Transcript –
Panel 1:
Sam: (A person wearing a lavender, collared shirt and an olive vest, who is looking directly at the viewer. Eyebrows are raised and mouth is open, with upturned edges.) This week was the 25th anniversary of homosexual law reform in New Zealand.
Panel 2:
Sam: (A person who is looking directly at the viewer, with raised eyebrows and an open mouth. One arm is raised slightly at the shoulder and bent forward at the elbow, hand open and facing Sam.) 25 years ago it was illegal to be a gay man here.
Joe: (A person wearing a sky blue undershirt, a dark grey coat and a maroon neckerchief, who is looking directly at the viewer. Eyebrows are raised and mouth is open, with upturned edges.) Lesbians didn’t exist according to the queen.
Panel 3:
Sam: (A person who is looking directly at the viewer, with raised eyebrows and an open mouth.) It really blows my mind how that might have been- to literally not be allowed to exist.
Joe: (A person who is facing the viewer, but looking down and to the side, away from Sam. Mouth is closed, small, and with downturned edges.)
Panel 4:
Sam: (A person who is looking directly at the viewer, with raised eyebrows and an open mouth, which has upturned edges.) So I just want to take a moment to say ‘thankyou’ to the people who worked to let us be, and to love.
Joe: (A person who is facing the viewer, but looking at Sam, with eyebrows both raised and pushed together slightly. Mouth is closed, with upturned edges, and one arm is around Sam’s shoulders.)
(There is a red love heart shape just above Sam and Joe.)
Heh, is that Merlin with you?
Ha! WOAH! Everything is right apart from the swirly hair!
thanks from me too!!
I remember something about this at a museum (I can’t remember which one. I think it was a Te Papa exhibit from about 2-3 years ago) that looked at New Zealand over the years. One of the pieces was a letter written by someone against the reform, I remember feeling so angry when I read it.
It blows my mind that the homosexual law reform happened during my lifetime (granted that I was under one then but still) and makes me wonder what other injustices will be made right while I’m still alive.
Wonderful comic.
Thankyou. What a strange thing to see in a museum – it’s weird to think that it was illegal to exist for the first few years of my life, it’s heartening to know that the world’s changing ‘tho