
Queer Aotearoa: We've Always Been Here
Join Eli Matthewson for a journey through the untold history of New Zealand's queer community, celebrating the resilience of trailblazers who pushed for an inclusive Aotearoa
- Created By
Eli Matthewson
- First Aired on
Feb 01, 2025
- Popularity: 2.3189
- 0 votes
- Networks
- (NZ)
- Production
Television New Zealand (NZ)
- Status: Returning Series
In Production
1 seaons till Feb 01, 2025
Last episode: Thank You For Your Service...But Not Your Identity: Queer in the Public Sector
Seasons & episodes
Total 1 seasons, 6 episodes

Season 1
Aired
Episode 1Seeing is Believing: Queer Representation in Media23 min
Join Eli Matthewson for a journey through the untold history of New Zealand's queer community, celebrating the resilience of trailblazers who pushed for an inclusive Aotearoa.
Episode 2Fighting for Our Rights: Homosexual Law Reform22 min
After six teens are acquitted of killing a gay man in a public park, the queer community rallies to fight for Homosexual Law Reform—sparking a fierce battle with conservative groups.
Episode 3Resilience: New Zealand's Fight Against AIDS23 min
The first series to revisit New Zealand’s AIDS crisis and its impact on gay men. We meet Michael Stevens, diagnosed with HIV at 27 in 1988, who survived hospice stays long enough to access groundbreaking HIV treatments. The episode also honours Bruce Burnett, a pioneer in New Zealand’s fight against HIV, and Denny Marks, the first New Zealander known to die from the virus.
Episode 4Beyond the Binary: Trans Stories23 min
Exploring New Zealand’s trans history on mainstream TV for the first time, this episode introduces figures like Peter Alexander, a trans man who fled Palmerston North due to public scrutiny, and Carmen Rupe, a pioneering trans icon who paved the way for Georgina Beyer to become the world’s first trans member of parliament.
Episode 5Love Thy Neighbour: The Church and the Rainbow Community23 min
Notorious Christian speaker Sy Rogers once preached 'healing' from homosexuality, an experience host Eli Matthewson personally witnessed. We hear from Joan Bellingham, a nurse subjected to 12 years of electroconvulsive therapy due to her sexuality, and from former pastor Andre Afamasaga, who later became a leading critic of conversion practices after attempting to ‘fix’ his own sexuality. WARNING: Contains references to suicide.