November 07, 2014
Takatapui hui opens door to whanau
Maori lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender have gathered at Te-Papa-O-Rotu Marae in Whatawhata, just outside Hamilton, for the annual Hui Takatapui.
Organising committee member David Kukutai-Jones says because it is in the king’s rohe, King Tuheitia and other dignitaries will attend tomorrow’s formal diinner.
The theme this year is Te Kohao o te Ngira, celebrating the coming together of takatapui, whanau and friends.
Mr Kukutai-Jones says in the past problems affecting takatapui were considered personal rather than whanau issues.
"Normally you will find in Maori society that what affects an individual affects the whole whanau, so we tried to bring that through in the conference, so the majority of us are GLBTQI but we also have their whanau here as well, so the nannies and the koros and the parents," he says.
David Kukutai-Jones says the hui has also got a lot of support from health authorities, because the Waikato region has the second highest incidence in the country of HIV AIDs across all ethnicities.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH DAVID KUKUTAI JONES CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjM4MzY=
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