Pink day targets bullying
May 20, 2012
Published on stuff.co.nz on 16 May 2012
THINK PINK: Philip Patston wants people to not just stand up for those who are bullied but start asking questions about why it’s happening.
The colour pink is becoming a symbol of hope for thousands of Kiwis who are bullied. Reporter Hannah Spyksma met with change-maker Philip Patston to chat about the messages behind this Friday’s Pink Shirt Day.
NZ Olympic Anthem has unique links to diversity
May 20, 2012
“Stand Tall”, the anthem chosen to represent New Zealand in the 2012 Olympic games, has a unique link to mental health, Deaf and disability communities.
The song is penned and sung by busker samRB, who has experienced mental illness.
The video, below, features ex-comedian Philip Patston who experiences unique physical function, as well as school children signing the chorus.
by Wai Ho
For the large part, diversity challenges people. And we usually don’t like it that much.
Gender diversity really challenges people. I once had a shop owner refuse to serve me, until I told him whether I was really a boy or a girl. And sometimes people are beaten up, kicked out of home, or killed for not fitting nicely and quietly into narrow gender boxes.
Creative grieving - or morbid art?
May 11, 2012
In the past couple of months I’ve experienced the loss of 3 people, relatively close to me. And in this loss I’ve come to realise again the importance of grieving. This got me thinking about creative grieving and therefore creative healing.
Out of interest I looked back historically, in particular at artists, and there is a strong theme of grief within art or creativity coming from a place of grief.
Transgender Transsexual debate
May 11, 2012
by Allyson Hamblett
Over the last 6 weeks or so I’ve been involved in a debate around terminology within the transsexual community over separating ourselves from under the transgender umbrella. The debate been intense and has opened my eyes to the importance of the issue. There’s a feeling of being marginalised for those of us under the “transgender umbrella” because we’re not transgender, we’re transsexual.
