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Drew Hadwen, co-director of the Wellington Pride Festival 2019 (8–24 March), recently spoke to the Friends of Te Papa about the work that has gone into celebrating Pride in Aotearoa. Here, we share their speech with you.Read more

Headdress, mid 1970s, Wellington, by Frank Lund. Purchased 2003. © Te Papa. CC BY-NC-ND licence. Te Papa (GH014470)

September is New Zealand Queer History Month and a great opportunity to celebrate the LGBTI histories represented in Te Papa’s collection. So over the next few weeks we’re aiming to showcase queer related objects and stories through Instagram and blogs.Read more

New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt

Today is World AIDS Day. It’s an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and AIDs, show their support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate people who have died.Read more

We have a dazzling selection of headdresses belonging to Carmen Rupe (1936–2011) in our collection. Carmen was a legendary transgender performer and brothel owner – the headwear represents her more flamboyant side.Read more