NEW ZEALAND'S FEMINIST MAGAZINE FOR TWENTY YEARS $7.50 SUMMER/RAUMATI 1995 ISSUE 208

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Please do not remove from library. BROADSHEET RESOURCE KITS Collections of articles from the magazine have been grouped together under general headings. There are new topics, updated favourites and historical clas­ sics. More detail about the content of each kit is available on request.

1. Reproductive Technologies $10 15. Media Images $6 The techniques available and the issues covering their use; Sexism; videos; TV; magazines surrogacy and attendant issues 16. Women Writers $16 2. Abortion $6 Including - Keri Hulme, Nadine Gordimer, Joy Crowley, Historical action; update on the issues; RU486 controversy. Fiona Kidman, Fay Weldon, Dale Spender, Andrea Dworkin, Juliet Batten, Rita Angus, Jacqualine Fahey, Olivia Bower 3. Environment $8 Dioxin (245T); Coromandel; nuclear pollution; fluoride 17. Women Artists $14 Photographers; weavers; painters; playwrights; musicians 4. Drugs and Women $8 Smoking; alcohol; tranquillisers; heroin 18. Peace Studies $6 Nuclear pollution; ANZUS; NFIP; peace movement; 5. Violence / Sexual Abuse $8 Helen Caldicott; Pacific anti-nuclear struggles Rape; incest; violence between women; Refuge 19. Anti-racism $12 6. Gynaecological Health $14 Treaty of Waitangi Mastectomy; breast examination; cervical cancer; premenstrual syndrome; endometriosis; osteoporosis 20. Maori Women $14 Health; feminism; women's issues 7. Motherhood / Childrearing $12 Single mothers; lesbian mothers; sex; childbirth; boys; 21. Maori Sovereignty $6 personal experiences Donna Awatere’s articles that became the basis other book.

8. AIDS and Women $10 22. Women in Non-traditional Roles $8 Facts; issues; safer sex Taranaki women; woodwork; women in sport; sheep shearers; fisherwomen 9. Eating Disorders $6 Bulimia; laxatives; fat phobia; dieting 23. Women and Work, Equal Pay and Conditions $12 Employment equity; reasons for unequal pay; changes in work for women; unemployment 10. Disabilities $6 Blindness; cerebral palsy; chemical poisoning; disabled women speak out Please send me kit number/s: . 11. Contraception $12 VD; the pill; depo provera; daikon shield; condoms; lUDs; RU486 I enclose payment of ...... (plus $2 p&p) 12. Lesbian Lives $14 Positive young lesbians speak; coming out as a lesbian; Post kits to: lesbian issues (name) ......

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EDITORIAL DECISIONS Comment_____ Ali Bell Jacqui Fill H umour. M m m .....What makes you laugh? Oh, Linda Hill it’s personal, like beauty, it’s in the eye of beholders. Lisa Howard-Smith Anne Hunt I don t need to tell that it’s been a long standing Claire-Louise McCurdy point within the status quo’ that feminists don’t Deborah Manu have a sense of humour. Surely by now this idea is Alex Woodley redundant? With the wonderful advent of our own (broadly speaking) sub-culture complete with stand- CO-ORDINATOR Ali Bell ups, cartoonists, visual artists and comic writers. But still, politics considered and sometimes set aside, EDITING personal taste is always - well, personal taste. We Linda Hill came up against this with the decision we made Lisa Howard-Smith about the jokes and a contentious comic piece. We DESIGN had interesting discussions in the Collective about Kate Millington what constitutes feminist humour. They weren’t very funny conversations. But it certainly makes THANKYOU you aware how much of the world of the arts and Edith Goringe Kirsty Fathers entertainment is subject to individuality, cultures, Nerida Phillips sub-cultures and sub-cultures within the feminist community (and some would say a community as CONTRIBUTIONS: Women are welcome to send articles, such is a misnomer). photos, letters, and cartoons. We appreciate writers sending There’s plenty to entertain in this issue - a short graphics with their articles. Always include a contact phone story, a Christmas recipe, a film review of Tank Girl. number and your address so we can contact you regarding Sylvia Baynes writes about New Zealand female editorial decisions. If sending a disk please label document name and word processor system name. We welcome Mac 4 comics, musicians feature in Three Women in or higher, IBM Word 2 or higher, and WordPerfect. Ifyou have Concert, Mei Hill reviews Toi\\nhine, and the plethora interviewed people, please send their signatures on your of Disney videos are swept under the carpet. We article to show' that they have checked the piece. Material hope you enjoy our interview featuring Dale Spender, should be sent with a SSAE to PO Box 56-147, Auckland. Writer’s Guidelines are available on request. Jane Thompson and Liberating Education, and LETTERS: Views expressed in letters are not necessarily topical pieces on the Beijing conference. Lie back in those of the Womanfile Collective. Some letters may be the sand and enjoy. (And don’t forget to renew your edited for length orclarity. We do not publish personal attacks. sub in the New Year if you need to!) Letters from men are published at the discretion of the Collective. If you do not wish a letter to be published, please On behalf of the Collective, mark ‘NotforPublication’. this issue’s co-ordinator, A D V E R T ISIN G is in a state of transition at the moment, Ali Bell but Alex Woodley is very kindly covering for us in the interim period. She can be contacted on (09)523 3411. AnneHuntis also available to field calls and enquires on (09) 817 4349 NEXT ISSUE is Autumn 1996 RETAIL AND WHOLESALE sales are coordinated by Due on sale early March Anne Hunt (09) 817 4349 Editorial deadline is January 9 NZ Subscriptions: $27.50 Overseas surface: NZ$40 The theme is Mental and Physical Health Overseas airmail: USA/Asia NZ$56, Australia/South Pacific NZ$45, Europe NZ$60 OUR COVER WOMAN O S C A R Broadsheet is on file at the Women’s Collection Special PHOTOGRAPHY INGRID BOBERG Department, North Western University Library, Evanston, LIGHTING ASSISTANT STEF YOUNG Illinois 60201, USA. ISSN01-10-8603. Registered at the GPO as a magazine. Published by Womanfile Inc. PO Box 56-147, ACCESSORIES ETC K A T E M IL L IN G T O N Auckland, NZ. Printed by Printcorp, Tauranga. & A JOLLY GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY A L L ! m e r r y x m a s

1. BRO AD SHEET SU M M E R R A U M A T 11995 I d M 4 ### SummerIRaumati 1 9 9 5 IS S U E 2 0 8 Regulars 1 COLLECTIVE COMMENT 3 YOUR WRITE 3 HERSPECTIVE 4 BROADCAST 40 NELSON NOTES 41 A SPORTING CHANCE 42 OVERAGE 43 GRIPES OF ROTH 44 AMNESTY COLUMN 64 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Features 7 SUBVERSIVE SUCCULENCE: Three Marsick women bring us a feminist cookery page 9 THREE WOMEN IN CONCERT : Fern Mercier interviews three musicians 17 DOMESTIC DRAMA IN KIRIBATI: Claudia Pond Eyley interviews Linda Warren 21 CIRCE SOCCER: Deborah Mann and Ruth Renner write about CIRCE Lesbian soccer team 23 LIBERATING EDUCATION: Linda Hill reports Jane Thompson's visit 26 THE G O O D KEEN KIWI SHEILA: Sylvia Baynes discusses women's humour 31 NEWS FROM BEIJING: Brief reports from delegates to Beijing and Huairou 36 MURDER IN THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT: Jocelyn Logan interviews Gillian Hanscombe 45 HANDS ON GUNN, CAMERAWOMAN: Sylvia Baynes interviews cam era operator Mairi Gunn 49 NATTERING WITH DALE SPENDER: Fe Day reviews the book and talks with Dale Spen Strokes and Art Attacks 53 TANK GIRL: Jane Marsick reviews the film 54 CAN YOU LEARN TO BE LIKE SOMEONE LIKE ME? Disney Films for Feminist Children 57 I DO, 125 YEARS OF WEDDINGS IN NEW ZEALAND: Sandra Coney's book reviewed by Lisa Howard - Smith 58 TOI WAHINE: Mei Hill writes about this stunning collection by Maori women writers 60 WOMEN COMPOSERS FESTIVAL 62 SHORT STORY - LOVE A RAINY NIGHT by Glenda Laurence

2.BROADSHEETSUMMER RAUM ATI 1995 V ourW R IT K Dear Broadsheet, I am looking for Little People who would be willing to talk to me as part of my research for a short film. It particularly concerns me that Little People are used in films purely for the purposes of voyeurism and I would like to redress this. If anyone can help me please write to me care of Broadsheet, or phone between 9am-5pm at (09) 444 4618.

Athina Tsoulis A u ck lan d .

Hello, I ’m a German musician and I ’m planning to come to

New Zealand next year for two months (February' - PETRA WITH HER NEW HAICUT (AND HER MOTHER) PHOTO MARGIE THOMSON April). I’m interested in making contact with women hen I was fifteen I went to stay with my who play music, professionally, or just for fun. sister, a trip that was to make radical changes I’m a 30 year old pianist and I write popsongs for in my life. For there on her door was a sign, the piano. Also I like jazz, experimental music and and the sign read ‘WOMEN ARE NOT so-called ‘world music’ music from several cultures. CHICKS’. Too right, I thought and have ever since. Sometimes I play solo - at parties, weddings, openings WWe are not chicks, broads, babes, slags or any other of exhibitions and in cafes, too. Also I play, together derogatory term some male can think up. But it’s not with a violinist, classical music in cafes, and recently just men, it seems. I started a trio with acoustic pop (voice, flute, The other day a young woman, on viewing my percussion and piano). daughter’s new short haircut, told me, ‘She’s a spunky I’m very interested in New Zealand itself, chick.’ In no uncertain terms I replied (a) my especially in Maori culture, history and life-style, daughter does not have feathers, and (b) I just can’t and also I would like to know something about the understand why we older women marched, peti­ music and life of female musicians. Is there, like tioned and fought for a better deal for the female race there is in Germany, a kind of female musicians when young women today turn around and call ‘scene’ with festivals, concerts, meetings and themselves chicks, dress up in pre-adolescent cloth­ workshops? ing and plastic hairclips! It’s all a bit disheartening, If no musicians, maybe someone else w ould like really. A recent article I read in Face magazine points to answer my letter - a female artist or performer or out the awful subliminal analogies to these terms writer or...? and the fashions that are being pushed at present. I would be glad if I could get in touch with nice Tiny fluffy pink jumpers that barely cover breasts, and interesting women! micro mini skirts and plastic hairclips. Yuk. Barbie With regards from Germany dolls on teetering sandals satisfying and fuelling Susanne Olbrich child sex fantasies for adult men. Come on, show K a th a rin e n str. 7 some pride. These are far from liberating forms of D-26 121 Oldenburg fashion. G e rm a n y A friend of mine recently told me that it’s all Madonna’s fault. That her sexual fantasy trip was o u r c o p y o f b r o a d s h e e t her way of reclaiming certain words and phrases and DIDN’T ARRIVE IN THE by placing them in the purely female context was MAIL? PLEASE WRITE A empowering women. Well, if that’s the case, all I can NOTE TO US AND WE’LL GET say is Madonna, just like Chirac, has an awful lot to Y— ON TO IT IMMEDIATELY . answer for. B Kate Millington is Broadsheet’s new designer.

3. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1 9 9 5 BroadcAST r e g u la r W om en’s about your experiences with the Phyllis Herda law and legal system, and your Womens Studies Journal to justice: ideas for change by 31 March 1996. Women’s Studies Programme He pulonga mo Send your submission to University of Auckland n g a W ahine ki te Women’s Access to Justice PB 92019 Project Auckland tika Free Post 56452, The Law Commission is an Law Commission: Te Aka Patients rights independant body which advises Matua o Te Ture, A record is kept of tests and the Government. It also reviews PO Box 2590 treatments you have received from and develops New Zealand law to , Wellington make it more understandable and the hospital services. accessible. The Official Information Act Late last year the Law Sexist interviewer gives you the right to request Commission started looking at sprung access to information an Area whether New Zealand law treats The Human Rights Commission Health Board Hospital has about women fairly. The Commission awarded a woman $2000 from an you. decided to do this because employer who asked at the The information must be overseas studies have found that interview who would look after reasonably retrievable. women’s access to justice is her children and whether she was If access is refused you must be limited. The Commission will planning to have any more. told in writing why and you may report to the M inister of Justice in appeal the decision to the 1997 suggesting ways that Vltjmen's Studies Ombudsman. The Ombudsman lawmakers and others can help J o u rn a l: student Office telephone num ber is 09 promote the fair treatment of 379 6102 or 6103. women by the legal system. essay competition If you wish, you may have a Since late last year, Joanne Third year, Stage III copy of the information free of Morris (Law Commissioner) has undergraduate and first year charge. been leading consultations with graduate students (Honours or first If you think there is wrong, women throughout New Zealand year MA students) are invited to incomplete, or misleading in order to gain an understanding submit essays of up to 5000 words information on your record, you of how the legal system may not to the Journal by 31 December can request in writing to have it treat women fairly. These 1995. The submissions will be changed. If the changes, as meetings have highlighted a range read by members of the Women’s requested, are not made you may of problems that women have with Studies Journal editorial collective. have your request and the reasons the legal system and have allowed The chosen essay will, if suitable, for it placed with your record. the Commission to hear firsthand be published in the Women's Studies of women’s experiences. Journal and its author will receive Do you need to Women’s experiences are a vital a two year subscription to the know a b o u t part of the Commission’s project. Journal. The Commission is now asking T h e Women's Studies Journal these campaign for public submissions. These welcomes contributions from a groups? submissions will be a valuable part wide range of feminist positions *Out Of School Care Network Ph of the project. They give the and disciplinary backgrounds. It 3660320,PO Box 3774, Auckland Commission another opportunity has a primary, but not exclusive, *DBP Wage Earners Petition, to hear about women’s focus on women’s studies in Deborah Robinson, Ph 834 5685, experiences with the legal system Aotearoa/New Zealand. 5a Kotuku St, Te Atatu and their ideas on how to fix the Submissions to or for further ^Divorce Equity, PO Box 7010 problems. information contact: 255, Ngongotaha, 07 357 2157 Please write to the Commission 4.BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMA71 1995 Lesbianline online Hand’ is featured in The Women's The video looks at how seven Auckland Gay/Lesbian Welfare Picture Book published in 1986. parents reacted to the knowledge Group Incorporated is now The timing of this exhibition that their child had been sexually operating Lesbianline as of was chosen to coincide both with abused. Copies of the kit are now September Monday, Wednesday the anniversary of Sharon’s death available and can be purchased by and Saturday evenings from 7.30 and the beginning of Auckland’s writing to NSWC, PO Box 40- pm to 10 pm. Hejw festival. Throughout her 106, Glenfield, Auckland, or They are able to do this because adult life Sharon was an phoning (09) 444 4618 or faxing of an increase in the number of indomitable warrior for lesbian and (09) 444 4626. lesbians in their team of volunteer gay rights. (We w ill be ptinting an extended counsellors. One painting - a woman stand­ a rtic le on A Private Pain in the ing with raised arms against a dark next issue). W om en writers with blue sky/background with a sun/ Oath Dunsford moon in top left corner - hung for British Labour years at the Auckland Women’s Continuing Education at Health Centre, 63 Ponsonby Rd. Party voted to Auckland University is running a Phe current whereabouts of Summer Writing Programme in keep women MP this work is unknown. Please early January to explore and would anyone who knows where shortlists develop writing skills in a it might be contact one of the supportive and creative The British Lab our Party following: environment. Cath Dunsford is conference overwhelmingly Jane Zusters (09) 372-7736 offering a course specifically for rejected a call to drop the party’s Sue Fitchett (09) 372-7600 women which is intensive and gender quota policy. The system, Fran Marno (09) 846-8131 practical. adopted in 1993, requires regions For details contact Centre for to draw up women only shortlists in half the marginal winnable seats Continuing Education, University Anti-French of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, testing bumper and half the seats where a sitting Auckland. Labour MP is retiring. stickers There were claims that the lists Retrospective for Have you seen those spunky were an abuse of democracy and ‘ If they’re so safe test them in should be scrapped. However, Sharon Alston Paris!’ bumper stickers? Some delegates voted to continue to A retrospective for artist Sharon women from Christchurch have endorse the policy. Alston is being exhibited at had them made and are selling Thirty-seven local parties agreed Outreach Gallery in Ponsonby them up and down the country. to select candidates from all Road, Auckland 12 February-23 If you want some‘NON!’, women shortlists and those in a March 1996. Multi-media artist W ellington has about 150 or so further five of most of the winnable Sharon Alston who died on 11 and they sell for $3.00 each, or you seats had already selected women. February 1995 aged 46 years, was can contact K and K at PO Box (NZ Herald) known throughout the women’s 4452, Christchurch. Make your and arts communities in Aotearoa car or your fridge or your work Breast screening as a lesbian fem inist whose art had satchel nuke-free! always been politically motivated. program m e Her work included graphic A. Private Pain - a n n o u n ced design for Btvadsheet and other Women’s Health Action has pre­ magazines, as well as numerous video educational pared a leaflet entitled paintings, most of which are in kit a v a ila b le Mammography: Seven steps to make private collections. From 1981- 1 he North Shore Women’s sure that theptvposed mammography 1983 she was artist in residence at Centre’s latest educational kit, breast screeningpmgramme worksfor the Women’s Gallery, Wellington. A PiivatePain, comprising a video women, which features informa­ One of her paintings ‘My Bloody and booklet, is now available. tion about breast cancer in New

5. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1995 Zealand and what the actual risks To sign the Register contact Net­ the ‘forced disappearances’ under are for New Zealand women de­ work Waitangi, PO Box 5510, the military regime are considered veloping breast cancer, a seven- Wellesley St, Tamaki Makau Rau to be more appropriate. step action plan to ensure New who will send out a page to sign. Zealand gets an excellent screen­ Lesbians on ing programme, and some facts and figures about mammography Hong Kong gets Serbian TV screening. w o m e n ’s TV Lesbian feminism was repre­ The seven steps: sented by one of its own for the 1. Free screening ch an n el first time on Serbian television 2. Government funding Women in Hong Kong are critical last November. 3. High quality services of the first women’s channel to be Lena Mladjenovick, a member 4. Multidisciplinary assesment set up on cable television. The of the lesbian-feminist group teams channel has been in operation Arkadia, appeared with Wendy 5.Support services for women since July last year and, like other Eastwood, a British lesbian, on 6. Choices in treatment channels, broadcasts its the Serbian Arts channel during 7. Central coordination of services. programmes on a 24-hour-a-day prime time to discuss issues of If you wish to obtain further copies basis . discrimination, lesbian sub­ of the pamphlet, please contact However, while the programming culture, family and gender Women’s Health Action, phone is intended to be geared towards bending. (09) 520 5295 or write to PO Box women, many women are critical It was the first time an official 9947, Newmarket, Auckland. of the lack of feminist ideas and representative of a lesbian and gay (An extended article zeAll feature in limited perspective on women’s group took part in a public our next issue) issues. television show. Programming falls under four Lena, while highlighting H onourable general categories: drama; differences in issues faced by Kawcnatanga features; education and lesbians and gay men, said she was information; and chat and talk also interested in making alliances Register shows. Most of the shows are with other oppressed groups of The Honourable Kawanatanga imported from the US, Korea, and people, both because there is force Register was launched at Aotea Japan. The locally produced chat in numbers and also to end all Square on 27 October on the eve and talk remains the most forms of discrimination. In of the 160th anniversary of the important arena for diverse particular she stressed the links signing of The Declaration of In­ women’s lives to be reflected, and between sexuality and sexist dependence of New Zealand. attracts the largest number of gender roles in society, a major Pakeha/Tau Iwi/Non Maori are viewers. principle of Arkadia’s policy. invited to sign a register signifying Some women say they feel that Audience response was commitment to honourable rather than breaking down stereo­ favourable. kawanatanga and our wish to live typical roles of women in society, (From Kinesis March ’95) in accordance with the negotiated the channel actually reinforces documents He Wakaputanga o Nu them. Feminists have objected to Tirini (The Declaration of Inde­ the numerous programmmes on pendence of New Zealand) and cooking, aerobic exercises and Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Maori domestic skills training offered on language text of the Treaty of the channel. As well, they point Waitangi) which affirms our right out that discussions tend to be and responsibilities of settlement conducted in a gossip-like 'man­ conditional upon the active pro­ ner rather than focused on serious tection of Maori in the exercise issues. of Tino Rangatiratanga. The foreign-produced shows The Register is open until the such as documentaries on women next election. activists in Chile struggling against

6 . BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 1 1995 feature -Subversive -Succulence by Jane Marsick with help from Anna Marsick and Julie Marsick

hen first invited to write an article on food for the ‘Entertainment’ issue, I was somewhat daunted by the task. A quick executive decision brought to the fold W the literary talents of twin sister Anna. Anna has long bemoaned the fact that I steal all her best recipes, not to ment ion her best jokes, so she seemed the preeminent person to join me in this venture. She was quick to remind me we would be venturing into dangerous territory. A recipes page! For B roadsheet?! This would surely remove B ro a d sh e e t from the security of being a mere repository of feminist lore and into the realms of the ‘real women s magazines. Penning words ol wisdom on lood, feminism and festivities, or as we like to call it ‘subversive succulence’, would take much thought. But here goes! Cooking has always been a communal matriarchal ognition of what sheer hard work it is to prepare all pursuit in our family and so this.That women work as with all things culinary, harder at Christmas is not a Mother was soon added to point I am prepared to ar­ the team. As other gour­ gue. I know that it is true. mands might refer lovingly It is w om en’s work to baste to their favourite copy of the turkey, glaze the ham, Elizabeth David, Claudia pod the peas, scrub the po­ Roden or Larousse tatoes, hull the strawberries, Practique, so Anna and I make the Christmas cake refer to our mother and (six weeks in advance), bake grandmother for sensible the mince pies, boil the pud­ advice on good plain cook­ ding, lay the table, polish ing. As we lustfully chase the silverware and so on and after the latest piece of sun so on. It is w om en’s em o­ dried Mediterrania or care­ tional work to remember fully compose a multi-lay­ that Uncle Harry doesn’t ered terrine, it is Grandma like goose and Grandma who remarks with consum­ must have cream with her mate irony, ‘It’s really just Christmas pudding but that meatloaf you know!’ Ivy likes custard with hers, M other is quick to insist that Paul likes fresh beans that, when it comes to the and that Margaret likes peas. end of year festivities, the other gourmands might refer lovingly An old fashioned view of perfect meal is a sandwich to their favourite copy of Elizabeth things? Dinosaur cuisine on the beach. Though, to David\ Claudia Roden or Larousse for the feministly retarded the best of my knowledge, who have not appropriately in our family this has never Practique, so Anna and I refer to our reallocated kitchen duties happened. My earliest mother and grandmother within the family unit? I Christmas memories are of would argue, not so. Come vast feasts of roast turkey, baked ham and copious Christmas, for some reason the culinarily unskilled quantities of fresh vegetables from my grandfather’s and cuisinely disinclined dash to the fore in a furious garden.^ 1 he tradition continues to this day and my effort to produce vast quantities of English kai. The mother’s wistful thinking probably stems from rec- Chardonnay swillers, sushi munchersand feministly

7. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 forthright are suddenly faced with trying to decide between turkey or ham or shall we do both this politically correct vegetarianism is year?I need only cite as evidence the behaviour of Anna and myself ( staunch feminists both ) as we assured by never eating rush around in a fit of pre-festivities preparation, while somehow our brother remains unmoved by anything that has a mother the whole event. Subversive succulencemight in­ deed be, as mother suggests, a sandwich on the minding me that politically correct vegetarianism is beach.But in my family at least, I don’t think we will assured by never eating anything that has a mother be taking a picnic to the park.Already I am contem - she has a vested interest in this. My inclusion of plating a recipe for blueberry relish to accompany the these gorgeous wee nibbly bits as subversive ham. succulence is really just because I like them and And now a recipe. Lest I forget my threat to turn they are easy to do. However, one of my family’s few this into a recipes page and before I am distracted concessions to the workload of Christmas has been into further diatribes about food, it is time for a to replace the heavier English puddings with these recipe. To be inclusive I have decided upon some­ delicacies. So, especially for Bivadsheet readers, thing vegetarian. Mother in the background is re­ Jane’s guide to dipping strawberries, entitled:

Bugger the Turkey, GJin's/mas isn’t GArtstmas witJiout the Chocolate

375g Chocolate melts 30 large Strawberries (unhulled) Alcohol of choice 1 Syringe

1. Wash and dry your strawberries. Chocolate will not stick to anything wet so make sure they are dry. 2. Melt the chocolate. I’m old fashioned and use a bain marie but a microwave will suffice. 375g chocolate will do at least 30 large strawberries but if you require more, and my family normally does, then try buying both white and dark chocolate and creating two-tone ones. Large strawberries suitable for dipping can be acquired from your grower of choice - our current preference is a Korean Gentleman in the back blocks of Howick but I’m sure everyone will have their favourite. 3. Dip the strawberry by holding it by the hull and immersing it half the length of the fruit. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off the berry and then turn it and sit it on its hull to set. Do not completely immerse the strawberry because the chocolate will merely run down your fingers when you turn it over. On the other hand, this could be a good idea. 4. In our household dipping strawberries in chocolate is not considered sufficient succu­ lence. One must then take the dipped strawberry and inject it with an alcoholic liqueur of choice. It used to be Cointreau, but this year in a fit of anti-French political correctness we’re thinking of trying Frangelico - that’s the liqueur, sweetie, not the monk.

B

8. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A H 1995 T h re e W o m e n in C o n c e it by Fern Mercier

ahia Blackmore, Trudi Green, Linn Lorkin. pholoAnnaBribiesca T hree women musicians, all singers and songwriters. Three born performers. Three neighbours who all live in Ponsonby/Grey Lynn, Auckland. All of an age, approaching the middle part of their lives and careers. Three strongly defined characters, uniquely different women, who have carved out a long and rich herstory for themselves in the New Blackmore Zealand music business. When I hear their music, I feel my own experience ahia brings her own special flavour to the wide and feelings affirmed. Each bird’s song has a differ­ variety of music she performs. Her voice will ent resonance, is pitched to a different part of me, yet knock your socks off - it’s big and full of rich, gloriousM textures and colourings%Her music is deeply each one sings YES! Right on, Sister! Three powerfully individual voices, yet each re­ personal to her, and whether she chooses to cover an verberating through their music a sense of shared old favourite, or sing an original composition, the time, of shared place. music always reflects her own experiences and af­ The three voices all sing for me of a place in the sun firms her own feelings. - for me - as a New Zealand woman. Mahia believes music is a powerful medium which people absorb through their minds and their bodies. “...composing a piece of music is very “It operates in subliminal ways ...the listener is feel­ feminine. It is sensitive, emotional, ing what you are putting out”. Because of this impressionability of response, she feels it’s impor­ contemplative. By compart si on, doing tant to put out a positive and clear message. “Music housework is positively masculine. ” is a healing thing.” She is careful with her lyrics, for... Barbara Kolb, 1975. “...if we want things to change, like in the environ­ ment, we have to be positive yet subtle. Change

9. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A TI 1 9 9 5 won’t come about if you hit people over the head - subtlety in words and ideas is what brings about change.” Mahia Blackmore Mahia identifies first and foremost as a Maori musician. Her formative influences were her father, Raymond Blackmore, who sang in the Te Whara STAND ACCOUNTABLE Quintet from 1943-1950 - and her whanau. Brought They say there is no difference upin thecountryenvironmentofRangitiki, Manawatu, Between black and white she was singing from an early age at family parties. That we must live together Mahia’s deepest passion was always to make music, And make it all so right. and she listened and learned from the radio, sang at school concerts and talent quests, and took music We’re fighting for our freedom courses at school. Our land and mana too The Afro-American musical heritage interwove early into the Maori sounds. The jazz and blues Children are our future traditions were family favourites - Aretha Franklin, We do it all for you. Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald. Later Joni Mitchell and Helen Stand up and be accountable Shapiro combined with New Zealand mentors - Abe The struggles everyday Phillips, a cabaret singer who taught her about dic­ We are the people of today tion and phrasing, and then blues/rock singer Sonny We need to have our say. Day. This was a potent mix which helped Mahia develop her own unique techniques and tools of her trade. had been hired over the phone, and turned up to the Although her mother and father speak Maori, gig - a cocktail party - dressed appropriately. She was their children were brought up always to speak greeted with “Oh, I didn’t realise you were English, so although Mahia loves Maori songs, she Maori...your name is not Maori. We expected a doesn’t sing many. She doesn’t speak the Reo and white band.” doesn’t understand a lot of it. The band went on and at the end of the night were “The Reo has so many different levels of meaning, told, “Oh, I really had wondered what I was going to and I won’t sing what I don’t understand.” get, but you were wonderful!” Little Tui, her song which won an award in 1986 A more personal taunt, rolling racism and sexism for Polynesian Song of the Year, was originally writ­ into one foul blow, came from a member of the ten in English. It has been translated by family industry. Made to Mahia personally when she was members into Maori, and she now sings it in Maori, younger, she’s never forgotten its rankle. for she feels comfortable with what she is singing. “You ’re never going to make it in this town - for one Mahia plays with a mix of Maori, Polynesian and thing you’re black, and another, you’re fat!” Pakeha musicians, and feels the music transcends How satisfying, Mahia, it must be, to so conclu­ racial, gender and age lines. She does, however, cite sively prove racism/sexism so wonderfully wrong racism she has had to deal with more than once in her ...over and over again! Notonly in your body of work business. One classic example will suffice. Her band to date, but with your gorgeous stage presence and your sumptuous voice. M ahia9s deepest passion zvas alzvays to make music, ahia’a first recording was in 1969 - a 45 called The Long Road. and she listened and She has played with many line-ups and bands learned from the radio, since then, and her Little Tui won the award for sang at school concerts and Polynesian song of the year in 1986. It was re- released in 1991 as Pipii Tui. talent quests, and took She has made her mark for women in the Music music courses at school. industry with her own band Meg and the Fones, doing originals and covers, and they recorded Meg

10 . BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 19 9 5 was H ere in 1987. Lady Sings the Blues shows still play around town since the 1980s and she has also treated us with her own songs in An Evening with Women Songwriters. Mahia stepped out for the first time on the boards this year, in a musical play called Ma Rainey's Black Bottom , when she played Ma Rainey herself, in a successful season in Auckland’s Herald theatre. Watch for Mahia’s Band, Te Whare Upoko (Head Office) and her appearance in The Wahine Collec­ tive, a six piece band appearing at Footsteps Night­ club, 3 and 4 N ovem ber 1995. Trudi Green

orn in London, Trudi is the granddaughter of Violet Parish, Music Hall pianist and singer. Every weekend when T rudi was little, she would Bgo along with her family to hear her grandmother sing at the local pub. The youngest in a large Cockney family, Trudi grew up in a family who loved music, with her parents listening to Patsi Cline, George Jones, Ray Charles. An older brother was a Mod and a DJ during the 1960s and she grew will - sub-tropical rock, Polynesian reggae - their up on a diet of soul music (James Brown!), motown, sound has a uniquely New Zealand soul, and Trudi rhythm and blues, pop and country. fronts this big powerhouse band with high voltage Her arrival in New Zealand at the age of 18 began electricity. Swashbuckling, flamboyantly dressed, a long creative embrace of other cultures as exotic she owns the stage. The lyrics sung in her husky and different as the Cockney is to the Ponsonbyite. unforgettable voice , belt out a message to women. She feels fortunate to have had a long-standing "You don’t have to take it, you can give it as well!" creative partnership with Sam Ford whose family Her songs are voicing a female experience. Unlike ties are half Moari and half Cook Islander. Maybe it’s her early soul mentors of the 1960s who, Trudi because she’s a Gemini, but Trudi thrives on duali­ laments, had very little choices in their lives, she ties. The London girl whose home is Ponsonby / the portrays herself through her lyrics as a strong woman white soul musician / the city gal singing country - in full control of her life. contradictions abound in her life and music in a most " Lots of black southern soul singers that I lis­ positive way. tened to - Anne Peebles and Betty la Vette - didn’t Take Soula Hula. For the last eight years, Trudi make it because they sounded too black, too raw for has quite conciously chosen to create a sound which those days. They were like female Otis Reddings is unique to Auckland, the largest Polynesian city in and the w orld wasn’t ready for them. They couldn’t the world. Her showband is a mixture of Rarotongan, portray strength in their lyrics, but their music and Samoan, Maori how they de­ and Pakeha veloped it was members and Her songs are voicing a female experience right out there they call their in the fore­ sound Soula Hula - Pacific Soul. Volcanic scenes, front. They were strong women, and now I’m able, bush backdrops and drapings of tapa cloth, make for in the 1990s to turn around those 1960s words. " a sophisticated and stunning show. Call it what you I also listen to singers such as Emmy Lou

11. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1 9 9 5 Harris,(wonderful performer, great band) Maria Muldaur, Prince and the inimitable Topp Twins, who have been a huge influence in my life!" Trudi Green

rudi has performed and toured extensively SOULAHULA throughout New Zealand, since 1978. At first Everybody listen to what I say, with the showband The Sam Ford Verandah Lots of trouble in the world today Band,T the original country punks, and then with The Everywhere you look there’s pain and Neighbours, renowned for their strong visual perfor­ misery mances. Building bombs up to the sky She toured with Electric Eyeland, an all-woman Little biddy babies too hungry to cry show, and of course with her band Trudi and The Exceptions, which has performed at all the major Mankind trying to end his History. festivals in New Zealand and represented New Lord, it’s something that you can’t ignore, Zealand at the Constitution Celebrations in Bad news beamed in door to door, Rarotonga in 1990. Can’t turn your back and hope it goes Trudi was nominated in 1984 as Top Female Vocalist away. in the New Zealand Music Awards, for her single But tonight we’re gonna leave it all The Only One You Need which achieved Top Leave our troubles outside the door Twenty Status. We’re gonna party till the break of day. Her other recordings include: Love is Never Cruel C horus (1982); Watching Westerns (1983); Vocal at the S O U L A H U L A Local, recorded live at the Gluepot (1984); and Every rule has an exception. You’re on my Mind (1990). She is currently working on her solo album Green-eyed Soulahula. Soul which is due for release in summer 1995. Every rule has an exception. Unn Lorkin

inn’s musical versatility and eclecticism make it difficult to describe her incomparable style. She cites musical influences as diverse as Nina LSimone, Joni Mitchell, Presbyterian church hymn singing, Broadway musicals of the 1950s and classical modern composers such as Debussy, Stravinsky and Rachmaninov. In describing the categories of music she plays and composes, she includes Latin funk, jazz, European waltzes, music hall patter songs, folk, classical and English lieder. She calls many of her songs ‘chan­ sons populaires’... or ‘New Traditional’. Linn divides most of her performing work between either photoAnlheaSommetvIe-Shaw ‘Continental strolling’ with husband Hershal on accordion, or jazz gigs (cabaret or concerts) where she teacher when she was 18 and he was 50. plays the piano and feels free to play and sing most “He died when she was still young and she of her own material. played the piano for silent movies in Dunedin in the Linn had always been fascinated by her grand­ 1920s and bought up five children. So she switched mother, Daisy Lorkin, who eloped with her piano from Lorkin to Williamson, and I did the reverse.”

12. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A TI 1 9 9 5 Linn grew up in rural New Zealand - Tokoroa - and had no role models musically. It was not until she was studying at the Sorbonne in Paris in her early twen­ Unn Lorkin ties, as a scholarship student, that her options broad­ ened and she realised her vocation was as a perform­ I SHOULD BE A STAR IN LAS VEGAS ing musician. Like her music (and her grandmother), Linn is an extraordinary woman. She sings in six BUT TONIGHT I’M SLEEPING IN GREY languages and writes in several. She started playing piano in a high energy funk band with Tama Renata LYNN. and Howie Morgan in the 1970s in an Auckland night club. She laughs at the rumours which abounded, that Turn the heater on to dress tried to reconcile her ‘weird’ and ‘abnormal’ Kneeling down beside it behaviour as a woman playing a Fender Rhodes in a It’s pre-gig paralysis band with these wild men. I just have to fight it' “People said I was a drug addict and a lesbian - Grab the old performing clothes they had to find ways of explaining my deviancy”. Skies outside are darkenin’ There were no role models for Linn when she was Earrings from a window sill young but rather than holding her back, that appears By a Grey Lynn garden. to have given her freedom to have pioneered and made her own categories in music. Linn’s songwriting ability is one of the more C horus exceptional things about her musicality. She engages And it seems like everything is slippin’ the listener in an intensely personal dialogue with her away own herstory which immediately becomes the And I just can’t win listener’s own. She is a mistress of making the And they say: personal political - the subjective and particular, uni­ ‘You should be a star in Las Vegas’, versal. She describes herself as an old-fashioned But tonight I’m sleeping in Grey Lynn. songwriter like Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart, Noel Cow­ ard. The integration of form in a song is important to Cold and tired and homeward bound her. In the Hillman Hunter “The concept, the subject matter, matching up verses in certain ways, with the same kind of internal Drifting off then up I jump rhymes, so that the construction of a song has an Cursing in my cardigan integral structure.” I forgot it’s rubbish night The lyrics are clever and descriptive, and her songs For the Grey Lynn gardens. have a strong sense of time and place, of history, which draws from her audience that collective sigh of Sometimes all my life just seems recognition. Stumbled through in blindness Linn considers herself a trustee of the environment, Still I’d like to thank my friends and her latest recording Moruroa Va Vivre makes a For their loving kindness. very powerful statement about the French involve­ Hardest is to love yourself ment in the Pacific. Her song Walking in a Green And yourself to pardon World has been adopted by the Tramping Associa­ tion as their theme song. And then there’s the When the greyest dawn comes up famous Family at the Beach. In a Grey Lynn garden. inc came to me, the words, the music, everything. She is a mistress of making the It was like a seed for the whole song.” persona/political - the subjective “There was Uncle Sam and Aunty Betty, and particular, universal. Colin, Barry, Aunty May and Uncle Roy at the beach.” “I was walking barefoot by the beach in Atlantic This song became the Kiwi expat’s national City, feeling homesick, and suddenly this complete anthem in New York and today in New Zealand

13. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A H 1 9 9 5 it’s being sung by school choirs and whistled on the Mahia: I wish women were more visible because street. A ‘chanson populaire’, or should I say it’s a lot easier to work with women. In Meg and the New Traditional? Fones, communication was a lot better. We under­ stood womanly things, the normal everyday expe­ ook for Linn’s albums: In the Land of Music riences that women have to go through. I have released on Kiwi Pacific Records; experienced really nice moments when playing Sidelong Glances produced by her husband with women which I’ve enjoyed a lot. Playing with Hershal; In a French Cafe recorded live at Sophie’s women or with men is quite different, for we ap­ Cafe on her own label, Rouge Records; Moruroa Va proach and hear things differently. Women are Vivre (Moruroa will live). CD single and tape, Rouge quicker and more relaxed, take their time about Records. To be released, Linn in Grey Lynn at the learning things, really wanting to nail it. I have end of 1995. always had very positive and supportive experi­ She sings often with the First Ladies of Jazz (origi­ ences playing with other women, and feel very nally known as the Four Chicks), and as an honorary fortunate to have worked with so many fine musi­ sister in the Jews Brothers Band. cians. Trudi: I would like women to be more visible, so that men would get used to taking orders from Fern Mercier interviews women. Many men take it as a personal confronta­ tion if a woman - me - tells them what to do on stage. Especially younger men. They will listen to a senior male member of the band, but otherwise I have to Three Women get heavy and stomp around a lot more. I have always tried to include a woman on our road crew for that female energy on the road. I won’t allow myself to be oppressed, because I’m stroppy by nature. I’ll in Concert always have it out, and tough if they think I’m a ball- breaker. A big problem is at venues, where the male man­ ager of a pub wants a female singer up front who looks good, and who thinks he can say to me what he wants. I have to shut my mouth to keep the gig. It’s important to me that I have other women musicians in the band. I feel comfortable with other women, and women are generous with their sup­ ahia Blackmore, Trudi Green and port. I wouldn’t want to be without, and always have Linn Lorkin talked to Fern about music a woman on fiddle, or trumpet, or another singer, Mand gender and sexism in the music indus­otherwise I feel outnumbered. try, about dressing up to go to work, and Linn: I have so much fun working with other about aging in a increasingly youth-orien­ women, we laugh a lot. Yes, it would make a big tated business. difference if women were more visible. The prob­ A feminist would argue that music is one of the lem with the imbalance of men in the studio, is that world's largest leisure industries, bent on keeping the male technicians disregard me, and direct their women out of all but the most traditional roles. questions to Hershal (her husband and arranger/ The few female producers, studio engineers and producer). They negotiate sessions with him, they technicianSy record company producers, pub like dealing with other men, for it’s a man’s world. I managers and night-club ozzmers are a rare feel as if my voice is heard only if it goes through the species who operate in overwhelmingly male male producer. They don’t hear my little voice domains. There are many more male musicians piping up, unless it becomes strident. I don’t feel as than wo meny who are m ainly singers, o r in if I’m given enough credit creatively. Maybe that’s supportive roles. Would it make a difference an assumption? In reality Hershal and I are working to you if women were more visible in the in an equal creative partnership, but I do feel industry? inferior in a masculine world, and don’t feel

14. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A H 1 9 9 5 attention to image. How important is what your wear to your performing style, and to your music? Is there a tyranny of image for you as a woman perform er? M ahia: I don’t feel as if I have to conform to a certain image. Sometimes I dress up, sometimes not, de­ pending on how I feel, and on what the actual gig requires. The gig and/or my mood determines whether or not I play a role. I have maintained a fairly consistent visual image over the years. When I do get flamboyant, is when I am playing with other women. For example, in Women Sing the Blues. We all love clothes and had great fun dressing up. Trudi: With the full-on, high energy, in-your-face kind of performance I do, I like to transform myself,

after saying she did a great concert, it was mentio ned that she was dressed comfortable in it, not being appreciated or re­ spected enough. In the recording companies, as if she was sitting down in front of they are all men, and the only high-up women the TV on a Sunday afternoon! I’ve met, just act like men, cold and callous. No male would have been told they Another aspect to this is in reviewing. During the last Montana Jazz Concerts, none of the vocal con­ dressed too casually. certs were reviewed, and of course they were nearly all women. All the women in the Festival who were before I go on stage, so I look different than I do in reviewed were given patronising reviews. Just ordinary life. It’s like a role I act out. I take my alter dreadful. For example...’Linn Lorkin writes about ego to somewhere completely different, let this ordinary everyday things.’ What’s ordinary about other performing artist step out. So what I wear is what I write about! Patronising. Only one woman important. I feel out on the day what I’m going to got a good review. Yet after saying she did a great wear, what image, how I’m going to transform. I have concert, it was mentioned that she was dressed as if two friends who are really good designers and who she was sitting down in front of the TV on a Sunday help me reflect both my Englishness and my Pacific afternoon! No male would have been told they love. Lots of flowers, tassels, shells, korus... anything dressed too casually. that moves! I have been influenced/imprinted, if I want to say that male musicians are wonderful you like, with the feminine look of Jean Shrimpton people and accept a woman if she has talent. We are and Brigitte Bardot...you know, the tarty, bouffant equal w hen playing in a band, for musicians go into hair and the black eyes, that 1960s ‘look’. a different space when playing. It doesn’t matter Our overall band presentation helps get us jobs and what your gender is when you are part of that the women take most of the responsibility for that, creative space. I think a man could possibly write my not just the clothes, but the stage set, everything. I songs in a musical sense, or a similar synthesis of like visuals, and I love clothes. music. But not lyrically, that’s too me. I think it’s Linn: When I wear the right clothes I perform hard to try to separate out gender in the creative better. I am a born performer, I’m always dressing up process, but I think women are more flexible, sensi­ and wearing costumes. The costume helps me get tive and receptive in that process. into the role, whether it’s French, Italian, whatever. The feminist argument is that a woman is I am a shy person when I’m not performing. No assessed in this society on her looks first, regard­ tyranny of image for me - I love expressing the less of what she’s doing. Although over the last 20 feminine side in my music, so I dress in a feminine years, women have won a greater diversity and way. Idon’twanttodresslikemen. I love colour and variety in their image and in their music, ironi­ think it important for a performer to dress differently cally it appears to have resulted in even more from the audience. The flambovance and wildness

15. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1 9 9 5 Trudi: Jazz and Blues are traditions in which you can grow old, but Pop is a relatively new genre. We are creating precedents, and yet it’s hard operating in a youth market, with such an emphasis on youth pop culture. I see someone like Mick Jagger these days as a caricature of himself. In recording, it’s harder to boss someone around like me, I’m harder to manage. The young audi­ ences are not used to seeing someone who is the same age as their mum looking and dressing like me, but they seem to like it. This business keeps you young, and I intend to grow old as disgracefully as possible. Linn: I think audiences are attracted to their own age, but I have noticed that when we women per­ form together, our combined experience makes us attractive, in a way that one woman isn’t. Four women looking glamourous multiplies the attrac­ tion. I think the mystique of the older woman only works if you’re a megastar. I have found, though, arc part of the mystique of being a performer. I can’t that audience reaction to being an older woman is afford to follow fashion trends, but I dress as quite positive. I think our confidence and self- dramatically as I can afford. assurance, our ability to relax and the style in which ( Ifind it interesting that the two Pakeha women we dress, can really wow younger women, but usu­ are following in the footsteps of their European ally I only sing to middle-age audiences. ancestors in theatrical presentation, with an em­ As a songwriter, singer and pianist, my aging doesn’t phasis on dramatic and outrageous colour and matter, although it does affect my energy levels. larger-than-life costumes, to enhance their music Also, humping heavy gear when doing live perfor­ and performance. Whereas Makia has a much mances is a hassle. When you’re younger too. It’s more laid-back, albeit practical, attitude to­ hard work lugging keyboards and gear, and it’s wards what she wears and the role she is playing usually another woman helping you. Hernia mate­ on stage. Cultural but not gender difference. It rial getting it up stairs. seems women are not about to forgo decoration The industry is geared to youth especially as our and love of clothes as important parts of our society becomes more americanised and buys into creative self-expression in our generation!) the worship of youth. However, I do feel positive Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone are American about my age, for I am in a musical area where its woman musicians whose age and reputation are okay for women to be older. I can turn to my proof of their authenticity and their skill. Their advantage, my experience and my age. I expect we age is a link with the music s history, a mark of are the mentors for the younger musicians, for we are pedigree. Is there a hierarchy of age in the the pioneers, leading the way. industry in NZ? How do you feel about aging in B your business? Do kids want to see an older woman on stage? Mahia: There’s not really people in the business older than me that I look up to. I work with people The industry is geared to my own age and those younger than me. I especially youth especially as our society admire the energy of younger musicians who are coming up, and so I jump on with them and play with becomes more a me? icanised them. I think if the younger kids like the music, and buys into the worship of they’ll like the performer, regardless of her age. I’m youth. getting older and just want to keep doing what I’m doing with my own convictions.

16. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1 9 9 5 Domestic DRAMA in Kiribati

W h ile visiting Kiribati, Claudia Pond Eyley met ‘Te Itibwerere’, an innovative drama group that focuses on social issues relevant to life on the atoll. She interviewed the group’s coordinator, Linda Warren, about their plays and about training with the ‘Wan Smolbag Theatre’ in V anuatu.

killed my first wife, and now I am onto my second marriage and I’ve already injured her and been sent inda, tdl me about the issues that are of concern to back to prison for that. We know we have domestic people in Kirbati ? violence in Kiribati. We don’t have to be told.’ SomeL of the issues that we are trying to address in He wanted to know why plays by T e Itibwerere are domestic violence, pre­ our group wants to make it drama not only school education, alcohol abuse and turtle conserva­ a public issue rather than a tion. We have seven plays at the moment which are tabu subject. Although it brings people designed to raise the awareness of the people in isprevalentin Kiribati, itis together but Kiribati using drama as a medium. not openly discussed. raises crucial Why is this effective, do you think f Women are getting killed Well, in the past people have used other means of but still you cannot discuss questions about education such as holding workshops, for instance it. So he was threatening problems such as on health matters. They go to outer islands, to the us, ‘Who are you, what domestic villages and hold talks with the people for whole gives you that right?’ I days. There has been little or no change. Our said, ‘We as a group feel violence. people like being together. Dancing is also a form of strongly that these facts entertainment which they enjoy. So using drama should be known. Women not only brings people together but raises crucial should know their rights.’ questions about problems such as domestic vio­ In Kiribati if a male beats up his next door neighbour lence. he can be taken to court and imprisoned according After the domestic violence play earlier this year to the law. But if he beats up his wife, no-one would we received threatening telephone calls. ‘My name interfere because it is a domestic situation. Although is so-and-so, I have already been in prison because I who is a pastor living on an outer island in Kiribati.

17. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMA71 1 9 9 5 a law has been enacted so that women’s rights can be Every time she runs away from her husband, she safeguarded, a lot of women don’t know anything goes to them and the father forces her to go back about it. They stay in relationships that are very because he cannot hold his head up among the difficult. village. They say, ‘How can he preach in church But most responses have been very positive, it is when his daughter is separated ?’ Things like that are only the domestic violence play that has backfired a true situations in Kiribati. So the husband comes to bit. I wasn’t worried because it meant that people take her back and she doesn’t have a say. Then he maybe learned something that triggered them off to is drinking, she gets beaten up and she is killed. say these things. Maybe this isn’t a very common situation, but it If that’s what it’s doing to the community, then has happened. Statistics show that 51% of deaths that’s actually what we would like the impact of our amongst women between the ages of 15 and 45 plays to be. So that by open discussion, people are women were due to ‘ill defined illnesses’. If you able to get over their hang ups, I suppose. think of only 70,000 people in Kiribati, and if people think that it is acceptable simply because they don’t know there is any other way, it’s quite frightening. In New Zealand women's refuges have been set up. TI he plays are pioneering new subject matter. There is only one refuge in Tarawa, run by the Have there been workshops on the subject of Catholic Church. We also have marriage counsel­ domestic violence before or is this very new? lors, that is also the Catholics. When we approached We were quite lucky, when the invitation from the them, they said they hadn’t counselled anyone out­ Wan Smolbag Theatre came up. Cathy, our trainer, side the church. It could be that if people don’t had some funding through the Overseas Develop­ belong to that church, they just don’t seek help ment Association to hold domestic violence work­ there. shops with the police, There are NGOs [Non-Government Organisations] and top no secrets ranking officials. This > n Kiribati I think that the problem is more pro­ when you live workshop was our ‘step­ found. T here are no secrets when you live in a place in a place like ping off point because the like here. You live next door and you hear every­ people who had been se­ thing they say. When everything is quiet again, it here. You live lected to go to Vanuatu doesn’t mean it has stopped. Your next door next door and were invited to attend the neighbours will go to work and, oh, she was beaten you hear workshop and, once there, again, poor thing. Because of the close knit commu­ we were able to learn about nities that we have, people know of the problems everything the extent of the problem. but they don’t have ways of dealing with it. And, as they say. At the workshop a pas­ the police see it, they cannot interfere because they tor said,‘Some women de­ get stabbed. Quite a few police have been killed in serve to be hit’ - and he domestic violence situations. It’s a major problem. was a pastor! If we have that attitude from respected We are happy that we are actually addressing these people in Kiribati, how on earth are we going to go problems. And with our plays in the Gilbertese forward? language people seem to respond more. We have So before going to Vanuatu we had all our facts and more feedback from two hours of plays than when I figures on domestic violence. We had doctors’ have given workshops for whole weeks. Workshops reports, police reports, the births, deaths and mar­ are good for getting information across in an orderly riages records. We went well prepared. We were and formal way, but with drama it’s the language able to help the script writer for Wan Smolbag that they use every day and are able to relate to. Theatre to design a play that is culturally sensitive Donations from the shows enable us to hold more but to the point. shows. We have enough donations to hold more plays in the poorer areas of Tarawa. In the past we didn’t charge an admission fee and people would not play is about a girl married to a government come; they said, ‘Oh they are not good enough, or employee on Tarawa and her parents , her father else they would charge.’ When we charged a mini-

18. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1 9 9 6 mal 50 cents per head, we actually got more people. Fiji with nothing to do? Why don’t we go back and There is a lot of humour in your plays, apart from the have a go at another play? So that’s what we did. It domestic violence play. There is a lot of laughter, was a bonus, we learned two plays in that trip. song and dancing. We came back and had our opening, our first It works very well in our culture. Because people performance. That was the domestic violence and love to sing and love to be merry, but there are pre-school plays. It was the most successful launch­ crucial objectives that we’ve put in those plays. ing that I’ve come across. Okay, you can laugh but you cannot ignore the facts We sent out invitations that are in the plays. to all Ministries and We have N G Os and they all came. more feedback The plays were done T in English. We weren’t fro m two M ell us about the Wan Smolbag group from sure about our interpre­ hours of plays Vanuatu and their influence on the Kiribati drama tation of local conditions than when I group. Is that how your drama group startedf at that stage. Everyone The group was originally started in 1990 by students had an opinion on what have given attending the University of the South Pacific exten­ we were doing and they workshops sion here in Kiribati. They went to take English weren’t shy about airing fo r whole classes. These students would have positions that their opinions.Some came weeks are crucial to the people, they needed the confi­ out quite strongly. Some dence to stand up and do public speaking. So to get were very sympathetic over their shyness they formed the group at the and would like more of University, Te Ora Erek, doing a lot of miming, the same. We were grateful for that support, because addressing current issues. One was the atom bomb we didn’t think we’d get it from the people whe on Christmas Island, they developed a script for matter - government ministries - but now they are that. They also dealt with condoms, the spread of supporting some of our programme so that we can go STD and AIDS. Also ‘Choose a Husband’, a com­ on. edy with role reversals. They did ‘The Nutrition’, a play about proper diet and were commissioned to do a play about Vitamin A. Blindness can be caused by lack of this vitamin. re you self-supporting or have you got T h e group was dorm ant for a while, then a fax and government grants for sponsorship? telephone call came from Vanuatu about participat­ We have commissioned work too and that is a way ing in a workshop. The group members were re­ of supporting ourselves. At the moment there are no called and the name was changed then to ‘Te funds available. The Overseas Development Asso­ Itibwerere’ - the cricket. In our culture, when you ciation sponsored us to go to Vanuatu and have paid hear the sound of the cricket, it’s good news. We for transport and advertising, so they have been very felt that we are spreading good news to our own helpful. Then we got commissioned by the Housing people. Advice and Loans Centre to advertise their new This workshop was the first time that we had scheme for loans for improvements to existing houses. exposure to drama outside of Kiribati. We had our We had a camp and spent a whole week on an islet information on domestic violence, that was the first where we wrote the script and songs. We completed play we developed. Then the second play - you see a play on alcohol abuse which was commissioned by we got stranded in Fiji, the planes were not coming the Seamen’s Union. With that money we are able to Kiribati any more, the repairs on the airfield were to carry on. not completed. So we couldn’t come back. Grants and commissions are earmarked for certain subjects. Group members pay for themselves and later the commissions come through. It takes a bit of time. I can’t say that we are getting any richer. In I got a call from the Overseas Development Asso­ fact, we’re getting poorer due to our extensive trav ciation who asked, what are you going to do? Well, els. Money aside, the thrill and the feeling of why don’t we go back to Vanuatu, instead of being in beinginvolved in something that is totally new is

19. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A Tl 1 9 9 5 quite a stepping stone. It is totally new but some­ Most of our plays are on video now, and w e’ll be able thing readily accepted by our people, with all our to get them to less accessible places. messages taken in. They actually start talking about / imagine that these videos could be used in schools. it. We’re very proud to be part of that creation. Young people could discuss these issues. The best publicity is word of mouth. Ifwe could get them for distribution, there is already Especially in Kiribati, where there is no television. an audience. Over this last weekend we had a play at the hotel and How many people have seen your plays since Decem­ I have received over 25 telephone calls. berf Sometimes you get audiences of up to 170. Perhaps 6,000. A tenth of the population already. To date we have put on 26 shows, right through W you went to Vanuatu, each of you Tarawa. At the launching of the show for the was interviewed by the video team ‘The Ace of Hearts'. Housing Loans and Advice Centre, the President of The first day, I was chosen to be interviewed as a Kiribati was there. At the reception afterwards he member of the group. Someone talked about the said, ‘I am interested to see that you are doing this. background of the group and then they asked me Can we utilise you?’ ‘Of course’, I said. He sees it as what I expected out of the workshop. I said, ‘Oh, I’d an effective way of educating people. expect that the outcome would be to have a play to show for the trip.’ But I’d also expect to have our culture and views presented in a way that is respect­ ful to our people in Kiribati. I said, ‘We are Kiribati he Wan Smolbag Theatre had over 22 plays, people and we should be able to convey Kiribati so there is a lot of subject matter out there to deal attitudes. We are doing it for that audience.’ They with. What are some of the issues that your drama were very supportive. group is interested in for the future? ‘Ace of Hearts', who are they? We want to do something on AIDS and STD. We’ve They are a video and television production team already written a script on road safety. We’d like to based in Wellington. They were commissioned by do more on issues like conservation and health the Overseas Development Association to go to matters such as smoking, respiratory infection and Vanuatu to complete a five year documentary on diabetes. It’s a matter of finding time. At the Wan Smolbag Theatre. It coincided with our trip moment we’re working hard, we have rehearsals because our return was delayed by two weeks. three or four times a week. Then we have the shows, Did they come back with you? at the end of the week. Yes. We’d heard from Vanuatu that they like to That's a lot of work, if you are doing your own encourage small drama groups to start up in the creative writing as a group, as well as workshopping Pacific and, as we were there when the documentary the scripts and preparing for two hour shows. was being made, they’d like to folllow it up. So now It gives an idea of where the group’s heart is.They Kiribati is in the documentary with Wan Smol Bag. are dedicated people who are good at their work. pbtM frt* vi4«« J. Aiders** ; ACE OF HEARTS B

20. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A Tl 1 9 9 5 feature

by Deborah Mann with the help of Ruth Renner Our Wonderful Lesbian Soccer Team Those who can do; those who can’t, stand around on the sidelines and m ake a lot of noise.

IRCE won the fourth division league tudes. T he team were poised ready for action and a this year - Yes! win. CIRCE supporters were equally poised on the T h e season began in March with 30-odd sideline while Glenfield supporters holed up in the very relaxed wimmin, full of Christmas food and clubrooms - the writing was on the wall, really, when summer barbecues and a few too many vegie sau­ you think about it. sages. It has ended with a smaller group of very The loss to Epsom Girls (4-1) took everyone by relaxed wimmin, yet another shared feast, enter­ surprise. I he official line from Ang was that it was tainment and lots of cheer! a combination of players not feeling 100% well on The only requirement to be part of the CIRCE the day and EGGS playing a different style of soccer team is ‘to be lesbian’. Ang took it upon herself to from CIRCE’s typically doing things get everyone in shape and perfect their techniques. fter seven league games CIRCE had eighteen points; Donna, Jess, Thilana, Kylie, Adrienne, Jay and Nikki Epsom Girls had 19 points after nineheerleaders were the forwards - forward in taking the game to the believe that allowing the EGGS women to run on opposing team. Roseanne, Nina, Nicola, Amanda beneath the labryses prior to the game gave them and Iggy held things together mid-field, avoiding special power on the field. opposing players’ advances, while Lin, Emma and A new phenomenon this year was the CIRCE Jo kept most of the action away from Wendy where cheerleaders - Ruth, Sarah, Renee, Jeneva, Bettina, she consistently held her own in goal. Uma and yet another Ruth. Their first outing was at Winning all their grading games without a loss, Walker Park in Pt Chevalier. Resplendent in CIRCE started the season in fourth division. The gumboots, black tights, maroon tutus, CIRCE shirts task was to play all teams in this division twice, and armed with labryses, they plunged onto the scoring 3 points a win, 1 for a draw and nothing if sideline with volume and frenzy .A great debut as they lost. the team rolled about with laughter. The first great win (11-0) came against Glenfield, T he season progressed with rounds of socialising, despite the worst of weather and conservative atti­ team-building and trying out different kinds of

21. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMATI 1995 porters and coach on some of the basics -Keep your eyes on the ball!’ (or open?) ‘Shoot!’ when anyone To the tune of ‘Oh Christmas tree neared the other team ’s goal. Stating the obvious is Oh Christmas tree1 what’s needed on some occasions and supporters Oh Soccer Dykes, oh Soccer Dykes and cheerleaders could always be relied on. Your muscly thighs delight us! ess was a great one for shouting ‘Shoot!’ too. Oh Soccer Dykes, oh Soccer Dykes The referees objecting to bad language just Your bouncing breasts excite us! never understood her accent, she says. You win when noone else can win J The season ended with a trip to Tauranga.Yes, You make us dribble down our chin well, what can I say? A hell of a good time was had Oh Soccer Dykes, oh Soccer Dykes by all, is probably safe. Some great soccer, a great You are our favourite Lesbians. party, singing bus trips, hot pools and refreshments. Highlights? Everyone has their own. Ang can’t training - swimming, fitness circuits and team jogs. quite put her finger on why the season was so Videos of games and potluck dinners all had a posi­ successful. A huge thanks goes to all the people tive impact on CIRCE’s game. Ang got the wimmin who brought raffle tickets, to Julie and the wimmin playing in the right spots and recognised the need to at the Cask & Cleaver events, Hilz, Karen and Clair, get their heads into it, feeling good about them­ and wimmin who came to Footsteps. All the people selves, keeping spirits and fitness up despite the who raised funds and put time and energy into constant temptations of too much partying and mid­ supporting the team. season celebrations. CIRCE have been around for 15 years and will be In fundraising sponsorship was found from La here for another 15. Ang says CIRCE will be a force Cuccina and Surrender Dorothy but the greatest to be reckoned with in the future. success was through entertainment. CIRCE held Goals for the future include two teams for the next five club nights, four at the Cask & Cleaver, one at season, $100,000 for club rooms and a trip to the Gay Footsteps. These were no ordinary evenings, with Games in 1998.If you want to be involved phone performances from both team members and support- ‘ Ang 360 1158 or Ruth 620 9592. ers - we can say we saw them before they were famous! fter seven league CIRCE had eighteen To the tune of I'm a Lumberjack & points; Epsom girls had 19 points after I'm O ka y ' A nine games . Maybe we could win the We're the Cheerleaders' league?! CIRCE drew against University 1-1 and We're not like you then won against University the second time around With our gumboots on and our pink 2-1, clinching the lead in the division. In this game tutus. Nina and Amanda both scored and Ang had a great We are so cute and sexy too, game in goal. It was on home ground, Walker Park. We like it when you cheer us too! All that was needed was to complete 90 minutes of play against Onehunga Sports. In this game CIRCE wimmin really excelled, I thought - taking risks, talking to each other (‘It’s your ball. ’ ‘No, you have it. ’ ‘Do you want it?’ ‘I’ll have it.’). Some players took on the ball with their heads.- was it good football or just a quick hangover fix after the Lesbian ball? Lots of weaving, not necessarily around the Onehunga play­ ers with the ball. Several players kept calling for first aid and water, no doubt for their dry horrors, but an ingenious strategy for a breather, I thought. Iggy had a great game, at times playing all positions on the field. Onehunga had lots of opportunities at goal, but the defence held with encouraging advice from sup­ E

22. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMATI 1995 f e a t u r e Jane Thompson, a key figure in radical L A 7 f A J G adult education for 15 years, was recently in Auckland, bringing news EDUCATION of women studies and the women’s movement by Linda Hill in Britain.

U r \ eminism is no longer fashionable excited and affirmed by Lea ruing Liberation in 1983. in Britain - if it ever was,’ Since the mid-1970s a women’s subcommittee of Jane Thompson told women at WEA had been developing similar radical education F Continuing Education, Auckland. strategies. “There have been attempts to make out that it is In Britain, as in New Zealand, feminists have dead, but I am glad to tell you this is untrue. It’s not taken different directions according to their differ­ surprising that an energetic women’s movement ent views of what the problem is and what are the should be resisted by the‘ forces of darkness’. We most effective strategies. The deterioration of the were vocal, stroppy and we were making gains for economic position of women under Britain’s first women. What matters is how we are withstanding woman Prime Minister has, in Jane’s view, demon­ the backlash and how we are moving on.” strated the limits of the liberal feminist strategy of getting women into top decision making posi­ tions. Socialist feminists chose to work in unions and municipal or party politics, but it took twenty years, tor example, to get a policy for women- only short lists for certain winnable Labour seats, but this was reversed at the recent confer­ ence of the‘new’ Labour party. Radical femi­ nists, like Black women, are sceptical about

It’s not surprising that an energetic wom en’s movement should be resisted by 'the forces of darkness

Jane was on her way to Australia to participate in tokenism and the sorts of compromises an Adult Learning Week and a conference in Sydney that result from working within ‘ the system’ or on radical adult education and social change. Ten left politics. years ago she visited Australia after the publication o where are feminists being effective? of her book Learning Liberation: How Women Get They are still to be found in grass roots on in Men's Education. One group of women that orginisations, in refuges and rape crisis she met from adult and community education centres. Radical feminists are caricatured formed a feminist caucus within the education move­ Sas extremists but it is they who have made domestic ment, sending her newsletters and publications. violence, incest and pornography visible as public “I hadn’t realised that had happened as any con­ issues, as they never were before. Jane reports that sequence of my being there, so when I got the they have affected the ways in which the police and invitation, I was immensely flattered.” social services operate. Jane’s work has also been influential in New “Not operating well enough, but a whole range of Zealand. Claire- Louise McCurdy remembers women ideas and attitudes have seeped into the way the in the Workers Education Association being state operates, into the common sense understand-

23. BROADSHEETSUMMER RAUMAT1 1 9 9 5 mgs of the culture. Feminism put them on the did the thousands of feminist books in libraries and agenda." book shops. he is optimistic that younger generations of Women’s studies, now a respectable multi-disci­ women, and some men, raised by femin­ plinary area focusing on women’s position in soci­ ist m others are less likely to operate accord­ ety, started at the margins of the British educational ing to gender stereotypes, although she system, in adult education. Many of the initial Sshe generalizes that enlightenment is more likelywomen’s gatherings to think about what would be among educated men. As unemployment hits tradi­ ‘really useful knowledge’ for their circumstances tional male occupations, in many working class happened in community education settings, espe­ towns women are more likely to find work and cially in WEA in the 1970s. young men in particular are suffering crises of “It was the educational wing of the Women’s masculinity. Liberation movement and certainly by the early "There is an immense amount of disruption in 1980s the women’s studies programme was the these communities, lots of cime, lots of violence, jewel in the crown, the flagship provision of theWEA often against women. The effect of the New Right With massive cuts in funding in WEA and the extra has been bad news for mural provisions of the everybody, particuarly for universities, many black people, particularly The effect of courses specific to bad news for women. women were wiped out Yet in education there the New and universities ‘up­ have been gains. Last year graded’continuing edu­ for the first time more Right has cation towards training. women went on to higher “A lot of the stuff that education than men; for the been was experimental, de­ last three years girls left velopmental, non- school with more, better particularly money-making, around and higher qualification bad news for social issues was jetti­ than boys. Black girls did soned. It is not a com­ particularly well. It’s too women pliment to the brothers soon to say wether that will in the WEA that they get translated into who has were prepared to sacri­ the top jobs. I think it’s fice the women’s edu­ already provoking a back­ cation prôgramme, but lash.‘(Oh my goodness all they did.” those poor boys, what can we do to give them equal art of that feminist initiative in radical opportunities ?)’ - because girls and women are education shifted to Access training, now clearly about to leap ahead.’ a significant part of mainstream provision, In Britain women’s weekly earnings average around almost an industry in Britain. To some 70% of men’s (75% in NZ but falling). Equal pay Pextent Access has roots in feminist education, particu­ and equal opportunity legislation was immensely larly ‘second chance’ education. flawed and claims under it have been resisted fiercely Part of it fuelled the growth of women’s studies in by the government through years of court cases in higher education. Women’s studies is now taught in Britain and Europe. Britain also has the worst some form in virtually every British university. childcare provision in Europe, and the number of Women’s studies tutors have got tenure, and have children living in poverty tripled during the 1980s. became senior lecturers and even professors... Comparing past and recent research on girls, the “ the ways in which higher education recognises its educational success young women are achieving can .academics and gives credence to serious academic be related to the influence of feminism. Girls now pursuits. Women’s studies has arrived to such an have different expectations of their future and they extent that men are actually queuing up to teach it. no longer learn to lose. Increasingly w om en’s studies is being re-labelled as There is also now education specific to women. gender studies...the much more acceptable face of Twentyyears ago women’s studies did not exist, nor fem inism .”

24. BROADSHEETSUMMER R A U M A fl 1 9 9 5 Jane questions the strategies that academic femi­ links, through a stream of students coming from nists have used that result in this situation. Women Third World countries - for example, from South who started teaching women’s studies in community Africa in the days when the ANC was banned. But education, adult education, WEA and higher educa­ for a century it has been a very male tradition. tion in the 1970s were also usually activists in the “You might well wonder why I went there, given movement. They recognised the significance, of that I had managed to avoid working in patriarchal education in providing really useful knowledge for institutions for the previous 15 years. I think it was radical change and for women’s liberation. In her because I didn’t realise the extent to which what view, the women who are teaching women’s stud­ gets written about Ruskin in histories of radical ies in universities a generation later are coming not education is based on myths, or the extent to which from the experience of front line activism but from... the:he wornwomen’s movement had really passed it by.” “...having been very clever students of women’s he responded to a three page job descrip­ studies. That has implications for what gets taught, tion for a Political Sociology tutor, half a how it gets taught and the interests of the people sentence of which said ‘and might be int­ who teach it. Some retain that initial allegiance; S erested in women’. Her brief, as she sees some have lots and lots of publications!” it, is to reconstitute Ruskin’s tradition to embrace The engagement of many academic feminists with women and minority groups in Britain in terms of post-modernism is, in Jane’s word, ‘foolish’. It has student numbers, how the institution operates, who produced much scholarship, many Phds, many teaches and what gets taught. In establishing books... women’s studies programmes, she teaches commu­ “...and strange language - difficult to speak, diffi­ nity education courses for women from the impov­ cult to understand, esoteric, inward looking, rar­ erished housing estates surrounding Oxford. The efied, ver>r clever. It has done a lot to establish courses are free, with money provided for transport women’s studies as a hard subject, not a Minnie and childcare. She also teaches a diploma programme Mouse subject, because it’s really heavy and you which is equivalent to the first year of a degree. can t understand it. It hasn’t done much to connect “All mature age students. In the intake coming in with the material conditions of women’s lives in the September the youngest would be 22, the oldest 73, real world, or how we assist women with particular average 30ish.” struggles. Feminist post-modernism hasn’t got in­ Many of these students are activists, some in their volved with the domestic violence debate, sexual unions, others in cornmunity politics or activities, abuse campaigns, but it has contributed to some have experience of the women’s movement. legitimising pornography as worthy of the title of Advertising for the diploma is designed to attract erotica, symbol, text.” women to come not just to get qualifications but to ane feels that feminist post-modernism put their energy into transforming and advancing might have helped establish the credentials the cause of women. of women’s studies in academia but it has Some go on to do a degree. For others it is a study stopped it being associated in a useful way sabbatical from which they will return to their politi­ Jwith the subversive social movement that is cal activity with some knowledge which will help W om en’s Liberation. them in their work. For the last couple of years Jane has been teaching This year she is also teaching a women’s studies at Ruskin College, a residential adult education programme at Masters level, which is offered to college created a century ago to give working class students who may have a first degree, or other men (and a few qualification such women) an all-ex- Feminist post - modernism as nursing, commu­ penses-paidoppor- , , nity education or (unity to study at hasn t done much to connec simply sufficient Oxford. with women’s lives relevant experi­ “To have as of ence teaching. It right what the rich and famous take for granted, also adheres to the aim and rationale of Ruskin, to that’s its tradition.” equip activists who are working where they can Ruskin has produced many Labour MPs, many spread their knowledge and their learning into trade union secretaries and has strong international continued page 59

25. BROADSHEETSUMMER R A U M A H 1 9 9 5 the good keen kiwi sheila

WOMEN'S HUMOUR IN AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND I want to salute Lyn o f Tawa as a forerunner, a starting point. by Sylvia Baynes Is no one aware of indigenous women’s humour, both Maori and Pakeha? Yet, why should I be astonished? As we all know, women are presumed iecently I picked up a copy of the to be invisible in our culture. I am assuming the Listener and was some what aston­ writer of the piece, entitled Cheers and Jeers, is ished to read: male. If the writer is a women, she ought to be “There are two indigenous senses of ashamed. For the same article goes on to refer tothe humourr in this country - one is a back- Topp Twins as,‘ honorary blokes for the sake of the country blokeism (the legacy of Barry argument Allow me to suggest that the second Grump and John Clarke’s Fred Dagg) noun in the article’s title is more appropriate than the first! and the other is newer, an urban I see present day New Zealand women’s humour Polynesian humour (only ‘Milburn Place’ as emerging from twodifferentstrands: the theatrical on SKITZ, so far).” [N Z Listener Sept 16 and the feminist. There is a degree of overlap and 1995:63] interconnection. While there are earlier examples of women’s humour in this country, a convenient starting point is Ginette McDonald’s portrayal of ‘Lyn of Tawa’. This personna made her first public debut in 1968 at the Downstage Theatre in Wellington, and has over the years made many appearances on stage, radio and television. She is perhaps most fittingly introduced by a few of her own opening lines: “My name is Lyn and I come from Tawa. That’s just up the line a bit, eh? The psychiatrical hospital’s up there. Oh, that’s at one end, eh? The borstal’s at the other. — It’s really neat.” Certainly there are resemblances to the Good Keen Kiwi Bloke, as played by Barry Crump, John Clarke,

26. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 Most people dress to get confidence, to hide behind, whatever, but the Topps dress to entertain people

Bruno Lawrence and given a Maori dimension by of the few bright spots in the otherwise dreary New Billy T. James. In this respect I have no hesitation Zealand movie. More recentcomic roles in this same in dubbing Lyn of Tawa, a Good Keen Kiwi Sheila. Good Keen Kiwi Sheila mould, have been the parts There are however, differences; whereas the Good of ‘Shandreen’ and.‘Vanessa’, played by Rima Te Keen Kiwi Bloke emerges from a rural context, Lyn Whiata and Alison Wall in the TV comedy show of Tawa is an essentially urban character. As the late More Issues. Likewise in the Australian comic tradition Bruce Mason was quick to point out: there have been a number of Good Keen Aussie "Fred Dagg, grew out of a rural myth, but Lyn Sheilas - some of the characterisations of Wendy reflects the urban reality of most New Zealanders’ Harmer and Jean Kittson in The Big Gig television lives.” show were in a similar vein. In the episode4 Fred Dagg and Lyn of Tawa’, The Lyn of Tawa character was the result of a from the television series Magic Kiwis, Tom Scott sister/brother collaboration Ginette’s brother, said of the character; Micheal McDonald, wrote the scripts. The role has "It was the first time New Zealand women saw been developed and refined over the years, from the themselves being satarised . She had the voice, the early days when she was ‘Miss Tawa Aluminium tone, the attitudes absolutely spot on for a small Extrusions’, to the transformation as the Good Keen town New Zealand girl-plucky naive, unsophisticated, Kiwi Housewife of the ‘visual symphonies’ fame, in decent and amusing. Just listen to her monologues the M itre 10 television ads, with Gary McCormick and you were amused. Some of it was very sad, the playing her dim-witted and bumbling Good Keen kind of life she was describing - but overall it was Kiwi Home Handyman husband: "Take a pretty big always saved from sentiment by perfect comic timing, tool to fix that eh Gary?" perfect delivery and lots of very good gags.” Rather than term the Topp Twins in their comic Like John Clarke and Billy T. James, Ginette performances as ‘honorary blokes’, I see them as a McDonald’s exaggerated ‘Kiwi’ speech has become pair of Good Keen Kiwi Dykes. For while they may a trademark of her caricature. However, it would be be more worldly than Lyn, they still display many of erroneous to see Lyn existing merely as a female the same qualities: plucky, straightforward, counterpart to the Good Keen Kiwi Bloke, within a unpretentious and amusing. All characteristics male comic tradition. She has her female parallels, cherished by the New Zealand psyche. both here and overseas. The character of‘Beryl’, in In an interview, their mother, Jean Topp, said of the TVNZ series G liding On, and the role of them: “They are so natural and so popular, they fit ‘Sharleen’, played by Annie Whittle in A Week Of It, in anywhere ... People take them for what they are, are comtemporaries of hers. The cameo role of the they are unique. They want to be themselves. They Good Keen Older Kiwi Sheila, portrayed by Davina don’t change themselves to get up on stage ... they Whitehouse in the 1978 film Solo, proved to be one dress up to be laughed at. Most people dress to get

27. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 confidence, to hide took up the reins. In the end I gave in and did the We behind, whatever, but organising myself.” the Topps dress to There had been several women’s comedy groups com e entertain "people.” before H en's Teethe but this was the first to reach a at hum our [Metrv Novem ber 1987: wide, popular audience. 225]. One of the acts in the second series of Hens Teeth, from a In d e e d , a good was a piece jointly written by Rewia Brown and different definition of the Topp’s MadelaineMcNammarra. MadelaineMcNammarra humour would be what played ‘Puha Pam’, a middle class pakeha woman perspective some feminist commm who has just discovered Maori culture and reacted to tators define as ‘stand with’ it a little too exuberantly. Rewia Brown plays‘my to a lot comedy as opposed to friend Rangi’, who has to put up with Puha Pam’s o f men. ‘put down’ humour. enthusiasm. On one level Rangi could be seen as They invite their the Good Keen Maori Sheila, but viewed in another audience to accept them light, her comments are quite pointed and political. for what they are, and to laugh and sing along with them. As does another lesbian performer, Sue Dunlop, in her show Better Than Normal, seeking her audience’s ac­ quiescence rather than antagonism, by inviting them to take up the offered lavender ribbons and become ‘honorary lesbians’ for the evening. A more overtly feminist and political strand of Women’s Comedy grew out of the Women’s Movement of the early 1970s, with the likes of the ‘Cure All Ills All Star Travelling Women’s Medicine Show’, who formed in 1975 and toured the country giving performances at various centres. Many of the Women’s Liberation demonstrations, such as the 1971 Suffrage CARMEL M C GLONE & LORAE PARRY AS DIGGER & NUDGER Day Demonstration in Albert Park, were highly She explains that she has been invited to come on theatrical, and comedy skits were featured at the the show because she is a Maori - there to provide a United Women’s Conventions. In fact, the Topp multi-cultural aspect in order that they may get an Twins gave some of their earliest performances at Arts Council grant. Rangi makes the point that she the two later Conventions. doesn’t have to say or do anything funny: “Maori £ n 1972 people from the Women’s Movement women are funny.” In terms of the power hierarchy and Gay Liberation initiated a ‘guerilla theatre’ in our society, Maori women are at the base of that group which performed street theatre with structure and therefore ultimately the butt of ‘put much political content. Kate Jason-Smith was down’ humour. 1one of its members, and later served as a prime The success of Hen's Teeth was to herald the mover and participant in the United Women’s Con­ appearance of other women’s performance groups: vention entertainments. Since then she has been When The Cat's Been Spayed i n Wellington; Short a n d involved in many theatrical productions in Welling­ Girlies in Dunedin; Four Frock Off in Christchurch ton. In 1988 she initiated and produced the highly and A Girl's GottaEatxn Auckland. The latter, which successful Hen's Teeth Women’s Comedy Show; its began in 1990, was a collection of women comedy inspiration was an all-woman comedy evening that performers, a number of whom already had theatrical Jason-Smith saw at Sydney’s ‘T h e G ap’, in 1987: experience. Alison Wall appeared regularly in the “I brought the idea back to Wellington and tried television show Funny Business, Lynda Topp of to give it away. I was eight months pregnant at the course from the Topp Twins, Brenda Kendall and time. Lots of actresses were interested but no one Michele Mine had often performed solo, and Annabel

28. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A J 1 1995 Lomas had been involved in Bandana Theatre. beauty, their body and codes of behaviour ... M en Many others, too, were names in the theatrical have been more overtly sexual with women as the world. A Girl's Gotta Eat made several appearances fallguy in a lot of stand-up humour.” [Sunday Star at the Gluepot Tavern in Ponsonby, Auckland. A July 8, 1990: G, 1J With the proliferation of women’s comedy groups in recent times has come a change of direction. The Good Keen Kiwi Sheila Fanny Business image, while having its positive aspects, was very much a satire of New Zealand women - a type of put down’. More recent wom en’s comedy groups are attempting to redress the balance and offer ‘stand with’ comedy. The repertoire is much wider. They tend to write their own material, often collaborate with each other and draw upon their own experiences as women. Even solo performers, like Michele Hine’s exploration of female body image in the more recent offshoot is the current Fanny Business, TV special Unbearably Beautiful, owe alot to the who have performed both in Auckland and initial thrust of the Women’s Movement in the kind Wellington. of subjects they cover. They are playing more for In a television interview on A Girl's Gotta Eat, the women in their audience - not just to the men - Alison Wall posed the rhetorical question, “Women and providing them with the laughter of recognition; aren’t really funny are they, compared to men?” a large portion of their audiences are women. She went on to explain: F or men, used to the old style male-centred humour, “That’s because we have seen Morecombe and the experience of being in the audience of a women’s Wise, The Two Ronnies, the big tradition of men comedy performance can be problematic. Some up there doing it and the whole culture had given have seen it in a positive light and remarked that it rise to men doing those things, up to this point ... is good to hear what women are saying, that their now we’re changing that, which is great. Thank understanding of goodness and what a relief.” women has increased as Vicki Walker, co-founder of A Girl's Gotta Eat, said a result and they find W O IllG Il^S in the same interview: “We come at humour from w o m e n ’s h u m o u r a a different perspective to a lot of men. I don’t think refreshing change from C o m ed y we’re into putting an audience down. I think if much male humour. anything, we’re into laughing at ourselves and Other men find is allowing the audience to laugh with us ... it’s very women’s comedy very wacky ... very offbeat and we’ve been waiting to do threatening. taking it for a long time." The myth of the Good As an Australian comedienne, Wendy Harmer Keen Kiwi Chap has a said - she was the first Australian woman to have her flourished for many SGI*10US own talkback show in Australia and her own comedy years from Barry Crump show - ‘We’ve always been here. We’ve just been and pleasant Fred Dagg lo o k waiting for a break in the conversation’.” caricatures, to Gary T h e Giti's Gotta E at group maintained that, “There M cCormick as ‘L yn’s’ at is a gentleness and courtesy about women’s humour bumbling husband. that’s lacking in the routines of most male comics, Only recently has the m a le but women haven’thad the recognition they deserve darker side of the kiwi as comedians because they have been too male psyche been v io le n c e intimidated to try ... women’s humour has an exposed and explored. understated quality. Women notice things; they Women’s Comedy is have a wealth of humour about things like fashion, taking a serious look at

29. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMATI1995 male violence. Originating from Queenstown, the group Exposed, featuring five women performers, write original material drawn from their own experiences and conversations of other women, often overheard in coffee shops. They have a sketch where women gather to discuss rape. One of their number comments: “I started thinking about that lastyear, when I heardon the news in Auckland that a woman taxi driver had been raped and robbed. The response to it from the Taxi Driver’s Association, was that women shouldn’t drive taxis, it’s too dangerous.” The groups stage conversation explores the absurd dilemma that women find themselves in: “So, if you really want to avoid rape, maybe women should just stay at home?” “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. You see, women who choose to protect themselves by staying at home for the rest of their lives still need to take probably in an attempt to gain acceptance. Later, as precautions.” both their consciousness and confidence grew, the “Absolutely, the first rule is that you must never sleep humour became more subtle, more politically aware, in your own bed. Apparently that’s the first place a prouder and more celebratory. rapist will look. So some alternative places to sleep In conclusion, it is important that the Good are the laundry and behind the fridge - very few Keen Kiwi Sheila should be viewed in this perspec­ rapes happen there.” tive. Much water has flowed under the bridge since “Simple really, isn’t it? If a women wants to avoid Ginette McDonald first introduced this character in being raped she should just stay away from taxis and the form of Lyn of Tawa, just before the advent of parties, nightclubs, swimming pools, backyards, your the new wave of feminism in Aotearoa/New own home particularly the bedroom and the Zealand. I want to salute Lyn of Tawa as a forerunner, bathroom - relatives, husbands..." a starting point. A women’s comedy character who struck a chord. Like her or loathe her, she paved the • n a patriarchal society,where the perpetrators way for other New Zealand women comics to follow. of violence are by and large male responsibility, In this world of high technology, rapid by a casual excercise of semantics,is shifted communications and greater speed of travel, the I from the aggressor to the victim. Just as the use global village does not seem too far away. We gain of‘put down’ humour is the exhibition of power much from overseas and the fear of losing our own politics, so the blaming of victims of violence is the cultural identity is very real. Feminism is no means by which a basically unjust hierarchical exception. Perhaps unthinkingly we draw too much system maintains control. To laugh at the absurdities from elsewhere and neglect fostering our own of the system’s rationale is to subvert its means of identity. It is my fervent hope that in each and every control; by breaking the silence and by refusing to feminist of Aotearoa/New Zealand, despite all the accept things as they are. In this manner the other baggage we may carry, deep down - plucky, disempowered may seize back some of the power - unsophisticated, durable, steadfast, decent and the power to name, to question and to challenge. amusing - there lurks a Good Keen Kiwi Sheila. Like the humour of people of colour, women’s Bibliography availabe from the author. humour began with the self-deprecating comedy, Ē

... the first rule is that you must never sleep in your own bed ... So some alternative places to sleep are the laundry and behind the fridge - very few rapes happen there.

30. BROADSHEETSUMMER R A U M A 1 11995 featu re eijing

The acttivities that will make a ent degrees, in rearranged, meant many disappointing can­ differentcircumstancesand in difln Sep­ cellations. My workshop on ‘Peace Initia­ Peace tember delegates from New Zealand tives in N uclear-Free New Zealand’ was a attended the official U N Fourth World success. Several days of heavy rain and Train Conference on Women in Beijing. Fifty deep mud at the not-quite-finished Fo­ kilometres away in the village of rum site at Huairou, 50k from Beijing, was Huairou an even larger number of caused discomfort and delays. The influ­ women were at the parallel Interna­ ence we had on government-selected del­ tional Forum for Women from Non- egates to the UN Conference was mini­ an Go vemmental Organisations. Here are mal. Far and away the most significant brief reports from a few of them. experiences of my nine day stay in Huairou eye were the meetings and networking with Carole Ann Bradford all those amazing women from around the open- Foundation for Peace Studies world! Aotearoa/NZ mg For 22 days I rode the WILPF (Women’s Stella Gukibau International League for Peace & Free­ Te Kakano o te Whanau Inc mind dom) Peace Train with over 200 women Four women from our national organisation from 42 countries. We started in Helsinki attended the Forum. Around a quarter of bog- on 7 August, the day after Hiroshima Day, the New Zealand women attending were and travelled south to St Petersburg (Rus­ Maori. Forme the most positive thing was sia), Kiev (Ukraine), Bukharest (Roma­ networking with women from indigenous gling nia), Sophia (Bulgaria) and Istanbul (Tur­ people’s movements from all over the key). Then east to Odessa (Ukraine), world. Indigenous women’s rights were a jour­ Alma Ata (Kazakhstan) and into China, major issue for discussion at Hauirou, but arriving in Beijing on 29 August. In each were not taken up as a major platform for ney city we met with local women to exchange action at ei ther conference site. However, information on women’s issues and to carry we had many opportunities to share expe­ the concerns of these courageous women riences as Maori women and also our ex­ to Beijing. pertise on some issues. It was an eye-opening, mind-boggling On the down side, dissatisfaction was journey, climaxing when Chinese authori­ felt by the Maori women about lack of ties caused us to change our schedule and consultation by those organising the New cross the border two days later than Zealand delegations, both government and planned. At the border, 20 soldiers sur­ NGO. rounded an American woman now living There was very little prior consultation in Taiwan and declared her visa invalid. with the Maori women attending, and even We had to leave her behind, standing all less during the conferences. Some ex­ alone at the station. (We later heard she amples of lack of consultation were the had returned safely to Alma Ata.) official displays, reorganising workshops, Beijing and the NGO Forum were al­ and decisions being made on our behalf. most anti-climaxes after the adventures of Nor has there been any contact so far on the train. 550 workshops, arranged and our return. These concerns were expressed

31. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 eijing

MARAGARET MIELDS TRUDY ROBERTS VAL DELL MARGARET MILLERN PHOTO; SUE LYTOLLIS

MAORI CONTINGENT FROM LEFT BACK ROW, MARGRET SHIELDS SYLVIA DUNN ECHO SHORTLAND-TUCKER STELLA GUKIBAU NGARINO JERRY-S TOWERS BETTY CUTHBERT FROM LEFT FRONT ROW, JANE DE FEU ARETA KOPU KATH WILLIAMS MERE WALLAC

32. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 PHOTOS SUE LYTOLLIS

33. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 I w ou ld to MPs while in China and I understand some women pointed out, they did not want that Liane Dalziel has had them included in political empowerment, books, or our sym­ stro n gly the official report of the Conference on my pathy. What they wanted was money and en cou r­ experience of Beijing. However, I would government support to fight problems like strongly encourage Maori women to attend female genital mutilation, child prostitution a g e international conferences like this, to rep­ and early enslavement of girl children so resent themselves at the international level. that such practices can be stopped. Only Maori I feel myself that in sharing and hearing then will women from all socio-economic w om en stories with other indigenous women I backgrounds from all around the world be learned a lot, including techniques which heard and not silenced. to will be of use within our own communities. Betty Cuthbert repre- Mandy LaHatte NZ Federation of University Women s e n t Auckland University Students Assn 5000 workshops over 10 days! With 8 or 9 What was it like? It was great. Probably not workshops a day on health. One Wellness th em ­ the best experience that I will have in my workshop on mature women’s health con­ lifetime, but pretty good! The contacts I cerns was run by the Working Women’s s e lv e s made and the women I met are resources Health Cooperative, New York, looking at a t that will be invaluable to me now and in the what had improved since the Third future. Although English was a second Women’s Forum at Nairobi. The main an language for many women, our bond as discussion was about differences between interna­ women overcame any barriers. So where do women in the developed and developing I begin to tell the women of New Zealand worlds, particularly on sexual and reproduc­ tion al about the conference? tive rights. This subject was still ‘brack­ With 40,000 women attending the NGO eted’ in the UN Platform for Action mean­ level Forum and 3,000 government delegates, ing it could not be discussed officially, so accommodation, food and health were little progress can be made in Africa and stretched to the limits. I am afraid most of Asia. the media reports were true, although I feel Another excellent workshop on Micro­ that they clouded the real issues that women nutrients : M alnutrition is a W om en’s Issue from around the world were trying to pro­ expressed a world-wide concern about ane­ mote. For a week and a half we felt free to mia, particularly in teenage girls, in both express ourselves and share our feelings Western and developing countries. A good without being‘labelled’ as heterosexual,gay, iron status decreases pregnancy complica­ bisexual,black,white,disabled,young or tions and enhances learning capacity and old.Women worked hand in hand, showing work production. New Zealand supported a support for one another and expressing their Canadian amendment to the Draft Platform desires to keep up the contact.I realise that for Action on health, to make this subject in some respects, global sisterhood has a mandatory in all medical school and health long way to go and differences are hard to related syllabii. put aside in all cases, but for some fleeting moments this did not matter. Workshops, Beverley Turner open air theatre, speeches and marches NZ Federation of University Women were scenes that typified the Forum and A tremendous array of activities were of­ women’s struggles to be heard by their fered on the Environment. My first event governments at times marred what women was stunning - the opening session of the were trying to achieve. Women still have a Second World Women’s Congress for a long way to go before they have equality Healthy Planet reviewed what women have and equity with men. The belief at the accomplished in the last four years and what Conference was that this will substantially is still to be done ‘in the face of conflict, be achieved by the year 2000. violence, environmental degradation, pov­ I do not believe this to be the case. As erty, sexual exploitation, rising fundamen-

34. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 talism, lack of political power and a global stock market blocs to influence large com­ economic system that subordinates human panies. wellbeing to growth’. The welcoming A visit to the Once and Future Pavilion speech of Bella Abzug, W om en’s Environ­ always involved a hands-on exercise and mental & Development Organisation, was much lively interchange of ideas, pamphlets fiery and challenging, setting the tone for and business cards - a really positive buzz. an amazing day. We were challenged again and again to Noelene Heyzer, UN Development Fund readjust our values, to have a long term for Women, spoke of women losing tradi­ vision, to lobby for equal input into fate-of- tional skills, women as environmental refu­ the-earth decisions and to ‘think globally, gees as land is taken for grandiose develop­ act locally’. I had no idea there were so ment schemes, women as guardians of many superb, international women and en­ indigenous knowledge. Women from vironmental associations, networks and Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Rwanda, lobbying groups. El Salvador and Singapore spoke passion­ One evening in Huairou two friendly Chi­ ately of the status of women and our earth, nese women joined our table for dinner and the effects of war on environment and shared with us their excitement at such a democracy, women’s and community land mind blowing international occasion. One rights and women as a necessary force for declared‘I have learn’t so much about the global change. Vivienne Wee from world and women today’ . I echoed that Singapore said,"The life of Mother Earth every day. is under threat. There is a crisis of survival for women - this is a global issue." Claire Benson At the governmental conference the En­ Women Against Pornography vironmental Caucus hammered out their I was the only student able to go from position paper on intergrating environmen­ Women’s Studies, Victoria University and tal issues into the Platform for Action on in Huairou I was one of the few women Development, Equality and Peace. This under 30 from New Zealand. I found the called for strong commitments on many Forum very exciting, with many workshops topics: Women’s Rights as Human to choose from, stalls, performances and T h e r e Rights;cqual access to resources for protests happening all the time. It had the womcn;the deep connections between atmosphere of a giant feminist trade fair. is a restructuring,loss of land,poverty and I went to the Lesbian tent which had a women being commodities; the connec­ policy of total inclusiveness, so that women c r is is tions between warfare, reckless expendi­ for whom it was dangerous to be out could ture, environmental damage and refugees; feel safer about coming, and others had the o f the importance of biodiversity; concern opportunity to discover that lesbian and about GATT; knowledge of indigenous bisexual women existed in many forms. We s u r- people; control of intellectual property; were encouraged to wear ribbons of support non-violent solutions to conflict, a com­ for Tibetan women who had been refused r iv a l prehensive nuclear test ban and an end to visas by China. nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass Some lesbians organised an outing to a gay f o r destruction. At the other end of the tech­ and lesbian nightclub in Beijing. On Tues­ nology scale, there are many women who day 5 September we held a ‘Lesbian Rights^^O111011 are still deprived of clean water, food and are Human Rights’ demonstration in fuel. Huairou. We walked throughout the Fo­ i t Between these two events were eight rum site chanting and singing. A statem ent days of panels, plenaries, workshops - all was read out that the UN Conference should is a mega-networking opportunities. Many endorse sexual orientation as a basic hum an _ _ _ practical ways to improve the local envi­ right. The march lasted an hour and a half, Q lO D ill ronment were shared, from a three-house with women joining and leaving. About500 • hydro-electric plant on stream power to women participated. There was a brief is s u e c o n tin u e d p a g e 5 9 35. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 1199E Why has serious author Gillian Hanscombe turned to crime? feature Known for books on lesbian mothers (.Rocking the Cradle with J ackie Forster), poetry (Sybil: The Glide o f her Tongue), feminist literary criticism ( Writingfor their Lives: The Modernist Women 1910-1940), a lesbian novel (Between Friends), Hanscombe was in Auckland in October, en route between her native Australia and her home in Devon, to speak at the Listener W omen’s Book Festival about her new novel Figmentsofa Murder (Spinifex, $26.95). In it, one of the sisterhood, Tessa, disgusted with her lust for sex and power, sets out to m urder the ‘M other of the Movement’, Babes. Why would one sister murder another? Are there any bad women? What has this got to do with the state of the feminist movement? Jocelyn Logan interviews Gillian Hanscombe

hy did you decide to write a crime novel? it all collapse and then in another two generations Because that’s what women read! A more women have to do it all again? Why is this? I don’t serious answer is: the pornography de­ think it’s good enough to say ‘It’s the backlash. It’s bate was raging. I just felt that it was the patriarchy.’ What do we do ourselves, or not do? rather odd that women got into such a What is it that we don’t think out properly? In my Wstate about the representation argument i.e. it’s view it’s our system of ethics, and I think there are corrupting and demeaning to have sex and naked huge major areas. One of them, which is what I’m bodies on the page, but meanwhile there didn’t trying to address in the novel, is what do we do about seem ever to be any debate about dead bodies on bad women? Because we’ve got some. What do we the page. It seemed also that crime novels are the do_about some women getting corrupted by power staple populist diet of the feminist readership, and and actually liking to be important and lay down the lesbians in particular. law and bully everybody? What do we do about Another reason was even more serious to me, women who cheat or lie or steal? What do we do which was, having been an activist for 20 years, about women who are stimulated by breaking up seeing all the collapse and fragmentation, and de­ other people’s relationships? What do we do about struction of lesbian-feminist projects, and being women who refuse to find solidarity and friendship, unhappy with the constant trotting out of a single a proper political base of working together, with simplistic explanation. Yes, there’s the backlash women who have different priorities from our own? and the patriarchy. That always has been there. But Back in the 1970s one of those great divides was I grew up in the 1950s knowing nothing about the heterosexual vs lesbian, then it became white vs

M u r d e r i n t h e

radicalism of 1910, so when I came to feminism all black, then it became ethnic vs ethnic. Then there the ideas were new, it seemed. Later when I was was always, middle class vs working class. And the working on the women modernists I was reading great unspoken debate in my opinion which was things like ‘The Free Woman’ and other suffragette everybody vs the mothers. None of this was theorised and feminist writing at the turn of the century. They in a manner which provided a proper consensus were saying all the same things - abolijtion of mar­ about ethics. What is it to be a decent woman? If riage, opening up of sexuality, contraception, virgin­ we’re ever going to have a feminist order, what will ity. The whole area was already analysed and dis­ it be like? cussed and debated. So how come it got lost? How Is there a danger that some o f the book's audience come we had to do it all again? are going to be alienated because they don *t perceive Now I feel all these things have practically fallen this purpose? to bits that we had in the 1970s and the 1980s. Does Sure. It’s quite possible that women will not under-

36. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMATI1995 crime novels are the staple populist diet ferent in all of our W estern societies - get theorised in terms of the black of the feminist readership, and lesbians American struggle. The experience in particular of Asians in Britain is different from the experience of black Americans. stand that it’s a satire. But the ethical base for satire Because American publishing is more success­ is always a commitment to optimism. You mock or ful than anybody else’s, all these places get scorn or exaggerate things so that you can look at dumped with American books and the feminist them, in order that the reader says, ‘My God, we’d groups look to Alice Walker or somebody be­ better do it differently. Watch out. If we don’t take cause that’s whose book they can get, instead of stock, this is what happens’. promoting our own writing, our own people. What is the connection between Sybil, the Glide of her And which American outfit is going to put money Tongue and Sybil, the ventriloquist's dummy, in into that: having a book by Cathie Dunsford Figmen ts of a Murder? The prophetic voice of collective lesbian wisdom. The ethical concerns actually are the same, but most people don’t read poetry. In ‘The Glide of her longue’, Sybil, who speaks for Lesbian Nation, mourns and regrets and is angry about where we failed and why we failed and where we are blind, and asks for the supreme effort, which is charity. And she does the same thing in this book. That’s why she has the poetic voice, because she’s surveying lesbian history, the wholeness, which has to include our human frailties. You have said critical things about United States feminism? United States feminists as a whole - there’s always a caveat about individuals - seem to me unaware of their Americanness. Americanism is global imperial­ ism and is full-blown capitalism. Much of the high profile conforms to all those stereotypes. We have Women’s Movement ? feminist superstars, who are paid big fe es, whose which the Americans will buy? The problem that publishing houses spend big promotion budgets, feminist publishers have is that the Americans won’t who fill up halls, who have followings, and what has buy books that haven’t got them in. It’s a one-way any of this got to do with addressing real feminist traffic. issues in the world, women’s poverty, the clawback What I want is international feminism, and that from the right-wing, abortion rights, etc? It seems to means give and take across national boundaries me they’re unconscious about this, so that they because feminism has no vested interest in anybody’s don’t stand with a kind of international feminism. nationalism. But everyone’s dependent on the They want to run it, they seem unaware that they’re United States market. You can’t be a publisher in running it! They won’t give up their Americanness. Australia or New Zealand or Britain and say we’ll T his has very pernicious consequences. For ex­ forget the United States market. You have to try to ample, the problems of racism - which are dif- sell your books into it because that’s the most read-

37. BROADSHEETSUMMER R A U M A T 11995 ers. It’s tough. They won’t buy them. Not in huge What is your attitude to postmodernism f numbers. On the other hand we all buy their books It’s the academic bedfellow of free market capital­ all the time. And nobody theorises this in terms of ism. In the ideational universe of postmodernism what’s happening to the insides of people’s heads. you have exactly the same corruption as the eco­ nomic corruption in free market capitalism. It’s a pretence that everything is equal, people are equal, feminism has no vested ideas are equal, values are equal. And the result of both of these systems of thought is perverted indi­ interest in anybody’s vidualism. If your analysis does not address power, exploitation, humiliation, and such issues, then you nationalism can’t have politics. You can’t have politics without an ethical belief system. You have to be able to say this or that is not all right. If you can’t say that, you ’re You know, a feminist in Auckland or Melbourne. If left with sentimentality, you’re left with ‘Who are that’s her feminist diet, what does she end up my mates? What do we like doing together? Where thinking? do we like going? L et’s have a quiet life, keep out of My poet partner, Suniti Namjoshi, says the con­ trouble. The world has gone beyond redemption quered always speak the language of the conquer­ and I want to be left alone.’ And that is the fruit of ors. What I want from US feminism is a political capitalism. That’s what it wants: a whole lot of analysis that doesn’t leave out their privileged posi­ docile people consuming and having fun. And if a tion under the umbrella of US imperialism. I want whole lot of other people somewhere else are sweat­ them to stop pretending that we’re all feminists ing and dying so a few of us can have fun, it doesn’t together. It’s like the race argument. They enjoy matter to a capitalist as long as it’s profit. And if he privilege over the rest of us and they have to come can convince people that they don’t need to feel out and say that they understand that. If they did it guilty or worried or be aware that their fun is on the would change. It ends up as something like a well backs of other people’s sweating and dying then that paid successful black American woman writer who is is not why I went to the barricades. So for those who treated as someone who speaks for the victims of are patient enough, I want to say I have written a racism all round the world, when in fact she is being very serious book, I’d like it to be taken seriously. heard miles above a white New Zealand writer, and that writer is potentially being heard much more Postmodernism? easily by more people than a Norwegian writer - only four million people in the world speak Norwegian. It’s the academic bedfellow So our analysis of power has to be a lot more of free market capitalism. complex and sophisticated. Lesbian women in the so-called First World, in many of these countries, are disadvantaged compared with rich Pakistani or In­ You define feminism as 'woman-centred human- dian women who are secure in high-caste marriages ism '? for example. A lot of situations get a lot clearer if you The intellectual system that I inherited was human­ stop having a simplistic analysis. You need to under­ ism. It’s stereotypic statement is Hamlet’s speech stand how capitalism works and how we’re all caught ‘What a piece of work is Man...’ Under the umbrella up in it. And whose vested interests are being of humanism, women get included as sort-of-men, served, and that you can’t be properly international as in ‘mankind’ etc. In my opinion, feminism says if you fudge these things. You can’t have free the normative human being is female. If you want speech as a kind of blanket for everybody. You can’t to know anything about human nature you look at say, ‘oh, everyone’s entitled to their o\yn religion’ the female experience. So if you want to know when you see what the Vatican’s up to. I think being about the great human concerns: sex, love, joy, a fem inist is a tough option. It’s always been a tough death etc, then you take as your central yardstick option. It remains a tough option. You have to tell what women say about these things, what women truths that are very disturbing, even to the sister­ have written, what women have endured or imag­ hood. ined. That is what feminism ultimately means.

38 BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 feminism says the normative human being is female

What can wedo to avoid having to reinvent thewhed every heard at any conference, anywhere. SO years? Does Britain have festivals like our Women's Book It would be a good idea to start up consciousness Festival? raising groups again. To go back to examining what No. Not any more. It used to have Feminist Book it means to say the personal is political. To consider Fortnight, that all fell to bits. The Listener Women’s what future we want, which does mean addressing Book Festival was a terrific audience. I’d love to the issue of children properly. To be aware that come again! I live with Suniti Namjoshi, the poet, leaving out economic analysis will leave us so intel­ and we’d both like to come. She’s never been to lectually weakened that we won’t be able to con­ New Zealand and I’ve never been before. We’ve front the ongoing backlash from the patriarchy. We both been trying to get someone to invite us! have to be strong in the head. You live with another writer, how does that work? Do you notice a great difference between the women's It’s wonderful! It’s the best thing that ever hap­ movement in Britain and here? You said at the Festival pened tome. Well I don’t know, it was good to have that feminists had all these wonderfid institutions and they a baby as well, but in my lesbian life, it was definitely had all dosed down. But ours haven't! the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s a good Great! And they haven’t closed down in Australia working partnership. We live in a perfect place for either. It’s hard to make any generalisation based on writers. It’s a tiny village, it’s peaceful, it’s green, it’s one day, but the festival I went to yesterday just felt benign. We’ve got matching macs! We’re each terrific. The atmosphere was positive, nobody other’s first reader. We edit and discuss each other’s seemed to be bitching and sniping, there didn’t work, and we collaborate sometimes also. We’ve seem to be dreadful splits and chasms, nobody was just done ten years! grandstanding. I can hardly imagine the Women’s Congratulations! What about the old advice never to show movement in Britain doing something like that your beloved your writing? Suffrage Breakfast. You’d have things like that in It doesn’t always work. Suniti says it’s very rare for Britain for middle class professional women’s a poet to be able to enter another person’s imagina­ organisations. Anything I ever went to that was tive universe. And itjust happened thatwecould do feminist-based was never elaborate and nice like that. The writing part is very unusual and very that. I thought Kathryn Paterson, the Chief Censor, special for both of us. I t’s made a huge difference in was terrific. She’s one of the best speakers I’ve each of our stylistic development. IbI

Laugh At A Man Today Revenge for the years of dumb blonde/bimbo jokes, and for any woman who has had to put up with a brain-dead man who thinks that foreplay is something to do with golf

What is a man's view of safe sex? What do men have in common with a to ilet seat, 'Ll A padded headboard. anniversaries and a clitoris? They miss them a ll. Q What is the best method of male birth control? Their personalities. How many men does it take to tile a bathroom? One. If you slice him thinly enough. £ What do you call an intelligent, sensitive man in NewZealand? What do you call 500 men at the bottom of the sea? A tourist. A start! 0

How do you save a man from drowning? If they can put one man on the moon, why can they Take your foot o ff his head. put them all there?!

39. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 regular Nelson notes

Pat Rosier

his is my last Nelson Notes. Not because I am giving up writing but because my partner Glenda and I are moving to live in T Christchurch; Nelson Notes will become Christchurch Comment. (When I first started writing this column a Broadsheet Collective member Uh-uh. Hold on a minute, Pat. Some may, but suggested I call it A Rosie?' Point o f View. It’s a witty many do not choose to be unencumbered in this suggestion and I’m still glad I didn’t take it up; I’d way; life circumstances, often unfair, sometimes sad, feel that I had to be endlessly cheerful). occasionally tragic, most often lead to this particular Family, friends and wider work opportunities draw ‘freedom’. I cannot ‘envy’ this. So, we will pack and us to Christchurch. The very aspects of Nelson that move, into a house we buy. Fortunate. Privileged. make it so attractive - the small size, the beautiful I attended a panel this week, of women from this location, the great weather - also contribute to what region recently returned from Beijing, both the Non have become limitations for us; not enough of the Governmental Organisation (NGO) forum and the kind of work we want and too far from the main following 4th World Congress on Women. They centres. We have been fully appreciating the beauty spoke of such a variety of personal experiences, and the wonderful Nelson women in our last few impressions, challenges and insights I can’t begin to months. describe them here. What is clear is that there is a I have never learnt to move house without it being world-wide will among women for change; change a major undertaking and this move is at least as that includes women in the picure of what is human, disruptive as any other I have made. It seems to have what is life. taken months already and I have work that keeps me By the time this goes to print copies of the Platform in Nelson for a further six weeks. Glenda has done a for Action from the Congress (the final version, good deal of the packing and gone ahead to find a without the brackets) will be available from the place for us to move to with our mountainous Ministry of Women’s Affairs. This is the document belongings. We have so many THINGS. that all the countries present at the Congress, When two passionate bibliophiles like Glenda and including New Zealand, agreed to. It is a document myself get together that inevitably means a LOT of that we need to make come alive for New Zealand by books. And then there are treasures from the past, reading it, discussing it, deciding what its statements like furniture made by my father, a hobby cabinet mean for us, women in New Zealand (diverse as we maker, lesbian posters and memorabilia from the are). myriad of lesbian events both Glenda and I have We can then work to make our government aware been involved with, separately and together, the of what it has committed itself to and that we expect quilt made by Glenda’s mother, items from the I, A*C*T*I*0*N !! on the Platform for Action. house of a friend who died recently...and much B more. Add to this favourite objects and pictures, regular household items - not forgetting ten bookcases -various items stored for adult children and it all adds up to a lot of objects. We each fantasise about versions o f‘I’ll give it all away and become a gypsy’, and I guess we know we will take nearly all of it with us. There is a smallish pile for a garage sale... Several lesbian friends have said to me at various times that they could pack up and leave from where they live in an hour. Unencumbered (relatively). I could envy this.

40. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 A SPORTING CHANGE regular BROADSHEErs SPORTS CORRESPONDENT ANNE WOODLEY WRITES ABOUT THE CANTERBURY ‘DUATHLETE’ DEBBIE NELSON Canterbury duathlete, Debbie Nelson was reduced to a crawl by cramp in her leg but still managed to climb back to ninth place in her first attempt as a professional in freezing conditions at the Zofingnen Powerman earlier this year. It is a testament to both her strength and grit that she carried on despite the -10 degrees Celcius wind chill. The Zofingnen Powerman is the first race on the recently established Powerman circuit which has ten races around the world. All are duathlons, that is events that have three sections, run, bike, run, Zofingnen is both the hardest, set in the mountains of Switzerland, butis also the most lucrative. A win in either the m en’s her cycling standards up. or women’s class will net $US30,000, $US 10,000 if She is competing against the world’s best on the you win it outright. international circuit. The rise ofprofessionalism within In fact Zofingnen is renowned for its unusual the sport and with it the increased prize money has also philosophy. It is an ‘equal’ race where both men and brought with it a marked increase in the level of women have the opportunity to get the outright competition. winning prize. T he race is handicapped for women. Of the ten international races in the Powerman series They start ahead of the men on a time difference that one was recently held in New Zealand. Debbie, who is is based on the margin between the men’s and women’s currently based in Germany, chose not to compete as it winners from the previous year. Erin Baker won the was too far to travel and interfered with her training race outright in 1994. goals. She is returning to New Zealand later this year However, to get that you have to run 10 kms, cycle to take advantage of the New Zealand summer for hard 150 kms, and then run 30 kms. The really gruelling training in and around her home town of Christchurch. part of the race is that it climbs over 1800 metres during Trained asachartered accountant she has had tochoose the course of the cycle alone. between her career and the outside possibility that she T h e cold took its toll on everyone in the race. could make a living as a professional athlete, never an Two other New Zealanders in the race were forced to easy choice to make. pull out as they couldn’t feel their hands. “It was Her performance on the circuit this year has certainly snowing and I only had a polyprop top and bike shorts, justified her decision though. As of the beginning of I really needed a lot more. I couldn’t feel my feet or my October this year she was leading the women’s points hands on the bike, or on the first 5 kilometres of the table for the Powerman series. However her decision -second run, and then they began to burn.” to miss two races will affect her standing. That wasn ’t the only worry that Debbie had. At the Debbie Nelson says the biggest problem for her has same time her bike began to have mechanical problems been the fact that she has no set routine as the races all with gears slipping, meaning that on the steeper climbs vary in distance and type. “I’ve found the training side she was forced to stay seated. quite difficult because I’ve got no set routine. I’ve got The 28 year old, while new to the international a race this weekend then I have to hammer it for a long scene, is not new to competition in New Zealand. Her distance event in six weeks, so it becomes a real performance in the New Zealand Duathlon sector in learning process.” the last few years has been unmatched. Originally a Racing on different courses every couple of weeks middle distance runner Debbie switched to duathlons also made if difficult to judge if she has made any in the early 1990s and has been working hard to bring improvement. (Bj

41. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A H 1995 regular

photo; EXPRESS ge NEW ZEALAND'S O verA NEWS PAPER O F G A Y BY RENEE BERRY CAritcEXPRESSION Being a lesbian feminist in the 1990s is pretty exciting stuff. It’s not that society at large is showing major developments in attitudes and values, or that we are out there being loud proud activists. Instead, it seems from wher^ I stand, major changes have taken place within the lesbian and feminist sphere. To me, it doesn’t feel like I or my peers have sought this change, it’s more like continuous interaction with older lesbians and feminists makes me realise that my beliefs and priorities are different. It must be acknowledged that I cannot speak for every young lesbian or feminist (or lesbian feminist), I can could use the same meeting place. only talk about observations from my own perspec­ There also seems to be wildly different opinions tive. about bisexuals within the lesbian community. A I am lucky enough to have a job which involves social group that is run through my work is for both working with young lesbians like myself. Within lesbians and bisexuals and so far there have been no this realm I have noticed that there is often a reluc­ complaints. Constant knocking and oppression of tance to join in discussions involving feminism, and bisexual women becomes tiresome to listen to (not on several occasions I have noted this behaviour in to mention degrading for bisexual women). What myself. Generally I exhibit this behaviour among becomes even more tiresome, are lesbians that in­ people who use feminism with words I couldn’t timidate me because I happen to have an opinion even spell let alone understand. It’s quite annoying about bisexuals that is different from theirs. When when I can’t participate in a conversation because I I probe into reasons why this attitude exists I get the don’t understand what is being said. Not long ago I feeling that it was an issue thatwas raised and settled was talking with a friend who stated that she was not in the lesbian community a while ago and it’s just an a feminist, yet went on to advocate equal pay for old issue being brought up again. One very topical women and men and day-care facilities in the work­ issue that is new to young lesbians as well as lesbians place. I asked her if she thought these were feminist that have been out for a long time is the transgender/ issues, she commented by saying she knew nothing transsexual lesbian ‘thing’. At first it seemed that about feminism. I think that somewhere between there was a split in attitude between the young and the 1970s and the 1990s feminism became an aca­ not so young, this became especially evident at the demic movement (that looks suspiciously white and Lesbian Studies Conference. The young seemed middle class). I’m sure that it hasn’t always been that to be appalled at the idea of men with vaginas in way. Feminism must have existed before the lesbian space, but supported the idea of transgender Women’s Studies Department at university and space and ‘queer’ space (while retaining lesbian- before the feminist paper in the Philosophy Depart­ only space as well). Some of the more mature m ent. lesbians were very vocal about being all inclusive It also seems that changes have occurred betw een and supported transgender/transsexuals in lesbian older and younger lesbians on significant (and some­ space. In reality it wasn’t (and isn’t) quite as clear cut what contentious) issues. The first involves working and a variety of views are held by each age group. with, and having joint activities with gay men. This T his is definitely an issue of change that all lesbians, issue only came to my attention a few months ago young and not so young face together. when my (gay) co-worker and myself were consider­ Of course I realise that being in a certain age group ing the possibility of joining the male and female doesn’t mean one has certain views - we are all queer youth groups. Out of respect I raised the issue individuals and need to form our own opinions when a young women’s group met and very seriously accordingly. Nevertheless, differences in opinion asked their opinions. They looked at me like I was exist, and are not going to go away - I can live with making a big deal out of nothing; of course the boys that! 01

42. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 G rip es o f r o t h BY MARGOT ROTH onday. Melanie bounced in this morning & Mfound diary & pen in dusty untidy cupboard you wouldn’t believe...Even worse than her mother at her age. M. said I could have it because she’s been putting all her innermost thoughts on a computer for a bit immature probably but plenty of time yet and a while now. Told me just to let the words flow. she and her girl friends seem to go out and enjoy Told her I’d never met anybody with a flow of words themselves even without escorts. I’m sleeping in like hers. She said Oh Nana you’re really cool her room because wouldn’t you know the proper sometimes. Asked M. why she thought yours truly spare room has been turned into what they call a needed a diary and she said well, had to find some study. And her walls are covered with posters of kind of entertainment for me while my ankle was women & so-called funny sayings. I’ve heard of recovering & she knows I don’t enjoy reading much Virginia Woolf because R. used to rave on about her & the telly’s on the blink & the one decent radio and Katherine Mansfield and alongside them are went to school with Mum because it’s a tape re­ the T opp Tw ins of all people! O f course R. & her corder as well & she wanted it for one of her classes. two brothers weren’t allowed to stick or nail things I often wonder what sort of teacher Raewyn is. in their rooms because it leaves dreadful marks but Fiddling with a tape-recorder doesn’t sound like M. and her cousins just do as they like it seems to real teaching to me. Not surprising M. too quick on me. answering back when she’s had so little discipline. Tuesday. Back to my entertainment? M. rushed Not the way her mother was brought up. M. told me in & said she had to go to her polytech class but not to get too excited over telling diary about my Linda was coming round to give me lunch & would fascinating life. She said had I really tripped over stay till Mum got home. Said teachers are having garden hose in garden or had I twisted ankle doing such a rotten time that Mum gets later & later & Charleston or something. C heeky monkey! Just as she’s so conscientious that she’s having to do masses well I’ve got a good sense of humour. Need it with more work without extra pay. I asked her if it was too my kind of family & with nosey neighbours I’ve got much to expect her to respect older relatives & call but all for the best this time. Was peering round them aunt & uncle instead of just by their first curtains as per usual & saw me fall & rushed over & names. Much too much said Miss Impudence. I helped me inside atid rang R. in very bossy way. suggested she tuck her shirt tails into her jeans Made her day. R. & M. came straight round and took because they looked so untidy hanging down below me to hospital then back to their place to keep an the hem of her bolero. Below my WHAT? she eye on me they said! Be a bit of a change to be asked. I explained that’s what we always called waited on for once! It’s much easier to cope if you those little short jackets & she said for a minute can make a joke of it like I always do! Managing there she thought I was talking about nerdy skaters crutches OK but nearly collapsed again when came like Awful & Mean doing their horrible dance to that back from bathroom and saw M. bending over to gross music. Was thunderstruck. I think they’re straighten my bed & realised she had nothing on wonderful entertainers & that Bolero is so romantic. under that disgraceful old rag of a T-shirt. Told her M. said she had to dash now, Linda pardon Auntie she was nineteen, not a baby any more and normal Linda would be here any minute & chow baby. girls wore pyjamas or nighties to sleep in. Not the Young hussy! Haven’t seen L. for a while & she girls she knew said she. Cheeky isn’t the word for it. came in wearing a mini-skirt! At her age. A mother I sometimes wonder if her mother has really warned of two teenagers! Had to ask her what on earth one her about risks for thoughtless girls, & that M. of the sayings up on M’s wall meant. It said a herself is the living proof. Could never understand woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle. how a daughter of mine could turn into a solo I said but fish don’t need bicycles & L. said pre­ mother, but to be fair must say that granddaughter cisely. What nonsense! Just as well I can always see never silly about boys as far as I can make out. Still the funny side! [|]

43. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A H 1995 ® Amnesty International Aotearoa/New Zealand Universal & Indivisible

Amnesty International condemns the viola­ tion of the human rights of women through­ out the world. Every woman has the right not to be tortured, killed, arbitrarily de­ tained or made to ‘disappear’. This fundamental principle does not vary according to local culture or politics. Women’s rights are human rights and human rights are not only universal, they are indivisible. All women, everywhere, are entitled to all their human rights. As part of our 1995 campaign, ‘Human Rights are Women’s Right’, we have taken up the case of Dr Ma Thida of Myanmar (formerly Burma), who was arrested in 1993 and charged with endangering public tranquil- lity(!) . She has been sentenced to 20 years in prison because of her campaigning activities for the main opposition political party in Myanmar, the National League for Democracy (NLD). Dr Ma Thida is one of some 75 women held as political prisoners in Myanmar. Ma Thida is one of the most prominent of these prisoners. She is a friend of Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi - founder Send your letter to; and leader of the NLD - and worked as a campaign General Phan Shwe assistant for her. Chairman The release from house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi State Law & Order Restoration Council earlier this year suggests that the hard line of the ruling c/- Ministry of Defence State Law and Order Restoration Council is beginning Signal Pagoda Road to soften. It is crucial that the international community keeps the pressure on the government of Myanmar, so Women’s Voices can be heard all over the that all political prisoners are released. world, demanding justice, protesting discrimi­ Dr Ma Thida’s health is beginning to suffer. She has nation, claiming rights, mourning dead husbands a gastric ulcer and gynaecological problems. The and comforting raped daughters. It is our task, conditions she is held in are notoriously poor, and there as part of the human rights movement, to ensure is little or no medical care available. Her only crime is that governments listen and that they take ac­ supporting democracy and freedom. tion to protect and promote all the human rights Such abuses of human rights are intolerable and o f w om en. unacceptable. Please write to the Chairman of Myanmar’s military authorities. Say you have heard Kia kaha, about the imprisonment of Dr Ma Thida and urge her Lindsay Me Ateer immediate and unconditional release. Women’s Outreach Co-ordinator m

44. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 feature SYLVIA BAYNES INTERVIEWS MAIRI GUNN ABOUT HER CAREER AS ONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S MOST STEADFAST CAMERA OPERATORS

Any box, any camera-case that is heavy has two handles, which indicates that it’s designed to be HANDS carried by two people anyway. Were you the first woman to become a camera ON operator in this country ? ThereVe been a lot of camerawomen working for television, doing news and studio work. Margaret Moth is now one of the best known camerawomen in the business. Ramai Hayward is probably the only woman before me that has shot features and dramas. GUNN As far as I know there is nobody ejse ahead of me in CAME RAWOMAN the hierarchy. When did you become involved in film making? Mairi Gunn: In 1979 I was in England studying photo-journalism. I was over there photographing punk bands. It was very exciting and I had a good time because it was very much to do with individuality and being accepted for who you were. It was a good time for women. At that stage I m ade my mind up to get into film, as I felt that the moving image would more capture the musicians I was photographing. Handling the camera has traditionally been seen as a male preserve in film-making. How did your male How did you get into camera-work? colleagues react to you ? I got out of the cutting room in 1984 when Leon Before I worked in the camera department I worked Narbey phoned up one day, by chance and I told in Editing, simply because it was the first job I was him I wanted to be in the camera department. He offered. The editor I worked with was one of the mentioned a short film that Di Rowan was making Boulting family. He told me I wouldn’t be able to be called TheSeci'et. It was about incest and the part was a camera woman because it would be too heavy. I’d played by Elizabeth McRae. That was my job as never be able to hand-hold a 16mm or 35mm film trainee in the camera department - a great one to camera. Luckily I didn’t believe him. work on. How did you fin d actually holding a camera ? Were they quite happy fo r you to train in this field? Wonderful. Once I finally got my hands on it. It takes Apparently, I found out a few years later, they had along time, to makeyourwayupthehierarchy.lt takes told me I didn’t have the job and I couldn’t be a a long time to get your hands on a camera. It’s wonder­ trainee. But I was oblivious to that and I kept on ful. I don’t find it heavy I have more problems because turning up. of my height - ground clearance! The weight of the So it was your persistence that got you jobs? thing has never been an issue. I’ve hand held a camera Yes, I suppose so. Also, I was trained by a great guy, twelve hours a day and certainly been tired at the end, Max Hantler, who is now a cameraman for TVNZ but a man would be too. Dunedin. He more or less forced Melanie Read’s

45 BROADSHEETSUMMER R A U M A H 1995 producer to take me on one of her early projects The film who saw ghosts. She was an astrologer, while M inders and that was great. She was a really supportive Erin on the other hand was very down-to-earth. Erin director to work under. I’ve worked with Merata was a good grip, but since then has given up film Mita, some time ago on a documentary, and found making. That saddens me. I’d like her to grip for me. her a real force. I first met her through the alternative I believe both Life in the Kitchen a n d T im e tra p cinema in 1983. were made by virtually all-women crews? What other women in the film industry have Yes, except that as usual the heads of both Camera encouraged you? and Sound were men - although Sally allowed me to Robin Laing has. She’s someone who has been in choose the DOP (Director of Photography) for the industry longer than me and I’ve been working Timetrap. I heard a lecture given by Sally Sm ith and she sa id th a t in Life in the Kitchen the lighting He told me I wouldn't crew were men. She got them to set up the lights and then asked them to leave while the be able to be a camera women were doing the film ing. woman because it would That’s true. If Sally was still alive we’d be making feature films together. I had a be too heavy. Luckily tremendous amount of respect for her as a film-maker and as a person. She was very I didn't believe him. clear-sighted and almost tyrannical as a professional and as an artist. in it for 15 years. She’s been around for a long time. You zvere also working on a project with the late She’s a wee bit older than me and I really respect Sharon Alston? her. She’s one of the best producers in this country. She had put in a submission to make a film about the Sue Nemec directed the first documentary I made, history of lesbian social life in New Zealand, which about back pain. Gael Surgenor was working for the would have been great. Typically, it didn’t get Legal Resources Trust in Wellington, and she funding. Now Sharon’s dead, it seems to be part of produced a project (Domestic Violence Video) that I the tragedy. We did photograph the Dyke Ball. went on to win an award for - an ITVA award for the Sharon Alston and Jan Crawford were co-directors. best camera in 1994 and I know I wouldn’t have In New Zealand it’s a ,common story that so many done that if it hadn’t been for her support. She’s a talented film-makers are held back through lack of very clear communicator, a very cheerfully dedi­ funding. cated person and very honest and encouraging. I Do you know how many other women have taken up really adore her and I’d love to work with her again. camera work? I’ve worked with Athina Tsoulis. Sharon Hawke and Josie Harbutt are climbing up What film s were they? the hierarchy and there are another three or four Focus puller on ThelnvisibleHand and DOP/Camera women working in Auckland in the camera depart­ operator on Brvken Barriers - a documentary about ment as clapper loaders. In Wellington there are sexual harrassment by professionals. Alison Webber another two or three. I’m talking about the freelance a feminist who works from Wellington directed a world. Everyone else is working in television. There doco about contraception (in 1993) and she was just are a number of us, but every now and then I hear of great. Hers was the first all-women crew that I had another person who’s giving it away. People have worked in. tried to survive in the free-lance world and found it I was the camera operator on both of the films that too hard, wrung their hands with despair and learned Sally Smith directed: Life in the Kitchen (1987) and to type, I suppose. I often meet women working in Timetrap (1990). Sally died of cancer after filming the other departments, who say, ‘ I wanted to do Timetrap. Had she lived, she would have been a great camera, but....’ film maker. She was a perfectionist. The relationship Do you see yourself as a pioneer? between the two women in Timetrap mirrored the Yes I do. It’s a privilege. But feeling privileged relationship between Sally and her former partner, doesn’t pay the bills. It is ironic that people see me Erin, who worked as ‘grip’ on the film. Sally was the as ‘our woman camera operator’, but that doesn’t spiritual, artistic one - rather like the woman in the make any sense to me if I’m not actually working.

46. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 But it is something I take seriously, and at times focus puller. T o be a camera woman I get some work when I consider giving it all away that fact has kept because I’m a woman. me going. From other women film-makers? Who would you look to in your line ofwork cis a kind ofrole Yes. Of course men are horrified -‘How can you m odelf accept that, it’s sexism?’ And I say to them,‘ You get My mother has been a lot of help to me. She has just work every day because you’re a man’. Because of turned eighty. There was a time in the fifties when their own insecurity, some women directors like to she stood on soap boxers talking about one rate of pay have a strong man behind the camera to m ake them for the job. She feels that things haven’t changed as feel more secure. It saddens me, but I understand it. much as she would have liked. She was a visionary However my big break has come from women and very much before her time. She wore trousers directors. Chris Kraus a woman, who moves between and did woodwork while she philosophised. She is NZ and the USA, asked me to D.O.P. her feature, so practically minded, she can solve problems using Gravity and Grace (on the strength of a music video first principles by having a very clear look at a I shot and directed for a Dunedin band called the scenario saying,‘We’ll try this’. She also has an T h e3 D ’s). It was set in Auckland and Qn location in uncanny know-how and I can describe to her New York. What a blast! - To be taken seriously and something that is happening to me at work and she to be offered work because of my ability. That was has on numerous occasions given me a kind of angle a perfect antidote to the struggles I experienced on things which make it less painful. here. If I had finances to support me between In a way providing you with a positive role model even projects I would be still in the United States. But of though it wasn’t in the film industryf course I would rather live and work in my own Oh totally. In terms of the film industry I have been country. searching for a mentor for years. I really believe in The one thing I had found particularly difficult is the mentor/protegee relationship. It hasn’t happened that I didn’t fit into anyone’s particular group - to me. I’ve never met another woman racially, I’m heterosexual, and I’m not a second- cinematographer. I know the search will take me generation film-maker. I’m not a person who overseas. I have been trying for the last couple of years to get funding to study in America. There is a three month programme People have tried to at U.G.L.A. that would be perfect. I’m survive in the free-lance particularly interested in old-fashioned special effects so I can make films on world and found it too spirituality and myth. hard, wrung their hands Can you tell me about the project you are p la n n in g f with despair and learned I’m researching around the area of wise women. They tend to be well-read, to type knowledgeable, healers, pacifists, older, artists and musicians. Like the crone they were well- automatically fits into a family, if you like. Now respected within their communities and now their that’s starting to change. There are women film­ function is considered more peripheral although I makers. Women are getting together.... believe they have a lot of power. ... developing an old girls’ support network? Are you planning this as a documentary on older There is. I don’t know if you’ve heard of W.I.F.T. wise women f (Women In Film and Television). It’s an I’m looking for a broadcaster and producer.... international organisation that has just started up Are you in work regularly, or do you have to struggle here. I feel as though it’s going to'change my life. I to get employment? no longer feel so isolated, and I feel very optimistic I have to fight for a job, pretty much. There is one about the fact that it’s well organised and I feel I’ll Director of Photography, Alan Locke, who used me be able to get my hands on the information that I as his focus puller a lot. H e’s really great. W e’ve got need, which is difficult when you don’tget constant a bond and can communicate really well. I didn’t work. I’m really hopeful about the changes it will have to fight to get work with him. But that was as bring about. continued pg 48.

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Deidre Milne, George Ireland, Tony Walker

HANDS ON W.I.F.T. It’s an CAMERAWOMAN GUNN international It takes trail blazers like you to persist in doing what organisation that you do well. I look to the high schools - the girls who are learning has just started up to operate video. They’re the ones who’re going to here. I feel as make the change -and that will be within five years. There will be a flood of women behind the camera. though it’s going to At the moment there are a lot of women directors. In conclusion, what other changes have you seen in change my life. I no the time you have been in film s? longer feel so There have been huge changes in post production and then there’s computer technology.... isolated, and I feel You prefer the old-fashioned in-camera technique? very optimistic. I am sort of interested in ancient history as well. I like simplicity and I suppose if something goes wrong I like to be able to think I could fix it. QT]

48. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 Natteringit ■ ii ■ feature with 3 Dale Spender 1 BY FE DAY INTERVIEWED DALE AS SHE SAT IN THE DINING ROOM OF THE MOTEL SHE WAS STAYING AT, THE MORNING AFTER SHE HAD SPOKENi TO MORE THAN 300 WOMEN AT AUCKLAND GIRLS ABOUT HER NEW BOOK NATTERING O N THE NET. MINE WAS THE FOURTH INTERVIEW THAT MORNING AND SHE WAS STARTING A FIFTH AS I I choose to be who I am LEFT. good with technology as boys are, girls aren’t as good with machines as boys are. On women and computers... I think we need a sort of combination of book clubs Well the main message is that computer compe­ and tupperware parties. We have to have coaching tency isn’t an option for women anymore.That clubs for women in computers. Women who are on anybody in the next couple of years who is com­ the Internet - I don’t know about you but all the puter incompetent will be equivalent to somebody women I’ve surveyed - say they were introduced to who is illiterate in a print based world. We simply it by a friend. Well I think every woman who’s cannot afford to have women locked out of the currently connected and competent has to introduce production of information and the setting of the two or three triends to it. I mean that’s the way we public agenda. share information. It has to be social, you have to get It’s not a matter of Sve’d like more cake’ . It’s a a group of women together with someone who can do matter of it’s not on for men to have 95%’. We it and everybody has to learn in the process. would not tolerate 5% literacy and women will not In the United States in Chicago for example, there’s tolerate 5% use of the Internet. a Freenet system where just about every laundromat It is not on. It is time to change that. has an Internet connection. I mean there are stories Even in educational terms, we spent a hundred of women doing their washing twice so they can years campaigning for equal education. We thought about five years ago that we had got in the front door, On WIKED... we were just about there right? And we know that Oh WIKED’s the bane of my life. It’s when I know one of the reasons that girls excelled in the educa­ I’m putting resources back into the women’s move­ tion system is because girls are good at reading and ment. WIKED, Women’s International Knowledge writing. And just as they have got there- you know Encyclopedia and Database. About four years ago a level playing field - what have they done? Shifted Cheris Kramarae (to whom this book is dedicated) the goal posts. and I recognised that eveything in print wasn’t going And now it’s going to be a technologically based to be transferred. education system and we all know4 girls aren’t as Simon & Schuster came in and said ,‘We want it, let’s

49. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 anybody in the next couple of years who is computer incompetent will be equivalent to somebody who is illiterate in a print based world have a database for women’s knowledge in the conference site, a home page. It’s a bit like a bazaar world.’ So Gheris and I agreed that we’d have con­ out there, an information bazaar and what you can do tributors from all over the world and we’d get this is set up your own stall and sell your own ideas. database together. And it’s proving to be very diff- cult because...1 mean it’s white and western, no On feminism... matter how much we try. You know women in Mum says that her first memories of me are of Indonesia and China don’t have the resources to do insatiable curiosity. My sister says ‘Dale always the research to provide the information. thought she could change the world. I only ever But that’s only half the problem. The other half wanted to change my family - Dale always talked, is how do we deliver it? About six months ago we always saw it wider, always said why.’ thought the verdict was going to be CD Rom, and And I think that was fostered by feminism. What now they’re saying that’s a very transitory technol­ if women weren’t disadvantaged? What if women ogy, we’re better to do an on-line database. weren’t economically deprived? What if women were able to do these things? On people using the technology to Like lots of women who joined the women’s movement in the early years I am a product of make information... choice. I choose to be who I am - almost every aspect attended the AIMIA conference in Australia re­ of my character and my behaviour is chosen, as cently - Australian Interactive Multimedia Indus­ distinct from the unthinking living out of the try Association - 1 was one of the speakers at it, the socialisation patterns that you were given. And all I of it’s about ‘what if’. What if I behaved this way? only woman I think. It happens again and again. And they had on-line reports as it was happening so Would it lead to that? that if your computer would down load speech you Last night, I was quite embarrassed when Carole would have got me talking but if it couldn’t down­ Beu introduced me - and let’s talk about this - she load speech, what you got was my speech and a said what an inspiration I’d been and isn’t that nice, picture of me and an interview with me that was to be told that your work works. But what I said to written up and discussion of it as well. her later was, ‘Look, I do a job.’ I’m very good at So at the end of the day anybody could log on to public speaking. I’ve got a big commitment to see who’d spoken, what had happened, what the women. I’ve put my skills to use for women. But discussion had been, what issues had been raised it’s no different to someone who’s very good at etc. For no cost you get the same value as if you’d looking after children, and who’s minding the chil­ attended the conference. In lots of ways more dren tonight while you’re here.’ because you can choose, you can skip through things if they’re boring. On her mother’s short term memory And then you can start to interact with it. What do you do? You take my speech off, you add your own loss... bits to it. You putyour own information in, you twist Mum says her short term memory loss is my prob­ things around. You take out all the nasty references lem. She doesn’t have to live with it. She can’t to men, because you’re a man and you don’t like remember. It’s nother problem. She won’t apologise them and you put in a few nasty references to for it. A couple of years ago she came to stay and she women and change the character of thd^whole infor­ was looking through my wardrobe. She said, ‘You’ve mation. You’ve made it, it’s your product. And then got some beautiful clothes here and they’re all in a you send it to other people. Not necessarily to a state of disrepair. This is absolutely outrageous, group. You can register it under the topic, you know, Dale, I’m going to take some of them home and put ‘So few women in cyberspace’ so that that becomes them back in good repair. I can do that, I can sit and a bulletin board and a news group, a user’s group, a do that and I want to do it.’

50. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 So she took the slacks of my good pants suit and On support... she took a skirt that the zipper had gone in and she took another one. About three weeks later I rang her Even when I challenged my parents to the absolute up and said, ‘Mum, my clothes, where are my clothes?’ limit, they would say things like, ‘We love you And she said, ‘Your clothes?’ I said, ‘Mum, you took dearly, we disapprove entirely ofwhatyou’re doing.’ home some of my good clothes.’ This was even when I joined the women’s move­ ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘I wondered why I had them.’ And ment. I mean I can make them apologise now all the I waited a bit and she said, ‘Oh well, someone at the time. ‘We love you dearly but we don’t like what Church of England Op Shop really got a good deal.’ you are doing.’ And they always distinguished She said, ‘I thought you must have given them to be between the two. I always knew if things went to put in the Op Shop so I took them down.’ wrong, I could go home. Later she said, ‘Well, you know that’s likely to It’s also - and dare I say this in Broadsheet, dare I happen. You should have marked them, you should say this? - it’s the man I’ve lived with for the last 21 have labelled them. You know, I don’t know, it’s my years, who’s financially supported me. I could never memory that’s gone, I can’t predict, you do it, it’s have made a living out of my books. Never. H e’s an your problem.’ engineer and he would say, ‘Polerriics is not good Well, she’s right you see. She doesn’t do it aggres­ enough. Don’t get upset, don’t just attack them - go sively but she won’t yield, she won’t let anyof the off and do the research and I’ll support you for six family treat her like an invalid because of it. She’s months while you do it’, and that sort of thing. going to live her life and we will learn to deal with it. All sorts of contributions. Some of the teachers She’s not going to be the sort of vulnerable victim that I had - you know if my English teacher had been apologising because she can’t live a normal life. She a mathematics teacher, I’m sure I’d have been a says, ‘I don’t care about your clothes! You’ve got mathematician. It’s the inspiration of individuals, plenty of other ones anyway.’ the support of individuals. I think throughout my life she’s given me lessons like that. On housework... I did it when I was married, it drove me mad, I said On her preschool years... I’d never do it again. Seven years, I did my stint. I One of the things that doesn’t get talked about in reckon it was enough for a lifetime. I mean, I live in our society as a resource is psychological resources. a very pristine study. But as long as the toilet is clean My mother stayed home with my sister and me and I don’t much care about the rest of it. I don’t feel any the only thing that she wanted for us was that we had guilt about not doing housework. It’s the same absolutely fantastic learning experiences before we reason that I want women to know that I enjoy the went to school. She was never very good at house­ Internet. I also want them to know that I don’t enjoy work, she spent her days thinking of things to housework and I don’t do it. entertain my sister and myself, from growing a garden to looking after chooks to going to museums. On not cooking... Mum’s very tall. And so is Germaine Greer. I Oh, I think these days lots of other women don’t sometimes think that matters. Mum could never be cook much. Where I live in Brisbane there’s this the feminine vulnerable little girl. Mum could wonderful woman nearby who’s got this delicates­ never do what other girls did. She had to find her sen, Tastefully Yours, and she comes around of an own role. I think she was probably very bright but evening and says ‘I’ve cooked you some lasagne, her father wouldn’t let her go to Teachers College I’vecookedyou some pasta, I’vecookedyou...’ Ipay because no daughter of his was going to be allowed her of course but why wouldn’t I let her cook? to work. And so my mother had this total commitment. On wearing purple... Purple’s the colour of women’s protest. .. Mrs Pankhurst always wore purple. My I did it when I was married, Mum says that when she was growing up drove me mad, she was told that nice girls didn’t wear purple and she believed at the time that it was abou t prosti tu tion bu t what she realised

5 l. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 later was it was about the suffragettes. and more sensitivity in the indigenous community Now it’s a form of packaging and self-presenta­ in Australia. But no aboriginal child should be tion. You know I was on a television thing one night without their laptop. in Australia and the guy said to me, ‘Look, we’re But it isn’t a substitute for clean water. Let’s be having trouble with the background, would you clear about that. It’s not either/or, it’s both. It’s mind ifwe turn your clothes green?’ And I said, ‘You about ensuring that the technology enhances life for turn my clothes green and I’ll leave.’ all hum an beings, not just for the few at the expense of the many. And that’s in our own society and it’s On worldwide access to also globally. resources... I’m not against privilege - I’m against privilege that’s used to exploit others. The fact that I’m a Women in the third world? I think we have to be white, educated, western woman, I had very little to really really careful here. On the one hand, I wouldn’t do with, I couldn’t have chosen anything else. The let off any woman in New Zealand, Maori or Pakeha, issue is not that I’m white, western and middle class right? You all have to be computer competent. - it’s what I do with the privilege. It might take more effort in the Maori community, THE FULL TEXT O F THIS INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE FROM BROADSHEET AS A 16 PAGE BOOKLET. AT A SMALL COST in the same way I think it’s going to take more effort possibility of women losing not only much of the Review by fe d a y hard-won territory of the last twenty-five years of feminist intellectual endeavour but also all the count­ Nattering on the Net: less painful, patient gains made by individuals and groups of women over the last four hundred years. Women, Power and Cyberspace In this book she ranges over a wide field of topics Dale Spender, Spinifex, Melbourne, 1995 supporting her argument; in chapters dealing with the history of print, with literature, authors, educa­ ‘It’s possible that w hat we call the Renaissance tion and libraries, before dealing with the real guts of had more to do with death than rebirth for the matter in the chapter on women, power and women’s intellectual life and tradition in Eu­ cyberspace. At times I found this detailed setting of rope.’ So argues Dale Spender in her powerful new the scene laborious (if I hadn’t been reviewing the book, N attering on the Net. book I would probably have skipped some parts). ‘In many ways, women were worse off after the But on reflection I have found her argument that print revolution than before...during the Middle women must become involved with the new infor­ Ages there had been ‘women’s places’ where the mation media, and be part of creating the culture of Abbess or Mother Superior was in charge...skills in cyberspace, gains much of its emotional power and relation to plants, drugs and the natural world were immediacy from her analysis of the grievous attack often taught along with the sacred texts’ (p.161). on women’s knowledge and power over the past few However, as Dale describes, with the coming of hundred years. the printing press the authority of the church was The examples of what is already happening in challenged and... cyberspace are fascinating. Her questions and sug­ ‘For a whole range of reasons, women found them­ gestions about the future are provocative and inspir­ selves completely cut off from the new medium - ing. The evidence of sexism endemic in computer and from any positions of influence ... the convents classrooms, curricula and cyberspace is chilling as and abbeys were closed and their resources confis­ she quotes research showing what happens to girls cated. Suddenly, almost overnight, the little educa­ even in preschool settings where ‘three-year-old tion that had been available to women ceased to boys...insist that computers are the boys’ territory exist... the system of secular education - the univer­ and thegirls are verbally and physically driven away’ sity - was expanding. But only m en were perm itted (p. 167). entry...Women were not allowed.’ This is a book that every library should have at I quote at some length because I think Dale’s least two copies of. If you can’t affort to buy it for argument is powerful; that we are standing on the yourself, at least find out how to order it for your local threshold of an information revolution comparable public, school or institutional library. And read it! I to the advent of the printing press and we face the guarantee you won’t be sorry you did. [B]

52. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A T 11995 T A N K G IR L Fil m Review Sometime in the 1950s Americans decided reading a bit too much ‘Judge Dredd with tits’. comics created juvenile delinquents.The great Re-enter the Americans half a decade later with a American solution to this was the Comics Code movie all about this so called post-feminist heroine. Authority, a censorship body designed to ensure Tank Girl the movie still swears, has more beer than comics did not create hoodlums.The cultural legacy anyone else, an adolescent sense of humour, hugh was a generation of comics featuring anemic guns, chaotic graphics, but this time instead of Bugga, superheros who didn’t swear, didn’t drink, didn’t it’s her best friend Jetgirl that Tanltgirl plants one on. have sex, ate apple pie and loved their mothers. In consideration of movie goers’ sensibilities, the The British, on the other hand, had no such Americans have also added a plot, the lack of which worries or fears about comics and happily handed was probably one of my problems with the original them out to generations of young English. It was all mag - there just didn’t seem to be any purpose to it very Biggies, very Dan Dare, Eagle comics for boys all. Now Tank Girl is on the side of the free and the brave and against Power and Water. They’re a multina­ tional conglomerate that tor­ ture small children, enslave women, create mutant kan­ garoos and of course control all the power and water in a post apocalyptic desert. They’re male. Surprisingly I enjoyed it all. It’s all very line-em -up-and- shoot-em-down but it’s also witty, appropriately acted and Tammy and Bunty for girls. It was also very and suitably fast paced. No lingering over ethical uncensored, so as the world got more violent, so did decisions or character development. It’s all guns, the characters. Enter Judge Dredd, a post apocalyp­ tanks, splashy graphics and what gets blown up next. tic policeman far less likely to eat apple pie than to I’m not blowing the ending for anyone in revealing intone (via various splashy graphics), ‘Eat lead, you that the goodguys (that’s women, small children and mutant scum bag’. mutant kangaroos) win. There is just not enough It was from this milieu that Tankgirl arose (the plot development to make that plausible, but the original one in the comics, not the movies), jetti­ rise is pleasant, so settle down with a coke and soned from the minds of two teenage English boys popcorn and enjoy. from Brighton in the late 1980s.Tank Girl swore, Censorship warning - suspend the analysis for the had more beer than anyone else, a hugh gun, an duration, there just isn’t time to examine all the adolescent sense of humour, splashy verging on issues glossed over by this film and certainly not to chaotic graphics and she fucked her best buddy, answer my major question. Why is it teenage boys Bugga the mutant kangaroo. A cultural phenom­ have a fascination with women with large guns? enon was born. And one I hated, when I first read As for comics, I think I’ll be settling down with the Tank Girl. Instead of a post apocalyptic, post­ next issue of Roberta Gregory’s Naughty Bits. After feminist heroine for the 1990s, I felt her adolescent all, Bitchy Bitch is the only comic character with male origins were all too evident. T o me, it was all permanent PMS and I identify. Jane Marsick B

53. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A H 1995 AN YOU LEARN TO BE LIKE SOMEONE LIKE ME?

CDISNEY FILMS FOR FEMINIST CHILDREN Stores veritably brim with daunting amounts of lionesses who really fought for the cubs (one of the Disney videos, toys and paraphernalia. Ali Bell benefits of watching all those blasted nature helps discerning viewers and hapless gift buyers programmes with the kiddies). Mummy Lion hardly far children decide about Disney products. gets a look in, and her hard work on the hunt Disney animated films - what do The Lion King, certainly goes unacknowledged.^//// have you heard Pochahontas, The Little Mermaid, and 101 Dalmations what some Afro-Americans are saying about using do for girls these days? What are the boys learning? Whoopi Goldberg and Afro-American dialect for the I see all these ‘Disney Greats’ and Classics being re- hyenas...? Frightening stuff. Nala, Simba’s friend released on video arid the children’s cinema circuit. and ‘love interest’///?^ beathim in fights as a cub and The ones I know well were sexist in the 1960s and asayounglion. (Every woman who saw itcommented 1970s and they’re sexist now. L et’s take a walk down on this notable characteristic - It’s also memorable contemporary and memory lane in the video parlour for its singularity). Although an improvement on and see what we’re plonking our precious role­ Falinein Bambi, she’s still ultimately a breeder. Gan modeling littlies in front of this summer. we look forward to female animal main characters in the 20 hundreds? (The 30 hundreds? No!? Don’t be Pochahontas: The most recent and controversial so depressing...) (see Broadsheet issue 207). It’s amazing how you can turn an historical figure into a Barbie doll, and then Beauty and the Beast: Women I know can stomach diminish her life into a wimpy tale complete with this one, surprisingly perhaps. It’s amusing in parts, singing animals and a misrepresentative love story. and Beauty actually has a decent personality. She’s (In real life she married a man named John, but an quite intellectual, what a pity she’s not called Brains. altogether different man from the one she saved!). The Beast is quite a three dimensional character Her real story is culturally interesting, full of also. A better class of love story. Good dancing politica’ intrigue, adventure, romance, motherhood, music too. It does have animal kingdom behaviour and a '. early tragic death. A great and pathos ridden amongst the men. Are your little boys little Beasts? chib hood and youth that needed no distortion. If you like the metaphor, and can explain away her Wow. One wonders why Disney d id distort it. name, a better pick of the bunch.

The Lion King: Well, it’s all a pre-ordained hierarchy The Little Mermaid: The real Hans Christian with males at the top. And I thought it was the Andersen story is so horrid and misogynist and

54. BROADSHEET SUMMER R A U M A TI 1 9 9 5 ghastly a talc for girls, that even this happy-lobsters Great music. All male. Gosh, things were so bad rewrite is too evocative of an eviler outcome for my then we weren’t even brought in as breeders, except taste. The usual vastly exaggerated physical incidentally. It makes a lass humble. differences in animated teenagers. Do you want your littlies to learn about adolescent love from this Peter Pan: Peter lives with the Mermaids a bit like tale? Lots of little girls really like it. Bit of a worry. a man lives with a harem. There are many interpretations on his relationship with Tinkerbell. A laddin: Likewise. Although Jasmine is a I’m a bit worried about my daughter seeing Wendy courageous, articulate and spirited young woman. adopt the maternal role to all lost boys, and the Her physical appearance is the most interesting harem’ turns on her enough to make grown women compared with, say, poor anaemic looking Snow balk. White who has no features at all. The male animator modelled Jasmine on his sister. It shows in a good Alice in Wonderland way. Pity she still has to be royalty. Alladdin and the A better one, probably because Alice was based on a Genie get the real limelight. It is a vast improvement real child. There is one scene when the female on yesteryear. There’s even a TV show. They flowers turn on her because she’s a weed. I don’t advertised the film as good enough for adults to see know , I did have some experiences like that with without the kids. They lied. girlfriends , but one would like a realistic balance of deep meaningful and nurturant releations with other The Lady and the Tram p: A kindergarten version women! Don’t look for them in Disney, we can of the Madonna/Whore complex. The animators safely say. Alice’s coping with‘eat m e’ could be food and story-tellers are very confused about X and Y for future bulemia, but hell, it’s at least more chromosomes, and what happens to the expression interesting than most childish fare. of genes in mammals upon mating. Don’t confuse your kids with it either. Dumbo: I love the strong fighting Elephant mother although I wish they lost her hat. Dumbo is a great 101 Dalmations: Mama DogPerditais very femme, little boy elephant with insecurities and sensitivities. Pappa Dog is a real he-hound. Billed as the most Anything for girls? Nothing apart from hideous Aunts famous villainm in animation - Cruella Deville is a and maternal figures. no-good man-hating woman with no same-gender loyalty. However, one woman assures me Cruella Pinocchio: Good moral about lying. Some reckon was her first Super-bitch role-model. I suppose it it’s phallic. No mother or breeders at all of course. depends on your outlook. Amongst the puppies, the boy dogs are the only memorable ones. Pity the Snow White: None of my women friends can colour-scheme is so catchy... stomach the evil and vain stepmother or the wimpish domestic Snow White in their living rooms. I do The Aristocats: Lots of eyelashes for the females, admit to liking the seven Little People males with a again. It’s the little fluff Marie who does the falling, great song. We all know about the meaning of the needs rescuing, and is very coy. The male cats are apple, and the kiss of princes...Avoid. lively, active and adventurous. Male cats far outweigh female cats in number in this animal world. Mum cat Cinderella: Nothing that hasn’t already been said either sounds like or is a Gabor, which at least is about this one. Absolutely avoid. throaty. Quite good on getting a new Stepdad, if stepfathers were tomcats. The whole thing could Bambi: My mother remembers seeing this when make your girl cat want to be a boy cat. If cats were she was a child. The background music is lovely. like that. Die females are breeders with long eyelashes and smooth voices. I have a soft-spot for the fawn Faline. The Jungle Book: I remember being bitterly This film has left generations of viewers with the Big disappointed that when the only other female in the Question: ‘Who shot Bambi’s mother?’ My son entire jungle appears (apart from Mother Wolf) the knows it was his Uncle Ian. [b] movie ends two minutes later. The young woman is very coy and sexualised. Did this help me much?! The New Victorians: Book Review A Young Woman V Challenge to the O ld Fem inist O rder Rene Denfeld Allen and Unwin, 1995.

f it’s your religion this book calls ‘kooky’ and and sees much current feminist theory and research your ideas that are described as ‘the philosophical as not only irrelevant, but hostile and alienating. equivalent to a clogged toilet bowl’ you may not This, she claims, is why young women don’t call I themselves feminists, yet hold many feminist like this book. The New Victorians is perhaps intended to be a hand principles. Modern feminism is now headed down grenade lobbed with force into the feminist main the same path to redundancy as the so-called first camp. Unfortunately it may simply be thrown back wave. with more accuracy and ignored. I’d recommend Readers coming from different starting points ‘the old feminist order’ to take this explanation of my may find this book narrow, low on insight and not generation with a good grain of salt. particularly ‘challenging’. This is not to say that The D enfeld and I share gender and age and both call New Victorians isn’t worth flicking through. Rene ourselves feminists (the reasons I was asked to do Denfeld raises many issues from lesbian separatism this review). However, Denfeld describes herself as to women’s studies. She brings up questions of a liberal and an equity feminist. This is her starting priorities, methods, conflicting needs and points of point and she uses it to explain her frustration with view. She wants her voice to be heard and considered. current developments in organised feminism. Women like Rene and myself are reaping the Her main argument is that organised feminism in benefits of the work put in by feminists of the the 1990s has become irrelevant to the lives of young sixties, seventies and eighties. We have choices and women. Since the 1970s (when it was active and horizons our mothers didn’t. As to what ‘feminism’ effective), feminism has wandered down a garden should be, what it is and what it will be - another 279 path into passive and reactionary organisations. She pages just joined the debate. is critical, if not insulting, about women’s spirituality Debbie Robinson @

56. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMATI1 9 9 5 Book Review IDO 125 Years of Weddings in New Zealand Sandra Coney Hodder Moa Beckett

I ’ve never been married, never likely to be - in the conventional sense - but I’ve always been something of a closet wedding watcher. I’m not quite sure why this is, perhaps it’s the femme in me having a little flight of fancy. I do recall the one time I was engaged, I spent endless hours pouring over those bridal books looking for ‘the dress’ - now there’s a real confession! That’s probably the appeal that Sandra Coney’s latest book holds for me, all those filmy, flimsy, femmie dresses to gaze upon - and a CARMEL CARROLL, OPERA SINGER, AND few monstrosities too. JESS DENHOLM, GARDENER, I Do is a delightful picture book, a bit like the New AUCKLAND APRIL 1995. Zealand Family Album to flick through, and an interesting record of social change from a rather more informal way now but the wedding still retains different perspective than it’s previously been its status; and shows no sign of waning in appeal. I viewed. was interested to note that in the early or mid- In recent times there have been a num ber of books Victorian period, sexual compatibility or personal devoted to marriage; the rituals, the traditions and, fulfilment would not have been considered as reasons more seriously, the implications for those who entered for marriage - a crushing blow for all the romantics, into this ‘holy’ state (holy hell, some might say). As and so much for those Catherine Cookson or Victoria feminists we’re supposed to consider such occasions, Holt historical romances. Instead marriages were a and the attendant arrangements, with a good deal of practical and economic arrangement; fiscal attraction suspicion. Viewing the event with some degree of rather than physical! disdain, given the illusion of wedded bliss being However, I Do is a book about ‘W eddings’ and not portrayed and the actual reality experience by many the institution, orpolitics, of marriage; I’m sure that’s women. However, many of us do succumb to what what makes it so enjoyable. It catalogues wedding might be labelled the ‘Princess Syndrome’, the allure fashions, customs and rituals, the ongoing traditions of being, for one day, the centre of attention, holding and the changes to these aspects of‘the big day’. As court, and being able to unabashedly demand as Sandra Coney writes: much. In a culture such as ours, drawing attention to Weddings are to a large degree an occasion in oneself is often considered to be ‘up yourself - “Do which romance, celebration and beauty rule. There ya love yaself or somethin’?” The wedding gives can undoubtedly be tensions, traumas and misery at women in particular the opportunity to indulge weddings, but these occur in the background, off the themselves without recrimination. record. At weddings families record what they want Sandra Coney is more recognised for her work in to record.’ the area of women’s health issues and New Zealand I Do provides an excellent record of our national women’s history, and of course her time as Broadsheet's family. It will also be a useful guide for those long standing editor, than for a publication of this interested in genealogy or researching family histo­ nature. / DO is far less of a feminist critique and ries, and requiring guidance in dating photographs. much more of a social commentary of what is If you too are a romantic at heart, have an interest in considered the last great rite in Western Society. costume design and history, a wedding to plan or are Many of the former ri tes of passage that once marked just another unfulfilled femme, I Do is a worthwhile an individual’s life, such as baptism, the ubiquious addition to your stack of albums to linger over. |B] 21st and getting engaged, are celebrated in a much Lisa Howard-Smith

57. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1 9 9 5 Book Review ‘Difference’. Reading through layer upon layer of HE M IH IN U I Kl A KOUTOU academic jargon, perhaps one is never really prepared TE KARANGAROA OTEENEI for the onslaught of cultural, social and political analysis PUKAPUKA that these two women present and reveal; magnified KA NUI TE PONOWHAKATUHmjHI O by attention to detail and content. WAHINE MAORI Mihipeka Edwards records the importance of asserting KAPOHIATE RATE W A NEI Te Mana o Wahine Maori with ‘He Haka ma te Wahine’. WHAKATUMAIWHAKATUUMAI Pi atari hi Yates enforces how T e Reo Rangitira is vital to WHAKATUUMAI our survival as an Iwi, and a reminder of just how T o i W ahine brings together an beautiful and poetic our kupu emotionally powerful and tuturu is, when reading over stunning collection of Maori and over ‘Taku Heitiki women writers. Recognising the Pounamu’. hunger and need for Maori These 23 Maori women who women to be able to tell their enlighten us and have the own stories and, more ability to excel on all levels, importantly, to be recorded and assert and dominate in Toi published, who are able to Wahine. Each wri ter adds to an articulate their thoughts and impressive and accessible feelings; whether it be fact or collection,determines their fiction. The scope, depth and Ti norangati ratanga. sheer range of achievement From Whanau organisation highlights the on-going strengths to high powered careers, all and successes of Maori women. these women address the From the academic to the broader issue, which is how adventurous, from the analytical we view ourselves. We have to the arts, Toi Wahine presents constantly and continually the readers with meticulous been viewed through the attention to the information and colonial aperture - the colonial an acute understanding of ‘who they are and where lens. Legislation and policy, gift wrapped by blatant they’ve come from’, illustrating the skill required to racism, has facilitated crisis for Maori. Manipulation of participate at every level of society. All convey our minds through ‘the one and only’ education system individuality and collectively create a formidable force available toMaori,hasobviouslyleftusliterally bankrupt for Mana Wahine Maori. of Tribal Ti norangati ratanga; obliterating any form of Robyn Kahukiwa’s haunting images remind me of innovation or prospect of achievement. Factual ‘Te wa o mua’. Oozing of wairua, these images so information regarding our demise is certainly well powerful yet silent, knowing, nurturing, protecting, documented since the arrival of the colonials. searching... Just take a look at what Maori women have had to The breathtaking image of‘Hongi’ has captured the endure. Our linguistic and cultural forms bastardised true essence, and respect, bestowed on all Maori women. for the monocultural audience. Maori women have A privilege that many Maori men still seem to deny us. always felt the huge amounts of oppression and Briar Grace Smith states they have ‘replaced it with a suppression, by just living. It is necessary and costly kiss’. Refreshing and innovative, Briar’s style of writing for us to succeed! guarantees to become addictive. Toi Wahine affirms this. Maori women will always Paparangi Reid give her caustic truths about identity, be the architects and designers, and will now take us to and writes/W ho is real Maori?’ T he focus, however, new heights of cultural and technological changes - needs to be on unity of purpose, not unity of role. changes thrown upon us, plus the many tasks we Keri Kaa demonstrates the humour and satire of the perform daily unnoticed. on-going inequity and injustices we still suffer. Patricia Johnson and Leonie Pihama give us the Mei Hill analytical breakdown and effect of the word Ngati Whatua, Te Rarawa [pi

S3 . BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1995 LmezAitsic; EDUCATION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

activities that will make a difference for women. The third issue is to refine methods of teaching, “So the emphasis at every level, at the commu­ the teaching- learning situation and research to be nity level or Masters, is the same. It is for women distinguishably feminist. who have previously been excluded and who see “It seems a contradiction that women’s studies the process of learning as related to social change.” teaching in higher education is often taught in he women-only nature of the courses patriarchal ways. What is important to me is that you is an issue for some at Ruskin, but for don’t just give women access to education, you also Jane the place for men to learn or teach engage in transforming that education and its prac­ about gender is not in women’s studies tices.” Tclasses. She identifies three perennial issues in women’s education. The first is how to keep it Learning Liberation: Women ’s Response to Men’s Educa­ rigorous, analytical, critical and clever, but related to tion, Croom Helm 1983 the struggle. The second is to make the intercon­ Taking Liberties Collective, Learning the H ard Way: nections between class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, Women s Oppression in Men's Education, Croom Helm, 1989 age, disability, internationality - ‘all the forms of Feminism and Women’s Education’ in Majorie Mayo oppression which relate and interconnect, to differ & Jane Thompson Adult Learning: Critical Intelli­ ent contexts for different women.’ gence and Social Change, 1995 Fb1 T V — J J e ijm g CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 exchange outside the tent of Isalmic women who did women’s poverty. not approve of us.This was the only negative moment Women are disproportionately bearing the bur­ of the whole demonstration, and it was this that was den of poverty caused by an expanding, market aired aound the world. driven global economy. This is being fuelled by I believe the impact of the forum will be on the grass trade liberalisation, privatisation, deregulation and roots orginisations through the world. It was a chance other such macro-economic policies. NGOs also for theorists and grassroots women to network, for critiqued the Structural Adjustment Programmes women from the industrialised4 North’ to hear the call instituted by the World Bank, supposedly to enable from the women from the South - to limit our indebted countries to pay back their loans. These overconsumption and to fight against GATT and have meant rising unemployment, falling incomes structural adjustment policies, that impact heavily on and drastic reductions in basic education and health women. The many issues on which we all agreed were provisions. neglected by the international media which focused on Women are forced to take multiple jobs outside stories of division, rather than the reality that I experi­ the home, while deteriorations in services mean an enced - women working together, respecting differ­ increasing burden of care for women in the house­ ences and concentrating on common goals of empow­ hold. Gender is also at the centre of similar policies erment for women. in Aotearoa-NZ. In Beijing, the NGOs’ Economic Justice Caucus Joce Lander developed a programme of events to focus attention Good Shepherd Social Justice on the World Bank’s policies. This included the C om m ission launch of ‘Women’s Eyes on the World Bank’, a The agenda at Huairou and Beijing was much broader campaign to transform the Bank to meet women’s than ‘women’s issues’ such as domestic violence and needs. The Caucus called on women’s organisations reproduction. A huge range of issues in the 1990s to network and strategise to make the Bank’s poli­ were covered from a gender perspective. A critical cies transparent and hold the Bank accountable for concern in the Platform for Action is poverty, and on implementing its part of the Platform for Action. the agenda for many N G O s - the structural causes of m 59. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMATI1995 y W u s i o Drums, Pate and Pois: This concert, on the Saturday morning, started with some members of the Maori Girls College from Marton giving a polished performance incorporating songs and poi skills. The movement and presentation were brilliantly choreographed. Jazz pianist, Judy Bailey, performed Gillian Whitehead’s composition NapierBones, with backing from seven percussionists. This piece was originally written to be performed by a total of 24 percussion­ ists, with improvising piano, and was first performed in Australia with Judy herself on the piano. It is a very interesting and unusual 20th century piece of work, which demands considerable precision and exact timing by the performers. In contrast, the Cook Island women’s drumming ensemble, led by Teremoana Hodges, gave a spontaneous, joyful performance. The majority of the women performers were over 60 years of age, dancing to rhythms they had known since childhood. Members of the audience were enthusiastically kidnapped by the troupe and incorporated into the action happening on stage.Teremoana, who facilitated a drumming (pate) workshop the previous day (which was great fun), is encouraging women to become drummers; an area usually considered a male domain. Japanese ‘Taiko’ drumming is a very powerful, NEW ZEALAND SMOKEFREE demanding method of drumming. This item was COMPOSING WOMEN’S FESTIVAL performed by a group of women, of mixed age, and the exact coordination and timing required, and the NGA WAHINE KAITITO cooperation amongst the performers, was admired and appreciated by the audience. PUORU O AOTEAROA First up at the Wild Women Concert, on This event was held over the weekend of 22 to Saturday night, was the seven piece band, ‘Tuahine’. 24 September in the Wellington Town Hall and Playing a selection of soul/funk music they certainly Concert Chamber - a wonderful feast of women ’ s warmed up the audience, as did the two overtly music for three days and nights. energetic MCs who introduced each act! Christchurch’s ‘Pacific Underground Soul The organisation required for this event was of Sisters’ performed a short set of tunes, creating an marathon proportions and full credit must be given easy rapport with the audience. The ‘Wahine to the hardworking organisers for the smooth success Collective’ from Auckland, with Edwina Thorne on of the occasion. There was a wide variety of trumpet, rendered three of Edwina’s original pieces, workshops and concerts offered by leading women producing a lively, together sound. Also hailing artists, from throughout Aotearoa and overseas, which from Auckland was Maree Sheehan, with her two included a varied cultural content. With so much to backup dancers providing an exciting visual appeal. choose from, it’s a shame not to be able to report This act had the audience up and dancing in the back on the whole programme. Here is the selection aisles. The final item of the night was by ‘When the we did attend - and enjoyed! Cats Been Spayed’, giving as usual a bright, clever

60. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1995 Caiman’s original ‘Celtic’material; Kirsty Pritchard’s compositions were sung by the ‘Twinkle Trio’ of Motueka, with beautiful harmony, and Jan Hellriegel on electric guitar gave a powerful and emotional rendition of her own songs. A most suitable conclusion to this wonderful occasion. Besides the superb selection of concerts available there were a number of exciting workshops to attend: Pacific Island Drumming, as previously mentioned, was facilitated by Teremoana Hodges. Jan Preston discussed different approaches to film composition and comical rendition of their own compositions. in Composing for Film. The one disappointing aspect of this otherwise Improvisation was a practical session, led by excellent selection entertainment was the poor Alison Isadora, which explored the relationship sound mix, which created an unbalanced sound in between improvising and composition. Jan Bolton places. introduced the process of sequencing and notating music on computer in a workshop aptly entitled Dynamic international conductor, Odaline De La Technology. Martinez, conducted the inaugural performance of a dazzling ensemble at the New Zealand Moana on Music featured Moana Maniopoto Women’s Chamber Orchestra concert, on Jackson sharing her insights and experiences, with Sunday afternoon. Odaline, who was born in Cuba, the focus being on Maori music - there ensued a educated in the United States and studied at the lively discussion on the question‘Is there bi- Royal Academy of Music, London, has succeeded culturalism in Music?’, with both Maori and Pakeha in the last male dominated field of music, that of composers offering their views. conducting. She has also composed two operas, established a recording company in London - Other performances worthy of note were the focusing on the works of women composers, past T© Reo Karanga concert which featured Mere and present - and has written two books. Boynton singing A w a H e im , and music for choirs Under the baton of Odaline, this orchestra played written by New Zealand women performed by the compositions of Ethyl Smith, a radical suffragette Wellington East Girls Choir. from England, as well as the prem iere of a new work Kirsten McKenzie and Judy Bailey were well by New Zealand composer Maria Grenfell. The received in the JaZZ W om en concert in which audience showed its appreciation of the dynamic they featured on the Saturday night. performance from Odaline, soloists and musicians, by demanding an encore - a repeat of Ethyl Smyth’s Sunday’s Family Concert, expertly compered by suffrage song, ‘The March of the Women’. Sue Dunlop, offered a variety of fun, theatre and music. The Sunday morning event, Jam W it h Jan, was And that about sums up the whole fabulous three facilitated by Jan Preston; formerly of Greymouth days! [b ] and now a leading Sydney-based singer/songwriter. While the workshop was for women to come along and ‘jam’, most came just to watch. However, they soon joined with Jan in performing her songs and composing one of their own - Jan’s style encouraged everyone to relax and contribute. Jan also appeared in the Wom©n ifl VoiC© concert later that evening, along with five other very talented women. Each performed her own compositions, representing a variety of styles: Janet Roddick, whose singing was supported by her style of ambient music; Emma

61 . BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1995 ------Ion a rainy night GLENDA LAURENCE

( j j x . was the old Millers department store in Christchurch, that’s where Barbara Street worked. And half the dykes in Christchurch went in to Millers to the drapery department while she was working there. I know. I was one of them. And I don’t even sew. I’d met Barb at a women’s dance in the old varsity common rooms on Montreal Street. Candlelight and Eddie Rabbitt on the hi-fi. ‘I love a rainy night, love a rainy n ig h t. . . ’ Barb had the most wonderful, warming smile - and her eyes! Total attention. And humour. So the woman I was with did a spell of collecting money at the door. And smirking around in the toy department. And I don’t the woman Barb was with got into a deep and know how long I spent or what my expression was meaningful about a Take Back the Night march with as I fantasized my way around lingerie. a politically correct Wellingtonian. So I asked total Somehow the magic time came. ‘Let’s go across attention, smile and humour to dance with me. the street,’ Barb said, ‘Angela might still be around ‘Ohh, I love a rainy n ig h t...’ and I think she wants to murder you. Or m e. Or both That was it During the course of an apres-dance chat of us.’ Barb happened to mention ‘Millers’ and ‘drapery ‘Us!’ She said ‘us’ about her and me. I had an department.’ The very next day I needed to buy identity with Barb, ai, yai, yai! curtain material. The day after it was cotton. The We went across the street to the Carnation tea room. third day, curtain tape. ‘I took an hour,’ she said. Then, as I was bee lining it for the curtain hooks ‘How can you do that?’ on day four, who should I bump into but an irate Ms ‘It’sFriday. Late night. I can have 15minutes afternoon Take Back the Night. ‘Oh, another member of the tea and an hour tea break or I can swap it around. I Christchurch sewing circle! ’ she snarled as she strode swapped it.’ past. ‘Oh.’ (Where, oh where, was the person-ful person At the counter Barb was whoomping over a huge who had whisked the gorgeous Barbara onto the roll of lurid tropical print furnishing fabric while a dance floor to the memorable strains of Eddie Rabbitt? frail looking white haired woman watched. Barb The intrepid curtain strategizer?) glanced at me and I saw her neck start to redden and I actually did think of something to say after ‘oh.’ then her face. Maybe we both knew that curtain And she laughed and within five or ten minutes my hooks were my end of the line as far as sewing went. heart stopped leaping all over the place and 1 heard As she counted out my change for the curtain hooks something she said that was funny and I laughed. I blurted, ‘Do you have an afternoon tea break?’ And then there were two minutes left until she had She blushed again and I started to get an inkling of to go back and drape. what ‘swoon’ means. ‘Tomorrow’s Saturday,’ I said. So I went off somewhere for the forty five m inutes ‘Yes.’ until her tea break. I spent ten minutes grinning at ‘Do you live with Angela?’ I asked nobly - and forty women’s blouses, coats and frocks. Another ten three minutes, four days and one dance too late to

62. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1995 care. She said ‘Yes’ and, putting a hand on each side of ‘Yes.’ my face, drew me to her and kissed me with her (Oh god, oh god . . . ) hungry mouth so hard and longingly that when she ‘But it’s not like we’re lovers or anything.’ finally let me go I had to say in my mind, ‘Accelerator (Oh phew! Oh phew!) is the pedal on the far right and then there’s the ‘It’s just that we really love each other and I told brake and push in the clutch with your left foot.’ Angela I would never leave her. But I go out with After three slow mental repeats I could start the car. other people.’ Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined taking (Other ‘people’? Just how big is this ‘us’ I’m getting this creature home with me. Well - only after a myself into? This was the point at which I began to suitably convincing courtship. Things were happen­ have ‘Inner Voice A’ and ‘Inner Voice B’. The last ing faster than I was thinking of them. bit was definitely ‘Inner Voice B’, the voice of Including being in bed. My bed. With a beautiful, caution, which had nowhere near the power of glorious, wanton woman. I hadn’t even organized ‘Inner Voice A’, the voice of Whoopee! Thoseinner the classical courtship supper, french bread and voices combined into a kind of cosmic whoopee/ camembert, chilled sauvignon blanc, olives. caution. Just for a moment). By 11pm on that memorable evening every fibre We went out Saturday night. of my being felt like violin strings that had just I picked her up in my Morris 1100 and we drove played Vivaldi. And had an ovation. Yes, an ovation. to Sumner. It died on the the way. The car. As it turned out Barb preferred lager to wine - and I felt like a complete fool and didn’t know what there were six in the fridge. And she liked cheese the hell to do because it wasn’t raining. When it was and pickled onion sandwiches. And we had a fine raining and Augusta conked out I would snap her time. bonnet open, spray CRC around like anything and I was leaning over Barb, sprawled supine on my then she’d start. I snapped open the bonnet anyway. bed, and I would fill my m outh with icy lager and let (When in doubt go for nonchalant). it stream into her mouth. It was heaven. ‘Let me,’ Barb said. She of the dreamy eyes, ‘What’s the time?’ Barb asked at 11:45.1 told her. willowy form. But she wore jeans and had borrowed ‘Oh shit! I have to be home by twelve.’ a woman shaped tailored tweed jacket (Angela’s) That was the first worm in the apple. and had on lumberjack-looking boots. I was dazzled T he apple - loving Barb - was mine, as long as what with all that incongruity. Nevermind. ‘Yeah, I Angela wanted always came first. thought the distributor cap might be loose.’ And And I’m not saying I wanted my needs to come plonk. That’s that, the car went. first all the time There were about three people in the movie I truly think I wanted Barb to sometimes be number theatre in Sumner. The goddess knows why any of one. But somehow she really believed in the4really us were there. The movie was SO awful. And it was love’ with Angela that meant Barb went to dances cold. In the coldest, deepest misery of ‘I chose with her; I was welcome to go along as a third person. T H IS m ovie!’ I turned to look at Barb as she turned To stay the night with Barb, even with Angela sleeping to look at me and we gravitated into the softest, in the next room. most melting, tender, gracious and gratifying kiss I I did that once. ever felt in my whole entire life. Right there in row And my bright love for Barb, for me with Barb, six. And we both stood up and walked out like began to tarnish. smitten robots. And got in my car and drove to Cave So, I quit. Rock. It was hard for Barb to understand. We took my car rug and torch and climbed Cave Angela rang me up to tell me how miserable Barb Rock in the dark and sat and wrapped ourselves in was without me. the rug and kissed and kissed. Until we got cold. I said I was sorry. Back in the car I said ‘Gee, (this woman resurrected Angela got angry because I wouldn’tsee Barb anymore. all sorts of things in me, including inane expressions) She said I was cruel. iBl it’s still early, (and sharpened perceptions) we could go to my place (dazzling strategy) for coffee’ (plausible reason).

63. BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMAT1 1995 GROUPSX SUPPORT CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING BOOKING FORM LESBIAN SUPPORT TO ADVERTISE IN COMING OUT GROUPS phone BROADSHEET: name (09) 528 5119, P.O.Box 3833 Send your advert to Classifieds, G d d r e s s ...... PO Box 56-147, Auckland...... Auckland. Underline any words you wish to number Of insertions appear in c a p it a l s . advertisement.. LESBIANLINE telephone coun­ Classified rates selling. For support and coun­ 50 cents per word + GST. There is a selling by lesbians for lesbians, 10% discount off all ads pre-booked their family and friends. in two issues or 20% discount off ads Hours 10am -10pm pre-booked in four issues. You may phone (09) 3033584 pre-pay, or an invoice will be sent to ...... you after publication.For other ...... WOMANLINE a confidential, advert sizes; ...... • • • non judgemental listening and Phone A N N 09 817 4349 ...... information phone line, phone (09) 376 5173. Tamaki Makaurau LESBIAN the WOMEN s ISljgj Ih l ANIMAL RESEARCH TAKES NEWSLETTER BOOKSHOP Books by. for and about women LIVES by NZ author Bette a monthly Overell. An expose of the evils newsletter by and 228 DOMINION RD, MT EDEN, Square Edge, Church Street, AUCKLAND 3 of vivisection and the corrup­ for lesbians Palmerston North. At the Valley Road lights P.O. Box 509 tion associated with it. Fright­ * news * views Phone / Fax (09) 630 7162 Phone (06) 358 2644 ening, horrifying, sad but true. * events * ads Available from the NZ Anti vivi­ Annual subscriptions section Society, PO Box 2065, are $15. WOMEN’S BOOKSHOPS Wellington.$25 plus postage.. Post to PO Box 44-056, SUPPORT WOMEN Point Chevalier, Auckland. HOLIDAY ACCOMODATION SUPPORT YOUR BED AND BREAKFAST AT Does your WOMEN’S BOOKSHOP ------CAMELOT------bookshop or Cheap . Clean. Comfortable, & local store stock BROADSHEET? KATE QuietLocation. The retail Double $40 Single $25. SHEPPARD distribution and W omen’s Bookshop Rates include continental breakfast. wholesale of Women’s Bookshop Ltd. 20 Highland Drive Hamilton 145 Manchester Street, BROADSHEET is 266 Victoria Street ph (07)8496747. co-ordinated by P.O. Box 19041 Christchurch I Anne Hunt. PH. Ham ilton Phone (03) 379 0784 A N IM A L RESEARCH TAKES LIVES (09)817 4349 Phone (07) 838 0656 Fax (03) 379 1769 Hum ans a n d anim als BOTH suffer Naturally Different Holidays A formidable and compelling book which sys­ •WELLINGTON | > T *- / tematically destroys every unsubstanial claim _____ ~ * put forward by the vivisectors in exhaustive detail. An excellentAV reference source. Rainforest...Sea Coast...Mountains... If you buy only one reference book this year make it U N IT Y S ~ \ Lakes... Walking...Canoeing... this one! 2 -7 Day Guided Trips f r o m o u r stunning Westland Lodge, South To the Anti Vivi-Section Society BO CK S N - y Island. Ph/fax or w rite for brochure PO Box 2065, Wellington the most interesting bookshop! .. Cynthia Roberts & R o z H e in z I enclose $ for Books at$25 postage paid ^^^gBUSHWISE W O M EN ^^ Name...... 119 123 WILLIS ST, WELLINGTON Address...... Box 120S4. Christchurch Ph/fax (03)332 4952 PHONE TILLY 385 6110 i

64 . BROADSHEET SUMMER RAUMATI 1995 BROADSHEET RESOURCE KITS Collections of articles from the magazine have been grouped together under general headings. There are new topics, updated favourites and historical clas­ sics. More detail about the content of each kit is available on request.

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