“You’re the One That Was on Uncle’s Wall!”: Identity, Whanaungatanga and Connection for Takatāpui (LGBTQ+ Māori)

Abstract

Takatāpui (Māori LGBTIQ+) challenge static notions of relationality and belonging or whanaungatanga for Māori. Explorations of Māori and LGBTIQ+ identity can often polarise experiences of family as either nurturing spaces or sites comprised of actors of spiritual and physical violence. However, such framing ignores the ways in which cultural practices for establishing relationality for takatāpui extend beyond dichotomies of disconnection or connection within families and into spaces of new potential. In this paper we outline a bricoleur research praxis rooted in Māori ways of being which underpins the research. We engage in photo-poetry as an analytic tool, constructing poetry from our interviews with Waimirirangi, a twenty-year-old whakawahine (Māori term for trans woman or trans femme) and bring them into conversation with the images she provided as part of the broader research project. As the interface between her ancestors and future generations, Waimirirangi demonstrates the potentiality of whanaungatanga as a restorative practice for enhancing takatāpui wellbeing.

Mental health of people of diverse genders and sexualities in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Findings from the New Zealand Mental Health Monitor

“…30 The Māori term "whānau" translates as family members, including those from an extended kinship system. 3 Response options ranged from 1 = strongly agree to 5 = strongly disagree; those who selected "agree" and "strongly agree" were coded as affirmative responses.…”

“…3 In contemporary understanding, takatāpui is an inclusive term for Māori people with diverse sexual and gender identities. 3…”

“…1,2 In Aotearoa/New Zealand, some of the common diverse gender and sexuality identities include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary and takatāpui people. [2][3][4] Non-European (or non-Pakēha) populations such as Māori, Pasifika and Asian may use specific cultural terms (eg Māori takatāpui*, Samoan fa'afafine and Chinese tongzi) that carry historical, political and social connotations without necessarily having equivalent Western meanings. 2,3 International studies on people of diverse genders and sexualities have consistently found evidence of mental health inequities affecting this population, including higher risks of poor subjective wellbeing, psychological distress and suicide.…”

“…[2][3][4] Non-European (or non-Pakēha) populations such as Māori, Pasifika and Asian may use specific cultural terms (eg Māori takatāpui*, Samoan fa'afafine and Chinese tongzi) that carry historical, political and social connotations without necessarily having equivalent Western meanings. 2,3 International studies on people of diverse genders and sexualities have consistently found evidence of mental health inequities affecting this population, including higher risks of poor subjective wellbeing, psychological distress and suicide. [5][6][7][8] A recent systematic review of 23 population-based studies across eight countries found that 22 of these studies had produced findings indicating a higher rate of depression among youth of diverse sexualities than their heterosexual counterparts.…”

“…Populations of diverse genders and sexualities encompass people whose sexual orientations, or gender identities or expressions differ from the conventional cisgender and heterosexual social norms 1,2 . In Aotearoa/New Zealand, some of the common diverse gender and sexuality identities include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non‐binary and takatāpui people 2–4 . Non‐European (or non‐Pakēha) populations such as Māori, Pasifika and Asian may use specific cultural terms (eg Māori takatāpui*, Samoan fa'afafine and Chinese tongzi) that carry historical, political and social connotations without necessarily having equivalent Western meanings 2,3 …”