MASSIVE Magazine - Issue 13 - 2022 by Massive Magazine

MASSIVE 18 JULY

PRIDE

What’s inside Massive is registered under the New Zealand Press Council which allows our readers to reach out to an independent forum for any complaints that can’t be solved by Massive Magazine, or its editorial board. Massive is also a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association. The views, beliefs and opinions reflected in the pages of Massive do not represent Massey University. Please send any queries or complaints to editor@massivemagazine.org.nz

News

Features What Is A Good Ally? Binary Domain Aotearoa Ballroom Wearing The Pants

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Columns Am I Gay? Sexcapades Confessions of a... Solicited Advice Te Reo & NZSL Horoscopes Snapchats Puzzle Time President’s Column

Editor - Mason Tangatatai Designer - Marie Bailey News Editor - Elise Cacace Culture Editor - Elena McIntyre-Reet Sub Editor - Jamie Mactaggart

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News Reporter - Sammy Carter Feature Writer - Mia Faiumu Feature Writer - Lily Petrovich Feature Writer - Aiden Wilson Illustrator - Kimi Moana Illustrator - Sara Moana Photographer - Amelia Radley

Editorial Elena McIntyre-Reet (she/her)

For this Pride issue, our fearless leader Mason nominated me as the chosen gay to write this editorial. Obviously I accepted without question because I've always known I was special and love that I'm finally being treated as such. I'm overseas at the moment, visiting family and travelling a bit. Living in a pretty liberal accepting bubble down in good old Wellywood, has meant that I haven't really had to feel worried about being myself. Over here I feel a bit different, I haven't had to hide who I am, I feel like I tend to give out a general vibe. I do feel nervous though, a bit like when I used to watch lesbian YouTubers under my duvet when I was 14. Which brings me to the topic of pride, something we make jokes about every year. Pride Month is over! Being gay is no longer allowed. Companies change their logos back from their rainbow-themed ones and we can no longer say 'IN PRIDE MONTH???' whenever someone remotely wrongs us. I love pride, I've always been proud of who I am and the one thing that's helped me explore it is this little ol' magazine you're reading now. Massive (and other student mags) offer their writers a chance to be unapologetically themselves, we're allowed to metaphorically yell into the void when we write for Massive because it's what people want to hear. It gets people through a boring lecture or a bus ride home and I think that's comforting.

So is this a love letter to Massive Magazine? Absolutely. But it's also a love letter to pride. I hope everyone reading is in a space where they can be themselves safely, or if they're not there yet, I hope this Pride issue gives you a bit of reassurance. I love the queer community, and I love that I have a boss so keen to elevate queer voices in this fine little student magazine. As you all head into second semester I hope you're feeling proud of what you've accomplished at uni so far, academically or otherwise. If not, there's only one semester before summer break, so hang in there.

Live laugh loving always, Elena x

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18 JULY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

WHAT’S GOING ON? WEEKLY NEWS UPDATES

What does the Roe v Wade overturning mean for New Zealand? Elise Cacace (she/her)

It has been almost three weeks since the small brains of five judges overturned a 50-year-old rule that legalized abortion in the United States. Eight states have now outlawed abortion as a result of the court’s decision, and many others are expected to follow suit in the upcoming weeks. Although the overturning of Roe v Wade only affects the fundamental rights of uterus-havers residing in the U.S., the shockwaves have been felt all across the globe. Here in New Zealand, there have been protests, political controversies and serious discussions as to the safety of our fellow Americans, however Green Party MP Jan Logie warns that “we cannot be complacent”. Whilst the majority of New Zealand political parties voted in favour of the 2020 Abortion Legislation Act and ultimately overruled its criminalization, it is still not guaranteed that our reproductive rights are wholly invincible. National Leader Christopher Luxon says “I have a pro-life stance,” and agrees that abortion is tantamount to murder, whilst National MP Simon O’Connor posted that the day of the overturning was “a good day”. This is not the first time the National Party has spoken out against women’s rights. The third and final hearing for New Zealand’s 2020 Abortion Legislation Act saw 89 per cent of the National Party voting no, making themselves the

only party who had more votes against the proposed bill than for it. Despite Luxon’s assurance that Kiwi abortion laws will not change if National wins next year’s election (which recent polling suggests will happen), many people are still worried that the party’s predisposition to the anti-abortion movement will still negatively impact our current system if elected. The Green Party expressed this in a tweet which read, “Nats saying they ‘won’t revisit Abortion law’ doesn’t cover critical rights like Safe Zones around practitioners, Family Planning funding & medical abortion availability from GPs / Midwives. (It also doesn’t stop a conservative caucus backing members bills to overturn it all.)” Gina Robinson, a U.S. citizen based in New Zealand says, “The overturning of Roe v Wade is absolutely a reminder to all of us that we can’t take any of our rights and freedoms for granted, because they can always be taken from us if we don’t appreciate them and aren’t prepared to stand up for them. Sadly, America is becoming an example to the world of what NOT to do.” “This is an issue that people are probably willing to die for, and I can see it becoming violent. And there’s no doubt people are going to die.” New Zealand’s collective fury towards the Supreme Court has thankfully not yet resulted in violence, and has instead only instigated a series of protests around the country. 2 July saw a mass gathering of around 500 pro-choice activists in Wellington’s Civic Square, before they marched towards the U.S. Embassy

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in Thorndon. Auckland has also seen large groups protesting the Supreme Court’s decision outside the U.S. Consulate. They were also protesting the resignation of MP Simon O’Connor after his outrageous Facebook post. Wellington protestor Ashlyn Parker says, “A lot of people think that protesting in a country so far away from those directly affected is useless, but honestly, I’m proud to be doing it. Everybody should stand up for what they believe in, and movements like these are what ignites change. We have to keep talking about it. We have to keep acting. We can’t let ourselves be silenced or else nothing will ever happen. The Supreme Court needs to know that people all over the world are rallying against them, and that their ruling will not be tolerated.” *Disclaimer: I, the author of this article, am strongly against the criminalization of abortion and believe the Supreme Court’s decision is vile and disgusting. I therefore present my article in favour of these views. If your own stance happens to contradict mine then 1. Get a better opinion, and 2. Don’t read my article until you do.

18 JULY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

Trans people in NZ left waiting 10+ years for bottom surgery

good means its gonna take this long and when we calculated it, 29 she’d be. And that was if on the day she turned 18 we got her on the waitlist.”

Sammy Carter (she/her)

Just five surgeries took place in 2020, 10 in 2021 and two this year. According to the Ministry of Health, out of the 359 referrals for a specialist assessment, 59 have had their first appointment.

Transgender people are told they will “be lucky” to get bottom surgery due to a long waitlist and only one doctor in the country. Gender-affirming surgery is a lifesaving procedure for many trans people. But while 359 people are waiting for the gender-affirming surgery, only two surgeries have taken place this year. Katikati mum Jen Hart’s 18-year-old trans daughter, was told she would have to wait till she was 29 to get bottom surgery in New Zealand. When Hart’s daughter first approached doctors about the surgery, she was told the waitlist was really long and she would “be lucky”. In 2019, the government allocated $3 million over the next four years for gender affirming surgery, also known as bottom surgery. This would fund up to 14 surgeries a year. That year, Hart and her daughter were told the waitlist had gotten better after the funding boost. Hart said, “We were told really

Hart said her daughter went through depression and became suicidal largely due to the surgery wait time. “She wasn’t showering and using the toilet just twice a day because she hated it so much … That was when she started wanting to die, I was keeping her alive every day.” Hart’s daughter is now saving to get surgery in Thailand next year. While New Zealand has only one doctor performing bottom surgeries, Hart said, “Thailand has so many doctors doing it, there was so many it was hard to choose.” She felt Thailand was the place to go, “The surgery is around $60,000 in New Zealand but in Thailand with surgery, hotel, flights, everything, $20,000.” The surgery alone was $9,000 in Thailand. The people Hart went through will book

up to three months in advance, a short wait time compared to New Zealand. Hart felt happier when the government put more funding into surgeries, but there may be more to do. “14 surgeries a year isn’t really a lot when you look at how many people are on that list and all the people that are going on it every day.” Hart said people don’t understand the necessity of bottom surgery. “A lot of people see my daughter passing, she looks like a girl so obviously that’s all that matters. They don’t see the simple things like when we go to the toilet we just rush in and rush out, but she has to confront parts of her body she doesn’t like.” Victoria University student Ashley, has been working up to 30 hours a week to save money for bottom surgery, potentially going overseas for it. Ashley said, “It's insane to make it so inaccessible to the people whose lives will be saved by it.” Ashley said while the trans community is very upset about the waitlist, she hasn’t seen many efforts made to improve it. “I’ve always thought the main problem with the waitlist was that there's only one surgeon, but maybe it is some kind of transphobia in there too. I feel like there may be something systemic going on there, it's just not treated as seriously.” “Part of it is trying to pretend that this isn’t a lifesaving surgery that people need.” While the wait time has reduced, Ashley said the more being trans is accepted, the more people join the waitlist and bring the wait time up. “I’ve heard people say the surgery can cost upwards of 50 grand.” Coming from an above working-class family, Ashley didn’t think she would have anywhere near enough money to put aside for the surgery. “People who aren’t as well off as me, they’re gonna be in even worse of a position.”

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18 JULY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

Call for government to stop sidelining the dyslexic and neurodiverse Heidi Bendikson

Ironically, it was a dyslexic teacher who gave NZME Chief Political Reporter Jason Walls a hard time at school about his spelling errors. “I was just like, 'what the heck, you know the signs why didn’t you do anything about it'?” Fortunately, when he was around 15, another teacher recognised the content of his work was actually good, even though it was riddled with errors, leading to his diagnosis. “I always felt I was trying really hard and not getting the results I wanted especially in English and that was always frustrating and confusing for me seeing my peers grow and me just staying behind.” When he was tested for dyslexia, it was found that his spelling and grammar were at the level of a 12-year-old, but his articulation was at the level of someone who was around 28.

In spite of that diagnosis, Walls has become a successful journalist, but not all dyslexic and neurodiverse are diagnosed and able to adapt as Walls did. Adult dyslexia practitioner, Mike Styles, said that fact was detrimental to New Zealand’s economy, leading him to start a petition calling for a commission of inquiry into dyslexia and neurodiversity in New Zealand. Styles said many dyslexic and neurodiverse New Zealanders either do not know they are affected or do their utmost to hide it – a situation not helped by the fact most New Zealand teachers are poorly equipped to identify and deal with dyslexic children. After he was diagnosed, Walls used a reader-writer throughout school and university, until he started his journalism studies when he knew he would need to learn to cope without one. His journalism grades suffered as a result, but he learned to adapt as a journalist, using reader-writer software to read his written work back to him so he could identify errors. According to Styles, dyslexic and neurodiverse people have a lot to offer

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employers, but they may need certain accommodations to do it, sometimes it could be as simple as two computer screens. He described dyslexia as a condition where intelligent people have trouble with text. “Sometimes they are very intelligent.” But Styles said government policy was sidelining clever, but neurodiverse, people preventing them from entering the workforce. His research found that 50 per cent of prison inmates were dyslexic. “The explanation is pretty simple. Clever people who have been sidelined from the mainstream find alternative ways to earn a buck and sometimes that is illegal stuff.” Styles added that those with dyslexia often have other talents such as heightened problem-solving and spatial awareness. He first became consumed by dyslexia after working in primary industry training and finding that low literacy levels in those industries stemmed from undiagnosed and unsupported dyslexia.

18 JULY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS The last government undertook a select committee inquiry into dyslexia in 2015 which, according to Styles, resulted in mere lip service on the issue. “There was some money in a budget a couple years ago to establish some learning support coordinators in primary schools but there were only a few of those in a few schools so it wasn’t really addressing the problem.” Styles launched his petition out of frustration with this lack of action in education as well as the need to view dyslexia and neurodiversity beyond the education system. “It is a whole-economy problem. A child with dyslexia grows up to be an adult with dyslexia.” According to Styles, dyslexia and other forms of neurodiversity affect around

15 per cent of the world’s population, but it is unclear how New Zealand’s population is affected, as data is not kept. Styles would like to see the New Zealand Government follow the United Kingdom’s approach with statefunded dyslexia screening and, for children diagnosed, further funding which follows the child through their education to provide the support they need. In addition, United Kingdom workplaces are required to accommodate neurodiverse employees. “In the same way that, if I was in a wheelchair the boss would be required to provide me with a ramp to get into work.” But it is a different story in New Zealand.

Ready to make your mark?

Volunteer in the wider Pacific with VSA’s UniVol Programme! vsa.org.nz/univol @volunteerserviceabroad 7 • Karere

“Government agencies in New Zealand know little about [dyslexia] and do very little about it.” Styles said many government departments could be more inclusive by making simple changes to their websites such as adding a ‘read aloud’ option or changing font to assist those with dyslexia to navigate their sites. Styles would also like to see a public information programme. “People need to know it is ok to have dyslexia.”

18 JULY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

Wellington to receive a full, eco care-package Elise Cacace (she/her)

Wellington City Councillors have channelled their inner Lorax and spoken for the trees, unanimously approving a 30-year plan to ‘green’ the city centre. The Green Network Plan comes as a part of a desperate bid to reduce the effects of climate change and improve the overall health and wellbeing of the city and its residents. The first steps to the Green Network Plan include enhancing 20 existing urban spaces, creating two new urban parks and doubling the number of trees in the central city to 4,000 over the next ten years. The first of the two new urban parks are set to be built on the corner of

Taranaki and Fredericks Streets. “Having a new green space right next to The Cube will be so awesome for future students. There’s no better place to study than outside on a warm day, and I definitely think a lot of people will benefit from it,” says ex-Cube resident and Massey student Olivia Thompson. Other plans to green the city include planting new shrubs and bushes, creating rooftop gardens, and more green walls like the one in Civic Square. As a part of the Green Network Plan, the Council have also said yes to increasing the number of ‘blue spaces’ in the city. This includes bringing up buried streams that run through pipes, which will take pressure off Wellingtons storm water system. It will also be a more effective way to bring water to trees and plants.

“Planting car parks, roofs or even walls of buildings can also help reduce pressure on our stormwater infrastructure which can struggle in storms, the frequency of which is expected to increase in the coming years,” says Pūroro Āmua Planning and Environment Committee Chair, Iona Pannett. “We want more biodiverse, interesting and quiet green spaces. At a philosophical level, it’s about learning to live in harmony with nature. It’s critical that we bring nature and birds back to the city.” Although the plan is to be carried out over the next 30 years, we can expect to see some drastic changes within the next five. Keep an eye out for new trees being planted, new nature reserves being developed (including the one on Taranaki Street), and new waterways springing up.

SPLENDID 85 Ghuznee St, Te Aro, Wellington www.splendid.nz @splendid.nz

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18 JULY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

Stop scrolling - social media affecting your mental health? Keertana Kumar (She/Her)

How often has your 10-minute study break on campus turned into hours of endless scrolling on TikTok and Instagram? Social media continues to successfully grab students' attention with countless Stranger Things memes and addictive TikTok videos. While it has its benefits, the consequences of these apps have had a drastically negative impact on students' mental health. Research shows that excessive engagement with social media has led to psychological stress and highfunctioning anxiety in young adults. A New Zealand study in 2019 discovered that young adults spent roughly three to four hours a day on social media. Leading platforms such

as SnapChat, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube were found to be positive experiences for those adolescents.

it can be for students. Having a general self-awareness is important to know when to stop."

A few participants discussed the lack of support and connection online, which led to feelings of isolation and mental health issues.

Research has proven that individuals can monitor and improve their mental health accordingly by reducing their social media intake.

Access to social media has also coincided with the increased pressure young people feel to produce and maintain acceptable identities.

Taking frequent breaks by setting time limits on social media apps is a great place to begin taking action.

Young adults reported feeling worse after spending too much screen time on social media every day. The overuse of these apps led to unhealthy comparisons and a detachment from building real-world connections. Tertiary student Madi Chan discussed her experience with balancing social media alongside her studies. "It definitely can be a negative but it's not, like, definitively bad," she said. "How it's used determines how useful

Students can also utilize features such as "Do Not Disturb" and "Focus" on iPhones, allowing them to learn without distractions for more extended periods of time. While there are several actions to reduce social media consumption, reversing the psychological effects in young adults isn't as easy as turning on a feature. Massey University offers mental health support and counselling services for students to access, most of which are free. Depending on the circumstances, these sessions can be carried out through zoom, one-on-one, or group sessions. Breaking a habit isn't easy, but excessive social media consumption does not have to be as overwhelming with the right resources and support. Massey Counselling https://www.massey.ac.nz/studentlife/services-and-support-for-students/ counselling-services/make-or-changean-appointment-with-a-counsellor/ form-to-make-an-appointment-with-acounsellor/ Youthline Call: 0800 37 66 33 Text: 234 Suicide Crisis Helpline 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Healthline: 0800 611 116

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The History of UniQ Wellington In 2015, UniQ Massey Wellington was resurrected by Alex Kachfi, the brilliant brain behind producing a huge amount of the drag shows in Wellington and performer Kelly Fornia (soon to retire, go see the Greatest Drag Show if you can). Alex set UniQ up for success by running panels, entering rap battles and getting us a uniform and logo. The next year, I took over as president with two of my good friends Kezia Tubbs and Laya Mutton-Rogers, two excellent illustrators and members of the Aroace community. We had highs and lows over that time. We had an amazing quiz night at Ivy Bar and Cabaret where we fundraised for organisations supporting the bisexual and gay men in Chechnya that were and still are being persecuted. We ran a multitude of Rainbow Teas

with support from Massey University and MAWSA. We also had a tough run with the editors of Massive Magazine at the time who didn’t know how to engage with the Rainbow community on campus and okayed articles that were regressive, or if they did ask for our input, didn’t listen well or asked for very tight turn arounds for unpaid volunteer university students. I am really happy to see Massive asking for input from Queer, Takatāpui and other rainbow creators with plenty of space and time for the breadth and depth of creativity that this community can show. I believe in the concept of people being the experts in their own lives and that can only be tapped into by engaging with the community itself. It is so much better to be able to tell people who we are than to be told who we are by those who are not.

university but when I moved into my one-bedroom self-catered hall back in 2015, I was lonely. Finding UniQ and a place to belong through that was so special. I loved my time being an exec and member of this club, I found a community. If you are looking for a community, I highly encourage you to join a club through your campus or distance learning. Right now UniQ is run by Maya Louw, Joanna Sunga and Dawn Wilce and they are doing an amazing job. You can follow them on Instagram @uniq_massey and sign up from there if you like. Each campus will have a UniQ so look out for yours!

Being part of a community is what makes life as a university whole. Many people can find community through friendships they had pre-

Back in 2017 I had a feature in Massive Mag where I did a portrait of Frank Ocean, queer icon and I’m back again to show you some more. I love portraiture and I love people who break gender norms. Rico Nasty is a scream rapper who does it like no other, if you have time to listen to Rage, I recommend it. Gottmik is a drag queen and makeup artist to the stars, proud trans man and gay icon. Dennis Rodman never fit into a mould, though probably isn’t the most unproblematic person I could have drawn. I love that he dated Madonna. Kylie Sonique Love liked this drawing on Instagram, I want everyone to know that. If you’d like to follow me on Instagram at @samanthartist.

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I’ve come a long way in my queer journey and I’m still figuring it out. I don’t always identify as a woman, so I think I’m non-binary and I’m attracted to women, men and non-binary people so I think I’m bisexual in the two or more-gender definition of the word. I still get homophobic remarks and still have people calling me girl, woman and lady even though it’s not really me. I still get questioned on all of it, I know we all do. At least I have a beautiful circle of support who love me for me. We do great work. MAWSA is a safe space for queer people. We have gender neutral bathrooms on our floor and our team is full of rainbow staff members. We have free condoms. If that’s my only legacy, I will become the Condom Giver. Be kind to yourself and others. It’s very fun.

What is a 'Good' Ally? Elena McIntrye-Reet (she/her)

Illustrated by Kimi Moana (she/her)

Coming out is a stressful experience on its own, the responsibility to educate your friends and family is not a burden that should fall on you. The stress of figuring out how to identify yourself, how to tell other people and how to make yourself obvious to fellow members of the community is enough of a weight to carry.

using intentionally vague language that doesn’t assume someones identity, and offering support when it’s needed.

To a certain extent, this is true. Rainbow Youth offers a resource on their website which can help people understand how to support members of the Rainbow community by using inclusive language and creating a supportive space. A lot of the guidance is basically to let queer people open up the conversation themselves,

For some people, the idea of an ally has shifted, all the adversities faced by members of the LGBT+ community mean that it’s not enough to just tolerate our existence. You need to strike a balance between supporting the community, and not speaking over the voices of those impacted by homophobia or transphobia.

When I talked to members of the community, defining what a ‘good’ ally is, proved to be a difficult thing to nail down.

My good friend Jean was thrown by the question. What it means to be an ally is a complicated issue, some people might consider themselves allies simply for not “Why is this such a hard thing to define? For me I think being shitty, ignorant people. Being a meaningful ally is it means just being normal, don’t be overly performative more than just putting a rainbow pin on your clothes and don’t say things you know are homophobic. If you’re when it’s convenient. However, it’s also important to strike an ally you should be able to call out your friends or a balance between listening and offering support without family when they say something homophobic.” pushing yourself into a space that isn’t yours to take up. “It’s especially annoying when people are selective on As Steph, a queer Wellington based tattoo artist put it; which parts of the queer community they’re comfortable “Being a good ally is just about shutting the fuck up and with. Girlies who love a fem gay boy but are uncomfortable listening.” around lesbians? Red flag,” she tells Massive.

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My mum has always considered herself a champion of gays. She grew up in the theatre and marched in pride parades when my older brother was little. Her sister is a lesbian and she has always supported her wholeheartedly. She never identified herself as an ‘ally’ because she considered it an unnecessary title - obviously she supported her family and peers, there was never any question.

Then he shared with me some more serious points about allyship.

When I came out to her, something seemed to shift. It wasn’t enough for her to just stand on the sidelines and support the community, she wanted to be an active ally. She would ask me questions about language and different identities - which I would do my best to answer.

In terms of how to create an inclusive space for queer people, Josh made some good points about being supportive without overstepping boundaries.

“Having your pronouns in your bio and being pronoun affirming is important, as well as being supportive all year round not just during pride month. Recognising that the queer experience will always be fundamentally different than their own and being okay with that,” Josh says.

“Don’t try and speak for gay people. Try to avoid coopting queer mannerisms and language and very importantly, support the T in LGBTQ and don’t be picky about which parts of the community you support.”

In an ideal world everyone would be like this, making an effort to educate yourself on issues that impact a community you claim to support. In New Zealand we saw the call for allyship in motion, when submissions opened on the Conversion Practices Bill. Members of the community called on so-called ‘allies’ to actually buck up and help change the lives of queer people across the country impacted by such awful practices. This call was heard and there was a record-breaking number of submissions - largely due to activism led by Shaneel Lal on social media. This movement is evidence that being a meaningful ally is not just tolerating the existence of the community, but coming out in support to help create meaningful change.

From the people I’ve spoken to, I’ve realised that an important part of meaningful allyship is standing with all of us - trans folk, people who don’t label themselves, people who use fluid pronouns. No one is expecting you to get all of the language and terminology right all of the time, but if you only stand with some of us, then you stand with none of us.

Josh Stewart is a member of the community and shared some wise words about what a good ally looks like to them. Initially he told me that being a good ally is buying him iced coffee, liking Jojo Siwa unironically and walking fast.

If you’re not a member of the queer community, think about what you can do to be supportive. Listen, educate yourself and try your best to create inclusive environments for all your queer peers, friends or family.

If you are a member of the queer community, you deserve to feel proud, respected, and loved.

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BINARY DOMAIN Aiden Wilson (he/him)

The year is 2077. It is the future. Limb replacement, cybernetic organs.

Illustrated by Sara Moana (she/her) I have a cell phone in my brain, my arms can turn into knives in an instant, and on every streetcorner there are advertisements for a penis enhancement called ‘Mr Stud’. I’m able to have conversations with Keanu Fucking Reeves’ ghost whenever I please. Yet, for whatever reason, I am restricted in my pronoun choice, and cannot have anything that isn’t he/she/him/her.

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“Inclusivity only appears in a video game when it’s convenient to the developer.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War. One of Cyberpunk 2077’s biggest flaws is evident right off the bat, and this isn’t one which can be chalked up to crunch-time, pressure to release an unfinished product or too wide a scope of what the game should be. A video game based all around the concept of choice, with a backdrop that depicts a city where a person can be whoever they want to be, does not even have an option to pick non-binary pronouns. The biggest irony here is that the depicted world is one that has no overt prejudices towards gender or sexual orientation, yet every choice the player can make in regards to these things is solely binary. The game attempts to feign inclusivity, by allowing the player the option to customise their character with biologically male and female genitals, as well as their character’s voice. Funnily enough, voice dictates which pronouns your character goes by for some insane reason that I cannot figure out. What this all boils down to, is a character customizer with the illusion of depth and inclusive choice, the reality of which is, “What if a woman could have a penis, or a man have a vagina?” The most mind-boggling aspect of all this – the games industry has actually done right in this area in the past, albeit most likely for convenience’s sake (refer back to Sun Tzu’s quote at the top of the article). Before becoming an off-the-wall superhero sim about bashing an alien’s face in with a giant glowing dildo, the Saints Row franchise was a game about creating your own character, lovingly called ‘The Playa’, and building a street gang. It’s earliest iteration, surprisingly called Saints Row, assumed that The Playa would most likely be a male and only gave options for male presenting customisation. This all changed when the sequel, surprisingly called Saints Row 2, realised that people other than dude-bros exist and enjoy videogames, adding the ground-breaking option of female presenting character creation. I am taking the piss a bit, but it must be said that no matter how unintended the games creator was for inclusivity, it did a fucking bang-up job of it. If we ignore the options titles (male voice 1, 2, 3, female voice 1, 2, 3, etc.,) and focus on how any combination of these can be put together, the game lets you create whoever the hell you want to be. No restrictions of facial hair, hairstyle, body shape, size or whether breasts are on the body. And NONE of these options affect pronouns,

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with every character calling The Playa either Boss or just referring to them with they/them pronouns. This trend continued right through to the fourth game, surprisingly titled Saints Row 4, and will most likely continue onto the genuinely surprisingly titled, Saints Row (not to be confused with Saints Row, which came out almost twenty years ago). The choice to only use they/them pronouns was most likely done to avoid recording character dialogue multiple times, but it still adds another layer of inclusivity that cannot be ignored. Such a simple decision saved the development team time, but also made the game that much more open and accessible to people who do not identify with binary pronouns. More recently Call of Duty, a series with a reputation for homophobia and racism being slung around its lobbies, has taken steps to actually allow pronoun choice. In the campaign for Black Ops: Cold War, after the player enters their name, they are asked to select their preferred gender from the options male, female, and “classified”. Classified results in the player being referred to with they/them pronouns throughout the game, with their selection only influencing dialogue in this regard and not how characters interact with them. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step towards a more diverse and inclusive games industry. So, if Saints Row can do it without trying, and Call of Duty has even managed to attempt it, why are so many other developers having a hard time getting this simple option into their games? If a player is being given a choice to create themselves, or represent their own identity on a pre-made character, why does it get so half arsed? I would rather a game give me a set protagonist, with a set identity, pronouns, orientation, than have the game present the illusion of choice with only two available binary options. Cyberpunk 2077 wants you to explore Night City as yourself, it wants YOU to become V, but within its own restrictive parameters. During Pride Month of 2019, Sony adapted their usual PS4 marketing slogan from “for the players” to “for ALL the players”. While this is obviously just the usual corpo support during Pride (they made merch of it for fuck’s sake), it is a sentiment that the rest of the industry needs to figure out. Inclusivity is not a timed exclusive for Pride. It’s not something to be used when it’s convenient to cut down on cost or development time. If games are for ALL the players, why do developers continue to exclude? Time and money are no longer viable excuses for a lack of diversity within games media. The amount of cash pumped into these projects is enough to fund all our degrees three times over, so it’s definitely enough to ensure an extra sprinkle of inclusivity in what we play.

Mia Faiumu (she/her)

Aotearoa Ballroom The Epitome of Queer, Brown, Excellence. As we celebrate Pride this week at Massive, it’s only fitting to shine a spotlight on the ones doing the most – the ballroom girls here in Aotearoa.

This week, I have had the honour of speaking with Leah 007 and Astarte Iman who are both doing amazing things within the ballroom scene.

extraordinaire, has been in the scene for around two years and has already made massive moves, claiming his spot on the stage.

The Aotearoa ballroom scene is a captivating community that is created by and for QTPOC. Taking inspiration and giving respect to the mana of the American ballroom scene, Aotearoa has created their own platform that has allowed for the flourishing of queer brown excellence.

Leah 007, solo agent, body icon and all round bad bitch, is the queen of everything face and body – winning a total of ten grand prizes over her ballroom career.

While Tāmaki Makaurau is home to the beginnings of ballroom here in Aotearoa, we are seeing ballroom enter mainstream discourse and expand across the country.

Astarte Iman, from the House of Iman, voguer and choreographer

Tāmaki Makaurau saw ballroom emerge through high schools where

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young trans girls starting recreating the American culture they had only watched through videos. “They were voguing down on fields in school as early as 2008,” Leah 007 tells me.

“I’ve talked to the girls who were part of that and it was all about survival.” “It was the first time they saw themselves in mainstream culture,” Leah says. Since its infancy, we have continued to see bigger and better things from the girls who have put in the work to create their own space and give respect to the black and Latino trans community who created ballroom. By utilising only internet videos, the girls here in Aotearoa have created something utterly legendary borne from a need to create intentional spaces for QTPOC. “We’ve really just evolved over the times,” Astarte Iman tells me. “From watching videos, to getting people overseas to teach us, to just create that space with permission from the choreographers overseas.”

“We’d ask them a question, we’d make sure everything was ok, making the house [and] all that stuff before we moved on with creating ballroom.”

honing their skills and growing their community, the Fictional Ball was a testament to a culture that prioritises queer liberation and joy before anything else.

“It’s the one time I get to explore this ultimate being that I know I can be and live any fantasy I want within that space,” continues Leah.

In Pōneke, this was something beautiful to behold. The atmosphere of a ball is undeniable and there were no exceptions that night. From the second you walked in, you were met with queer beauty and joy.

“That’s the only space that I feel I can absolutely do that and thrive.”

Hosted by Romé and Karamera 007, this night has surely ignited a flame within the scene here in Pōneke. This expansion to ballroom across Aotearoa also speaks to the necessity and need for spaces like these. “Ballroom is a safe space, a safe haven for people who don’t exactly fit in other spaces in schools or families,” Astarte Iman tells me.

“We can do whatever we want without being judged, without being told what to do, told how to dress.” The vastness of the categories speak to this as is the way that each walker can bring their own unique style and culture to their performance. Leah 007 walks a range of categories including Sex Siren, Body, Face and Runway. As she puts it, “All the ones where you have the be the hottest.”

“It's very ‘learn, create, come back, teach’,” Astarte says.

For Leah, this is a space for her to be able to live out her ultimate being and fantasy.

This has also been the case for the Wellington ballroom scene, who hosted their first ever locally-led ball on Matariki weekend this year. After putting in the time and hard work of

“I think there’s so much power in that category [Sex Siren] where trans women’s bodies are being celebrated – being ultimate sex symbols,” Leah explains.

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This is further extenuated by the uniqueness of Aotearoa ballroom which has infused Pacific and Māori cultures into everything they do. While the respect and acknowledgement of the original ballroom culture is there, walkers are bringing a different experience to the scene here in Aotearoa. “We’re giving the Pasifika and Māori experience so even categories and themes are different because we base our themes around our culture,” explains Leah. This was also spoken to by Sistrah Susu, another ballroom girl, who jumped in to chat briefly from the background of my Zoom call with Leah 007. “The way we build our culture into every single thing throughout the whole ball is real different,” explains Sistrah Susu.

“It’s the same process of doing things wherever you are but there are certain cultural markers.” “So of course, it goes down to costume, it goes down to music and it even goes down to beauty standards too.” As Pacific peoples, we have our own conceptualisations of beauty that often do not align with what western

standards have conditioned us to believe. Infusing the essence and beauty of the Pacific ensures that space is made for the diversity and range of queer Pacific beauty. Sistrah Susu notes that at the Iman Ball within the category of Body, there were three different categories of: slim, thick and big. “They do that in America,” she says, “but I think here it just looks so different of what you would consider a beautiful thick girl.”

“Every single thing about being a Pasifika person is low-key woven into every aspect that you can get.” The three main houses in Auckland are the House of Iman, Aitu and Coven-Aucoin - headed by house mothers, Jaycee Tanuvasa, Falencie Filipo and Moe Laga. The success of ballroom and the role that it serves the community not only in Auckland but across the country, can definitely be accredited to the hard work they have put into this culture and making it stand out as unique to Aotearoa. “The reason is because brown people have taken this culture and are in New Zealand doing it,” Leah explains.

“It was black trans women in America and obviously our experiences are so different but we identify to those because we are still marginalised and the minorities.”

This is what makes Aotearoa ballroom so special and vital to our Pacific and Māori communities. “You go in and its beautiful brown bodies everywhere and every type of form,” says Leah. These spaces are ways to nourish the lives of queer brown people and enable their ability to further flourish in ways that are uniquely their own. The role that ballroom serves is essential and shouldn’t be overlooked especially in places across the country that actively need more intentional spaces for QTPOC. “I think it plays a big role because it’s a community where you can 100 per cent be yourself, you see people that you identify with,” Leah tells me. Astarte Iman spoke similarly to this, noting that ballroom is one of the only spaces that is indefinitely queer friendly and how important this role is for the community. “I think ballroom can be an incredibly good pathway for brown queer excellence,” says Astarte. “That just comes from the amount of the work everyone in the past has done and the house mothers have done and have really been able to nurture this culture and this scene to be able to make it what it is today,” Astarte further notes. For many QTPOC in Aotearoa, particularly those raised within religion, families were not accepting of their children’s identity.

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Ballroom has stepped in to provide further nourishment of queer livelihoods by providing chosen families for those within the community who may not have that within their blood families. The houses within ballroom function for many as chosen families, each with a house mother that supports everybody within the house. “A ballroom is a chosen family situation for people who are different and in-between like me – brown queer people,” Astarte Iman tells me. “There’s a lot of Pasifika queer people that blood families have rejected them, they’re not keen on who they are,” Leah also notes.

“So obviously, those types of people try make their own whānau which becomes chosen family. I know that that role is really big for those types of people.” Leah herself did not have this experience as her blood family have always been loving and accepting. Her mum supported her to start hormone therapy and never once said no or questioned Leah’s decisions surrounding her body. “I always say that because honestly I love my family. I love my mum down,” Leah tells me.

“That’s why I always talk about my experience because this is what I want the standard to be and it’s not that hard.”

“It really isn’t hard to love and accept your kid.” While Leah acknowledges her different experience, she knows this isn’t the case for others in ballroom. Therefore for many, ballroom is where QTPOC can go to and feel their identities validated and supported with others like them. These spaces and these communities are therefore essential and vital to the livelihoods of so many. As we are watching ballroom rise further to the mainstream in Aotearoa, it is hopeful that more QTPOC will find their way to the scene and experience the magic that is ballroom.

“I think we’re just trying to let the younger girls know that it’s okay to start whenever you want and it’s okay to start now,” Astarte says. It is an exciting time for the ballroom scene and we can only except bigger and better things to come from the girls across the country. The community is only growing and if the Fictional Ball gives any indication towards the expansion of ballroom nationally, it is evident there is much to come.

When asked what he sees for the future of ballroom, Astarte Iman notes that the House of Iman’s focus is on community and supporting the younger generation coming into the scene.

“We’re really focusing on the younger generation and the younger queens coming up and making sure they’re being looked after in their schools.” “We are currently putting on small events for queer kids to be involved in and the House of Iman will guest perform at these events,” Astarte tells me. This has been inclusive of hosting mini balls and providing spaces for kids to explore themselves and see people who they can positively look up to.

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WEARING THE PANTS Lily Petrovich (she/they)

CW: This article mentions domestic violence

Gender expression as a queer woman will always be confusing. With growing acceptance of queer communities and rising representation, it’s a decent time to be queer. It’s also a really confusing time to be queer. Are you a top or bottom? Femme or masc? Dom or sub? Maybe you only date mascs, or femme tops? If you’re queer, all of these classifications probably make sense to you. You’ve probably been asked who wears the pants. You probably either laughed and pointed to the one who drives or wears less dresses. Or given them the classic, “we’re gay, no one wears the pants”, if you’re in a safe enough space. Regardless of what your thoughts and morals regarding gender roles, they always find a way to influence how dating is navigated in these queer spaces. Studies have shown that same-sex couples tend to conform to gender norms and roles less than heterosexual couples and that’s where the research slows down. As a queer woman writing this, this information feels incomplete, like there’s a story that isn’t being told. Is it just my personal experiences that make these conclusions feel so hollow? Am I letting my own bias get in the way of the actual facts? Frustratingly, gender roles, alongside their causes and effects can’t be seen or touched. But they’re always in the background. The more I researched it, the more questions I had and less answers.

In a 2022 journal article by the Journal of Lesbian Studies, writers explain how queer research as such is so complicated; ‘As articulations of gender and sexual identity categories have shifted, some writers have framed lesbian identity as “disappearing” or “going extinct,”. Media accounts that conflate transmasculinity with “lesbians in denial” have positioned “lesbian” as an identity category in flux.’ This is an academic way of saying this shit is confusing and everyone has different conclusions. My experiences as a 20-year-old queer woman today are going to be vastly different from another 20-year-old queer woman in Wellington, let alone on a global scale throughout history.

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We’ll start off with what the first point means for queer women. When it's two women dating, there’s more of a felt pressure to overcome fears of ‘making the first move’. While it seems like a silly stereotype or minute factor, it is something very real that changes the dynamics of getting to know someone in the early stages of romance, particularly in who breaks the barrier from platonic to romantic conversations. The second two points, you would expect to have a relatively minor impact on queer women, but the absolutely ridiculous list of labels that younger queer people are using goes to reflect how all of these roles and labels are used to create some sort of system to make sense of who does what. Let's breakdown key roles determined by gender in straight roles. 1. 2. 3. 4.

The man makes the first moves. The man is the dominant one, the woman is the submissive one. The woman bears the child, if someone stays home to take care of children, it is the woman. In abuse cases, men are the abusers and women are the victims.

Though these of course aren’t rules, these are without a doubt key factors. Each of these points pose the question of, when there are two women in a relationship, do these roles still get filled, and if so, who fills each?

Perhaps the most significant (and problematic) is the last point. While it might seem to have good implications for queer women, it really doesn’t. Rates of abuse within queer women and straight couples tend to be around the same. However, in queer women, it is much easier to ‘fly under the radar’, or not be picked up as abuse, which is really scary. Cases in abuse already go underreported as it is, but with lesbians, even more cases go unreported because of the perceived equal balance in queer relationships. This is a very shallow look at how gender roles affect queer women, but largely because of how significant, yet intangible gender roles are. Gender roles have been a discussion in the media for a few years now, but we still have yet to make it past lighthearted discussions of the most obvious effects.

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WIN!

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Am I

GAY? Instead of my usual movie column, this week I'm taking a trip back in time to the glorious world of Am I Gay? Quizzes. I wanted to find out definitively, numerically and officially how gay I am. I am then going to get the answer tattooed on me forever, so I can never get any more or less gay as time passes. The first result when I searched 'Am I gay?' was from WikiHow, known for its simple to follow instructions on basic human tasks. I sped through this quiz, because the answers were easy. The result? 'You're probably gay.' I was upset I didn't get a percentage of gay, but for the sake of argument, let's translate those words into a score of 80 per cent gay. The next one called it's self 'The Gay Test', and promised a numerical value. I was excited and jumped straight in. A lot of the questions were deeply sexual which threw me off my game a bit. The result? 98 per cent gay! This one brought my average gay score up hugely and I was stoked. For the final gay test, I took one allegedly based on the Kinsey Scale. This one is based on a value of 0-6. I managed to score a 5. I'm bad at math but I'm fairly sure this translates to around 83 per cent gay. According to my very complicated mathematical equation, I am officially 87 per cent gay. If we go off the Massey Grade scale, this means I have earned an A in gayness. Which is higher than my actual academic average when I was at uni. So do I reccomend taking Am I Gay quizzes? No. Quizzes don't tell you if you're gay or not. You are actually randomly assigned a fictional YA book character to fall in love with which determines your sexuality for life, obviously.

87% Gay

Grade Gay

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SEXCAPADES Floor bananas? “Hey” “Hey” “How you doing” “Great you?” “*[Dick Pic]* Horny” Scrolling through another dull dick collection on grindr. Every conversation is the same. Hey, dick, hey, dick, hey… But then you get – hey - some good chat do you want to get a drink? Why the fuck not, sounds better than staring at my readings.

As we go in, he turns around with an embarrassed look, and apologizes “Oh sorry my floor bananas have gone brown, I’m going to get some more tomorrow.” Nestled in amongst dirty underwear and the Hallenstiens vomit decorating the sparse white rooms floors, were a bunch of lovely, speckled bananas.

A couple of days of snapchats later, I got dolled up. Full denim and barbie pink. We meet up at his work so To give my eyes a rest, I lean forward and passionately he’s looking corporate, but we head off to Eva Beva. kiss him. We tumble into his white sheets with Peering over his vodka soda, he declares “you should a rustic pattern of coffee rings and unknowable rainbow stains – “Yeah, I haven’t been home to wash know I’m just a typical dunners breather and pretty homophobic.” Sorry sir you are on a date with a man my sheets for a few months.” are you okay. “Like obviously I’m definitely gay but I just feel like a straight boy, ya know?” Absolutely don’t Later that night as I try to sneak out as he sleeps, I but sure hun. “Shots?” Sure, if it makes this night end. feel a mushing under my toes. My audible gagging wakes him and he gently wraps his arms around me All I’m seeing is red flags but I got needs. and says it's okay, pulling me back onto the mattress. Springs and chips massaging my back as he falls 20 minutes later we are back at his place – he’s got his box of watermelon pals and full manspreading on asleep on top of me. his deck. We sat out there for a bit as he showed me When he went for a shower that morning, I looked at his red flag collection. I panic text my friends group the mushed banana on the floor. Its family tied sadly chat but he calls me out for being on my phone, so I to their lost friend. Quietly I picked up the bananas missed their call. and placed them on the dresser, put the dirty clothes in the empty nearby hamper and made the bed. The night keeps going and I keep trying to sound Before sneaking out onto a sleepy Cuba street. as douchey, uninterested and boring as I can so he never messages me again. But gays will be gays so we go to his room to “get away from his flat mates.”

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Confessions of A... Trans person at massey

Studying as a trans person was… a lot of things. Hard. Painful. Isolating. Embarrassing. I’d like to think it has changed in the years since I first set foot on Masseys’ Wellington campus, and I've definitely seen improvements, but I think the vast majority of staff and students are unaware of how challenging it can be to study as an openly trans person. I first started studying in 2016. Most of my classmates had no idea what non-binary was. For a lot of them, I wouldn't be surprised if I was the first person they had met who went by they/them pronouns. Surprisingly enough I had minimal trouble with the staff. A handy template letter was circling some online trans groups at the time, one that I simply had to fill out with my preferred name and pronouns, and then forward to every lecturer I had at the start of the semester. Out of obligation (and I’d like to think some rainbow training), this went down well with most of them. I had some awkward, very gendered interactions with some staff after making them aware of the fact that I was trans. But uncomfortable, overly enthusiastic allyship was better than the alternative. I had a lecturer who always used very masculine gendered greetings for me. For some reason, they always referred to me as dude, man or buddy, despite not doing this to the cis guys in my class… My classmates, however, were a different matter. While everyone began slotting into little cliques and making friends in their first year of university, I began having almost daily panic attacks, and crippling social anxiety. I was all too aware of how everyone around me was perceiving me as a gender I did not want to be perceived as. I barely spoke because of my voice dysphoria. The only times I passed before medically transitioning was when people had seen me but not heard me speak, I was incredibly anxious about speaking. Unfortunately, my degree required a LOT of group projects. I was grouped in with others who didn't care to use my pronouns, even after I had used all my courage to introduce myself to

them. I felt like a freak. My self-confidence was at an alltime low, and the months and months I spent navigating the medical system to begin my medical transition; were brutal. I was lucky enough to live incredibly close to campus. In my breaks between classes, I would walk home and take off my binder. While my classmates studied in the library together or caught up over coffee, I was scurrying home for a respite from my compressed lungs. When I eventually got top surgery, I had to drop out for the semester. My workload was too much and my recovery was too long. There was nothing that could make me put off my surgery date, even if it meant tacking extra years on to my degree. Then there were toilets. At Masseys Wellington campus the “gender-neutral bathrooms” were just disabled toilets. Which was its own issue. One building I studied in had single-stall gender-neutral bathrooms, but the other buildings didn't. Most days I had to slink into a disabled toilet, and hope the only accessible bathroom around wouldn’t form a queue while I rushed in and out. Frustratingly often, the disabled toilets were locked. On those days I'd have to estimate what bathroom I was least likely to be harassed in, and duck in and out as quickly as I could. Disabled students needing an accessible toilet didn't have that luxury though. To put it bluntly, the acceptance of trans students at Massey seems shallow. Studying as a member of any minority group presents challenges and opportunities for discrimination. Many gender minorities studying at Massey have intersecting marginalized identities; disabled, BIPOC, and immigrants to name a few. I felt like I had no option but to come out, but some people don't even have that luxury. Many gender diverse students' study without disclosing their identities and pronouns out of fear of discrimination, and others go “stealth” to avoid it altogether. I often pretended to be a binary trans person, adhering to the “stuck in the wrong body”

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LOC

LEC TIO LE

Want to make a change? 22 We have the job for you. STAND Find out how you can stand for Council and your community at wcc.nz/elections Applications close 12 August.

STAND FOR ELECTION

narrative and going by he/him pronouns, in an attempt for the cis people around me to understand me more. I absolutely love discussions of trans joy. Seeing celebrations of transness is beautiful, but I think it's also important to hold space for sorrow. I’m incredibly grateful for the progress we've made with trans visibility and acceptance since I've come out. But I can't help but notice there isn't enough being done to shed light on why we should be accepting and accommodating of trans folks. Almost every year of my adult life I have known a queer person who has taken their own life. We are experiencing a mental health crisis amount young people, and gender minorities battle with mental illness at disproportionate rates to their cis peers. 2019’s Counting Ourselves survey on Trans and non-binary people living in Aotearoa shed light on some horrifying statistics. Trans people experience higher rates of homelessness, suicide and suicide attempts, sexual abuse, intimate partner violence and substance use.

STAND FOR ELECTION

RE WELPRESEN LI N G T TO N STAND FOR STAND ELECTION

I don’t think the severity of dysphoria can be communicated to people who haven’t felt it. Obviously, not all trans people experience the same levels of dysphoria, and some dont experience any at all, but it can be debilitating. Reflecting on my time studying has me confused as to how I did it at all. It was incredibly difficult to study while struggling with my mental health, and the lack of understanding and empathy compounded that. I’m hopeful. The changes I’ve seen leave me feeling optimistic. Ive had lecturers start group discussions by introducing themselves by names and pronouns. Each year I studied more and more trans people seemed to be studying alongside me. But it was only a couple of years ago, when Massey gave the go ahead for an anti-trans TERF group to speak on their campus- Speakup4women. Massey has a long way to go before campus can feel like a welcoming a safe place for gender diverse students.

Confessions of a is an anonymous column that looks to unearth viewpoints from unique individuals at Massey University. Each week we will give the spotlight to someone new, so If you think you’ve got an interesting story to tell, please get in touch with Editor@ massivemagazine.org.nz 31 • Rangitaki

ELECT

SOLICITED ADVICE

Solicited advice is a weekly column where an underqualified anonymous guru answers the questions you want answered. This won’t include the stock-standard, sugar-coated advice you’re used to hearing – we’re talking about the truths that are REALLY on your mind.

How can I be an ally? In my opinion, being an ally is just listening when you're asked to and asking questions when you're unsure. If you consume Queer culture on the regular, it's your responsibility to also educate yourself on the community it's representing

What should I do if my friends keep accidentally misgendering me? If your friend keeps 'accidentally' misgendering you it's time to ask them for a private chat. If they confess, they aren't comfortable with your pronouns it's time to axe them for good.

Top or bottom x Being a bottom is superior, lying there doing nothing is actually ideal. But if you've been bottom then whole time in your relationship, ask if they want something different. Being a top isn't too complicated, just a bit more work. Good luck and God Speed.

Do you have a question you’re dying to have answered? DM Massive Magazine on Instagram and look out for next week’s issue. Also, follow us while you’re at it x 32 • Rangitaki

Te Reo and NZSL Words of the week Revitalising Te Reo Māori and NZSL is of paramount importance. Take a few minutes out of your dat to learn and memorise these words.

It’s the least we can do.

takatapui Gay

whakahihi Proud

Hoa Friend

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Horoscopes Food for thought. Take advantage of DoorDash’s 50% off your first two orders. It’s like a reward.

Capricorn

Cancers you’ve tip-toed around the fact that you’ll actually have to go back to university this week. It’s not the end of the world buddy.

What to expect this week: CHEAP FOOOOOD

Cancer

Seasonal depression is very real, but you're kicking its ass by keeping warm. However, I do feel bad for your flat mates splitting the power bill.

Do you ever rest?! Give your mind and body a break this week. Fuck it, go get a massage.

Aquarius

Pisces

What to expect this week: Happy ending

Leo

Taurus

Discipline is a lost art for our generation. You’re a direct example of this. All your lecture needs are an hour of focus, c'mon now.

What to expect this week: the unexpected

What to expect this week: Headaches

Virgo

I heard there are some pretty cool re o-week activities happening on campuses this week.. you should check it out (this is not a paid advert).

Libra

What to expect this week: Compliments, a lot.

What to expect this week: A few hangovers

Is it COVID, is it the flu?! Either way, being sick is NOT what you need right now. Guzzle some lemon honey ginger and get back on the saddle!

Who cares about saving money?!? Not like you can afford a house anytime soon. Go buy that thing you’ve always wanted!

What to expect this week: phlegm..

What to expect this week: Expensive gifts

Scorpio

Gemini, your kindness isn’t going unnoticed! I know putting yourselves before others has crippled your life to this point, but trust me, it will pay off soon.

Gemini

What to expect this week: Heaters blasting 24/7

It’s time to change things up! Get out of your regular routine, it’s causing you to slump.

It doesn’t take a genius to see you’re not giving things your all. Write a to-do list and smash through it BEFORE you scroll on TikTok.

Aries

What to expect this week: 8 hours of boring lectures

What to expect this week: Compliments, a lot.

Sick of your flatties yet?! Those first few months of fun times have quickly dissipated into squabbles about who left the pot out. I’ve got no advice for you, good luck.

Sagittarius

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What to expect this week: Passive aggressive messages in the group chat

MASSIVE_MAG MASSIVE

ODA T Y

MASSIVE

Send us snaps to get featured in next weeks edition

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Puzzle time e m i t e l z z u

3 4

5 6

8 9 10 11

Across 4. 6. 7. 8. 10. 11. 12. 14. 15. 18. 19.

Therapy banned in 2022 (10) Someone who champions LGBTQ+ rights (4) Attracted to people regardless of gender (8) Same sex marriage was legalised in 20__ (8) Someone who doesn't identify as having a fixed gender (6,5) Pride month (4) OG queer dating site (6) Likes to be tossed around in bed (3) _ Drag Race (7) Number of rainbow members in parliament? (6) The T in LGBTQ+ (5)

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Down 1. 2. 3. 5. 8. 9. 13. 16. 17.

Prejudice towards LGBTQ+ community (10) NZ Drag show aired in 2018 (5,2,4) An older, broader hairier man who unlike his namesake, doesn't need to hibernate (4) Māori who identify with diverse genders and sexualities (9) A young, attractive slim man (5) How we refer to peoples gender in conversation (8) Device used to clean nether areas (6) LGBTQ+ student associations (4) Swag editorial writer (5)

Get Lost

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LAST WEEKS CROSSWORD ANSWERS ACROSS: 3 FIFTEEN, 6 REBEL, 10 XE, 1 ..., 14 LIMBO, 16 STRANGER THINGS, 19 HAMILTON, 20 SOUVLAKI DOWN: 1 HONGI, 2 COVENTRY, 4 EURO, 5 ALBANY, 7 DIASPORA, 8 CELTICS, 9 PODHBIA, 12 ABBREVIATION, 13 JUST JUICE, 15 INU, 17 NANDOS, 18 SHEESH

20 by 20 orthogonal maze

The target is to create as many words as possible from the letters within the Word Wheel.

Word Wheel

Sudoku

Presidents Column

Maya Louw MAWSA

"be gay do crime"

Sam M@D The distance cohort is made up of many students from different walks of life. As an association we make clear that this inclusion applies to the entire Rainbow and Takatāpui community. Massey Distance taking the Pride Pledge as an organisation is an example of this. For those that are not aware what this means our Pride Pledge Gold Level Supporter status demonstrates our dedication to the safety, visibility and inclusion of Rainbow members of the community and workforce, both internally and externally. Recognition and celebration of Pride Month is a great example of progress for the Rainbow community. It is awesome seeing the events and acknowledgment of this grow nationwide.

Marla musa

Jake asa Kia ora to all, but specifically our rainbow and takatāpui students! Did you know there’s a pride setting for Microsoft Word and Excel? Well, there is. A win for the gays... I guess?This last June has flown by and I am so glad to see some more faces back on campus! To celebrate this there are a decent amount of Rainbow events on the Manawatū campus in the next two weeks, which is fantastic! There’s a rainbow tea on Wednesday 20th at 5:30 to learn more about our Uniq club, there's a Rainbow Connection event on Thursday 21st at 12pm (this means free kai) and MUSA and yours truly are putting on a Rainbow Games Night on Tuesday 26th at 6pm in the MUSA Lounge. If you’re obsessed with sushi, like I am, you won’t want to miss this because I have already put in an order. There will also be a banging queer playlist, free drinks, and tarot! I hope you slay the start of the semester and be your most authentic, iconic selves.

Hi gay! Jake here, so happy to see Massive celebrating pride and representing our rainbow and takatāpui students. For international pride month in June, we went out on the Albany campus and put up a pride flag by our ASA sign, and have now got a permanent pride flag in our student lounge. We have been hearing from our students that they want to see more rainbow visibility on campus, including safe spaces. This is something Marla from MUSA and I have been working on behind the scenes with our UniQ groups. We are passionate about seeing improvements that support our rainbow and takatāpui students.

xoxo, Your Palmy Prez 38 • Rangitaki

39 • Rangitaki