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

en
Documentary
Created By

Eli Matthewson

First Aired on

Feb 01, 2025

1 seaons till Feb 01, 2025

Popularity: 2.3189
0 votes
Networks
(NZ)
Production

Television New Zealand (NZ)

Status: Returning Series

In Production

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

6 Episodes
  • 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.

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