up.
I was raised in a casual churchgoing family and there wasn’t much access to ‘gay’ television, let alone ‘gay’ social media. So my ideas on what ‘gay’ was came from glimpses of music - memories of Boy George or Elton John on the radio spring to mind as the first representations of a world I had yet to discover.
It wasn’t actually until leaving home that I found Ellen De Generes, DNA Magazine and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
These days they have been replaced by shows like Ru Paul’s Drag Race and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
What did strike a chord with me was just how articulate the younger generation is and how freely the discussion about LGBTQI representation flowed. The questions were not just based on facts but on emotional and personal response.
They were also very keen to discuss gay representation in sport and the lack of it in New Zealand. The youth of today are extremely conscious of social media and the instant access to information that comes with it.
Their perception of what ‘gay’ looks like is influenced not just by a mish-mash of rainbow colours but by some really strong characters, athletes and leaders within the community.
It was a humbling experience which left me feeling positive about the future. In my opinion, if this is a reflection on the adults that will soon be making up our community then we can look forward to a lot more love, acceptance and equality.
This week also saw my first serious photoshoot with Auckland photographer Jarrad Mapp. I still feel awkward posing for the camera; thankfully Jarrad’s kind approach made it a lot less stressful and he left me with plenty of helpful feedback.
The modelling was showcasing t-shirts for World Brands and thankfully the photos were good enough for the company to share on their social media accounts and Instagram. I’ll take that as a sign of approval, but I think it’s going to take more time for me to feel more comfortable in front of the camera.
To round off a busy week, Ending HIV NZ invited me to attend the closing party of the Christchurch Pride Festival at the weekend. An event that was very well organised and super friendly.
Most of these events are an opportunity to celebrate as a community and have some fun. Think Drag Shows, Showbiz Christchurch Theatre Performances from Wicked, great music from DJs like Jordan Eskra and dancing until the sun comes up.
My involvement included helping with promotions, photowalls, and encouraging the Quick Prick HIV testing, which you will find at all events organised by Ending HIV NZ.
We have one more PRIDE celebration in Dunedin planned before Mr Gay World in South Africa, from May 21-27. You’ll find me at the Dunedin PrEP Forum on April 13 and then at the Dunedin Pride Party on Saturday, April 14.
spoke
to students at Marlborough Boys’ College as he prepares for Mr Gay World in South Africa.