News

Taranaki has gained a new title as a local artist works to make the region more accepting of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex community (LGBTQI+).

Safe Space Alliance (SSA) has placed a new billboard on New Plymouth’s Courtenay St calling the province the ‘Rainbow Region’ of New Zealand.

A key outcome of the billboard and wider project is to help grow acceptance for the local LGBTQI+ community,” SSA director and New Plymouth-born artist.

Shannon Novak

This is in response to a very real need.

Shannon Novak

A support and advocacy group for men who have experienced sexual abuse is looking to open a space in Blenheim.

The Male Room director Philip Chapman, based in Nelson, said he realised the need in Marlborough after getting calls from men asking for local support.

It was time” Blenheim had its own Male Room.

Chapman said

Men don’t access services as much as women and most of the services are run by women, so we are looking at a place for men.

One in six Kiwi males experience childhood sexual abuse, but many never talk about it, so the actual statistic could be much higher.

Read full article

Cardinal John Dew described the abuse as unacceptable and indefensible, and said the church was deeply sorry. Photo: ODT files

An apology from the Catholic Church to abuse survivors has been slammed as shallow and only intended to satisfy the general public.

Cardinal John Dew made the apology, the first formal apology to victims, at the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care yesterday on behalf of the bishops and congregational leaders in New Zealand.

He said the church could offer no excuses for the actions that caused harm, and the abuse was perpetrated by people, such as priests, brothers and sisters and lay people that victims should have been able to trust.

He acknowledged the abuse caused pain, and trauma which continued to have an impact on the lives of victims.

But a Dunedin abuse survivor, and Male Survivors Otago spokesman, Michael Chamberlain said the apology meant little.

It was very, very shallow. He was just reading a couple of sentences to satisfy the general public.

Michael said

Many aspects of this week’s commission testimony from various church representatives had left him speechless, he said.

Those giving evidence had been quizzed on the process in which survivors’ claims were investigated by the Catholic Church’s National Office for Professional Standards.

That revealed confusing and inconsistent processes, Mr Chamberlain said.

Challenging would be an understatement.

Mr Chamberlain said he felt this week’s hearings would have left Catholic Church abuse survivors re-traumatised and angry.

He renewed calls for an independent body to investigate claims of abuse by religious institutions.

Article by Daisy Hudson

Work on a day shelter for Nelson’s homeless, Whare Haumanu, is progressing with an anticipated opening in May ahead of the cold winter months.

The project is a combined project from The Male Room, Nelson City Council, and Nelson city’s Rotary clubs spearheaded by Rotary Club of Nelson President Gaile Noonan.

Noonan said building consent applications were in and expected to be granted in the coming week or two, followed swiftly by construction.

We’re comfortable with where we’re at.

Noonan said

It’s coming together quite quickly, that’s what happens when you use these portacom buildings, you can just get the site ready and then drop it in.

Last Friday there was a dawn mauri stone laying ceremony at the site – the stone represents the life force or essence of the building and the work carried out in it.

Read full article