In the interview with Lee, he brought up points which showed why it was a hard but rich history of New Zealand and one that really reflected the attitude of other communities towards the Homosexual (LGBTQ+ came much later) communities in the 70’s.
- Homosexuality was illegal and often met with violence from both law enforcement and the general public, which drove the community to “cruise” and were driven to (literally) underground. With so much uncertainty of PDA’s (Public displays of attention) and secrecy around homosexual behaviours, Public toilets were often used to connect with other men, and a curious culture emerged.
- Public Toilets had such a stigma of “horrors” and “sin”, it came up in conversation, i.e. removal of the toilets” and concerns of the behaviours but it also became a safe space for homosexual activity, as you couldn’t meet anyone any other way with out being in danger from the surrounding community. This also brings up the point of lack of physical education growing up, so the bathrooms became a place for the AIDS Foundation to distribute material and education around AIDS, HIV and STD’s. Once the community could be more open, there were now other networks such as gay bars and saunas to convey the importance of safe se and regular checks.
- Using Public toilets to engage in physical connection with other men (or other people now) is a centuries old practice, however now NZ’s attitudes towards homosexuality and the LGBTQ+ community have changed and the influx of homelessness now use these facilities as a form of shelter or a safe space.
- Brings up an investigation of queer social spaces and how the community percieves it.
Makers by Hannah 