UniQ
Encyclopedia
In New Zealand
, UniQ is the Queer Students Association at New Zealand Tertiary Institutions.
UniQ is active at most New Zealand universities and several polytechnics. In New Zealand, the term queer
has been reclaimed - that is, it was once (and by many is still held to be) a term of severe offence - to represent all people that are non-heterosexual; gay
, lesbian
, bisexual
, transgender
or transsexual, fa'afafine
, takatāpui.
UniQ works to promote education and understanding for and about queer students under-taking tertiary study and regular events held around New Zealand's Tertiary Institutions include Pride Week when local UniQs facilitate a week long series of events usually culminating in a dance party
.
UniQ meets once annually at a national conference. These usually include workshops, planning sessions, guest speakers (including political, religious and disabled speakers), plus dinners and a dance (or a night on the town). Recent conferences have been hosted by the following groups:
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, UniQ is the Queer Students Association at New Zealand Tertiary Institutions.
UniQ is active at most New Zealand universities and several polytechnics. In New Zealand, the term queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
has been reclaimed - that is, it was once (and by many is still held to be) a term of severe offence - to represent all people that are non-heterosexual; gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
, transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
or transsexual, fa'afafine
Fa'afafine
Fa'afafine may be viewed as a third gender specific to Samoan culture.Fa'afafine are biological males who have a strong feminine gender orientation, which the Samoan parents recognize quite early in childhood. Not always are they raised as female children or rather 'third gender' children...
, takatāpui.
UniQ works to promote education and understanding for and about queer students under-taking tertiary study and regular events held around New Zealand's Tertiary Institutions include Pride Week when local UniQs facilitate a week long series of events usually culminating in a dance party
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
.
UniQ meets once annually at a national conference. These usually include workshops, planning sessions, guest speakers (including political, religious and disabled speakers), plus dinners and a dance (or a night on the town). Recent conferences have been hosted by the following groups:
- 2001: Massey UniversityMassey UniversityMassey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
MUSA - 2002: University of Otago OUSA
- 2003: Auckland University of TechnologyAuckland University of TechnologyThe Auckland University of Technology is a university in New Zealand. It was formed on 1 January 2000 when the Auckland Institute of Technology was granted university status. Its primary campus is on Wellesley Street in Auckland's Central business district...
AUSM - 2004: University of WaikatoUniversity of WaikatoThe University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...
WSU - 2005: Victoria University of WellingtonVictoria University of WellingtonVictoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
VUWSA - 2006: Massey UniversityMassey UniversityMassey University is one of New Zealand's largest universities with approximately 36,000 students, 20,000 of whom are extramural students.The University has campuses in Palmerston North , Wellington and Auckland . Massey offers most of its degrees extramurally within New Zealand and internationally...
MUSA - 2007: University of AucklandUniversity of AucklandThe University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
and Auckland University of TechnologyAuckland University of TechnologyThe Auckland University of Technology is a university in New Zealand. It was formed on 1 January 2000 when the Auckland Institute of Technology was granted university status. Its primary campus is on Wellesley Street in Auckland's Central business district...
AUSA & AUSM - 2008: University of Otago OUSA
- 2009: Victoria University of WellingtonVictoria University of WellingtonVictoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
VUWSA - 2010: Canterbury University UCSA
- 2011: University of WaikatoUniversity of WaikatoThe University of Waikato is located in Hamilton and Tauranga, New Zealand, and was established in 1964. It has strengths across a broad range of subject areas, particularly its degrees in Computer Science and in Management...
Askew Waikato
See also
- LGBT New ZealandLGBT New ZealandNew Zealand society is generally fairly relaxed in acceptance of gays and lesbians. The gay-friendly environment is epitomised by the fact that there are several Members of Parliament who belong to the LGBT community, gay rights are protected by the New Zealand Human Rights Act, and same-sex...
- Gay rights in New ZealandGay rights in New ZealandLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have most of the same rights as other people in New Zealand. At present, the remaining exceptions are the right to adopt children as a couple, and the right to marry. However, New Zealand enacted legislation that permitted civil unions in 2005, which...
- UniQ national website