gay.nz (formerly gay.co.nz) was a
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender personals website in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
It provided daily local and international news stories, monitors fundamentalist anti-gay pressure groups, and provided a safe online meeting place for New Zealand's LGBT community.
The site now appears to be closed, and redirects to a gay porn movie rental site.
History
gay.co.nz was started in 1997. It was started as a community project by The Domain Name Company Limited, a New Zealand-based internet company and has been run free for use ever since.
gay.co.nz has been the most popular gay dating website in New Zealand since 2006
and is used by the
LGBT New Zealand
New Zealand society is generally accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peoples. The LGBT-friendly environment is epitomised by the fact that there are several members of Parliament who belong to the LGBT community, LGBT right ...
population to connect with each other and learn about community issues. This has been particularly important for younger members of the gay community who still suffer bullying at school, and a safe place to meet peers has been a key need. Similarly special focus has been put on the growing LGBT Asian community within New Zealand.
The site has had four major revisions:
* Version 1.0 (1997) First launched as a portal offering links to gay resources online;
* Version 2.0 (2003) Saw the transition from portal to dating site;
* Version 3.0 (2005) Major rewrite to include enhanced messaging;
* Version 4.0 (2008) Major rewrite, further messaging enhancements, adding events and RSS feeds;
* Version 5.0 (2013) Complete rewrite, website
released 20-Sep-13, android app called 'Seed' released 10-Oct-2013, iOS app released 2-Nov-2013
* Version 5.1 (2014) Site was renamed gay.nz 06-Oct-14;
Following the recent legalisation of Gay Marriage in New Zealand via the
Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill
The Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013 is an Act of Parliament in New Zealand, which since 19 August 2013, allows same-sex couples to legally marry.
The Act was proposed as a member's bill by MP Louisa Wall in May 2012, and wa ...
, the Hon
Maurice Williamson
Maurice Donald Williamson (born 6 March 1951) is a New Zealand diplomat and former politician who represented Pakuranga in the House of Representatives as a member of the National Party. He held several ministerial portfolios both inside and o ...
MP recently wrote an editorial
(login required) to members of the site, reiterating his support for
LGBT New Zealand
New Zealand society is generally accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peoples. The LGBT-friendly environment is epitomised by the fact that there are several members of Parliament who belong to the LGBT community, LGBT right ...
.
AIDS in New Zealand
In conjunction with the
New Zealand AIDS Foundation
The Burnett Foundation Aotearoa (formerly the New Zealand AIDS Foundation (NZAF)) is New Zealand’s national HIV prevention and healthcare organisation. Its funding is derived from grants, donations and the Ministry of Health.
The Burnett Found ...
which has a particular focus on "high risk" groups within New Zealand, gay.co.nz works closely to promote the message of "safe sex". 'Safe sex' banners and messages appear throughout the website.
Related Sites
In addition to gay.nz, the overall site and mobile app maintain and incorporate members from all of the following: seed.fm, gay.uk.com, gay.br.com, gay.cn.com, gay.co.in, gay.ru.com
See also
*
Civil unions in New Zealand
Civil union has been legal in New Zealand since 26 April 2005. The Civil Union Act 2004 to establish the institution of civil union for same-sex and opposite-sex couples was passed by the Parliament on 9 December 2004. The Act has been described ...
*
Hero Parade
The Hero Parade was an (almost) annual gay and lesbian Parade through the streets of Auckland, New Zealand, in the 1990s. The last Parade was in 2001. It was the showpiece of the Hero Festival in Auckland which runs to the present day. The Hero Par ...
*
Homosexual Law Reform Act
The Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986 is a New Zealand law that broadly legalised consensual sex between men as well as anal sex between any parties including opposite-sex partners. It removed the provisions of the Crimes Act 1961 that criminalise ...
*
Homosocialization
Homosocialization or LGBT socialization is the process by which LGBT people meet, relate and become integrated in the LGBT community, especially with people of the same sexual orientation and gender identity, helping to build their own identity ...
*
LGBT New Zealand
New Zealand society is generally accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peoples. The LGBT-friendly environment is epitomised by the fact that there are several members of Parliament who belong to the LGBT community, LGBT right ...
*
LGBT rights in New Zealand
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in New Zealand are among the most progressive in the world, and the country is considered to be gay-friendly. The protection of LGBT rights is advanced, relative to other countries in Oceani ...
*
List of lesbian periodicals
*
Out Takes: A Reel Queer Film Festival
*
Same-sex marriage in New Zealand
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gay.Co.Nz
LGBT-related Internet forums
New Zealand websites
LGBT culture in New Zealand
Internet properties established in 1997
1997 establishments in New Zealand