My D*List: Beth Awatere and the importance of queer and Māori leadership

My D*List is a series of profiles that allows us to get to know the many diverse members of the disabled, Deaf, blind, neurodiverse and chronically ill communities in Aotearoa. We asked them to explore their hopes for the future (dreams), what they like to do on a night in (drama), their idea of a great night out (disco), favourite food (delicious) and the special friends and whānau in their world (dates).

Dreams

I think that it’s difficult to reflect on my own personal dreams for Aotearoa, because they are so intricately tied up in my identity. There is a level of pain there when I think about how far we have to go just to provide so many members of our community with access to their basic human rights. But there is also hope. Every day I have the opportunity to talk to so many people who are dedicating their lives to changing the world. I get to meet queer people who are advocating for equitable sex education in schools. I get to read theses by prominent queer Māori wāhine, who are continuing the work to reclaim our heritage and our traditions. I get to mentor Māori youth, who are just starting out in their legal careers, but already have accomplished so much in their lives. I feel incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to learn from all these amazing people, and continue to work towards the collective dream of a more inclusive, kind Aotearoa.

Drama

This isn’t something that I’ve started watching yet, but I’m incredibly excited for when it is released. Love Allways is an upcoming pansexual dating show which takes the radical notion that “people can be attracted to multiple genders”, and turns it into a TV show. I am so excited to see my queer identity reflected in a series, and I can’t wait to see how the show explores the nuances of the pansexual relationship. I’m someone who prefers to keep their personal life clean of drama (I get inordinately stressed about it), but I do love to watch it on TV. The nerd in me also vibes so hard with the play on words in the title, ‘Love always’ = Love all ways.

Disco

My favorite way to spend a night is cooking for friends. I’m actually writing a cookbook of all the recipes I love, and the rule I’ve created for myself is that I have to test each recipe out before it can go in the book. It has resulted in a lot of catastrophic kitchen fails, but also a lot of laughs and good times. I’m also a huge fan of hygge, which is a Danish word that describes coziness and comfortable conviviality. I always try and bring that into my home when I’m hosting, with lots of candles, blankets and wholesome food - I’m a firefighter’s worst nightmare.

Delicious

I have a range of favorite meals, and it really does depend on what season we are in. If it's summer, you'll find me throwing together an asparagus, feta and tomato pastry. It’s such a simple, light meal and the first time I cooked it was with my mum when we were experimenting with My Food Bag. It makes me think of cooking with my family, and I’ll always bring it with me to a night in with friends. If it’s winter, or a chilly autumn evening then I’ll stay true to my heritage and cook an Irish stew. I’m not sure what it is about stew with hot bread, but it really is the most wholesome, warming food. There’s something meaningful about tending to a massive pot on the stove over the course of half a day. Adding flavor slowly and building it up to be the type of meal that you could eat reheated for days afterwards.  

Dates

My support network is small but carries a lot of weight. I’ve learnt a lot about healthy relationships, and make sure to keep people around me who both keep life positive and are also comfortable being very real. I have this thing where when a friend comes to me with a problem I ask: Do you need comfort or advice? Our first instinct I think is to fix people's problems, and it always really frustrated me when I would go to someone looking for empathy and instead be given advice. Now, this has become a routine amongst my family and friends. And I think it has really helped us begin learning how to ask for exactly what we need from the people who support us. It also helps that the people I love are incredibly strong and confident. It is easy to be inspired by people who persevere every day to advocate both for their communities, but also for themselves. 

Want to contribute your D*List? Send us an email: kiaora@thedlist.co.nz