Takatāpui Talk

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RAWIRI TAHAU MAURIRERE ❤️🖤

This week on Takatāpui Talk, I sit down with hairdresser and creative Rawiri Tahau Maurirere for a kōrero that begins with his childhood and his journey into hairdressing, before opening up a much bigger conversation.

Why are so many Takatāpui drawn to hairdressing, beauty, fashion and other creative industries? Can our choice of career also be about finding safety, belonging and a place where we are free to be ourselves?

We talk about Rawiri’s career with Buoy and Vivo, the emotional side of working with people, burnout and boundaries, chosen whānau, his next adventure in Rarotonga — and what we might say to young Takatāpui wondering where they belong.

Important conversations. Our stories. Real voices.

🎥 YouTube: Takatāpui Talk on YouTube
 🎧 Spotify: Takatāpui Talk on Spotify
 🎙️ Buzzsprout
 📘 Facebook
 📱 TikTok & Instagram: @takatapuitalk

#TakatāpuiTalk #Takatāpui #RawiriTahauMaurirere #OurStories #RealVoices #Hairdressing #CreativeIndustries #CareerChoice #EmploymentForTakatāpui #Belonging #Whānau #RainbowCommunity #Māori #RepresentationMatters #MauriOra

Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth.

If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond.

Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews.

Our conversations.
Our stories.
Our voices.

Arohanui.

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We are  honoured to welcome Mihirawhiti Searancke to Takatāpui Talk.

From her whakapapa and identity to her years as a psychiatric nurse, activism, and reflections on whenua and land loss, Mihirawhiti shares a lifetime of experience and service.

This conversation also touches on an important chapter of our history—one that reminds us why remembering our past matters for future generations.

These are the stories that deserve to be heard, preserved, and passed on.

🎥 Watch the full interview on YouTube
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Buzzsprout

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakatapuiTalk
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4KqCVXQ6Q8rCjTQ6L6Q4gM
🎙️ Buzzsprout: https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TakatapuiTalk
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk

#TakatāpuiTalk #MihirawhitiSearancke #Takatāpui #Matariki #Lesbian #RainbowHistory #LGBTQNZ #Māori #Whakapapa #Pēpeha #MentalHealthHistory #Tokanui #Activism #Aotearoa #OurStories #RealVoices #DonaldHollingsworth

Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth.

If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond.

Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews.

Our conversations.
Our stories.
Our voices.

Arohanui.

Send us Fan Mail

🌺 NEW EPISODE | TAKATĀPUI TALK 🌺

This week on Takatāpui Talk, we're honoured to welcome Glory Haronga, the reigning Miss Whakawahine 2025.

Born and raised in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Glory shares her journey of growing up Whakawahine, finding strength in her identity, the importance of sisterhood, community, and what it means to represent her people with pride.

We also explore the significance of the Miss Whakawahine pageant, preserving Indigenous Pacific identities, and creating spaces where everyone feels seen, valued, and celebrated.

These are the conversations that preserve our history and celebrate the richness of our communities—one story at a time.

✨ If you enjoy this episode, please Like, Subscribe, Comment and Share. Every share helps us archive and celebrate Takatāpui stories for future generations.

🎥 Watch more episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@TakatapuiTalk

🎧 Listen on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/0f7P5M6L4IYgR1Qe2k5qgM

🎙️ Listen on Buzzsprout
https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com

📘 Follow us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/TakatapuiTalk

📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/takatapuitalk

🎵 TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk

Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth.

If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond.

Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews.

Our conversations.
Our stories.
Our voices.

Arohanui.

Send us Fan Mail

🌈 Takatāpui Talk | Amanduh La – Part Two | The Power of Drag, Identity & Legacy

In Part Two of my conversation with the incredible Amanduh La, we explore the deeper meaning of drag—not simply as performance, but as an art form that creates joy, confidence and connection.

For audiences, drag can be an escape from everyday life. It invites us to laugh, celebrate, reflect and see the world through a different lens. Behind the glamour, costumes and humour are artists who dedicate countless hours to their craft, creating unforgettable experiences while often giving people permission to embrace their own authenticity.

Amanduh also shares stories of chosen whānau, the takatāpui pioneers who paved the way, and the legacy she hopes to leave for future generations.

Thank you for supporting Takatāpui Talk as we preserve and celebrate the stories of our community—one conversation at a time.

🎙️ Listen or watch on your favourite platform:

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakatapuiTalk
 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TakatapuiTalk
 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takatapuitalk
 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk
 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/search/Takat%C4%81pui%20Talk
 🎙️ Buzzsprout: https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com
 🌐 Website: https://www.takatapuitalk.com

Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth.

If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond.

Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews.

Our conversations.
Our stories.
Our voices.

Arohanui.

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🌈 From Tokoroa to Paris, Italy and New York Fashion Week… this is the extraordinary story of Amanduh La.

Growing up in the Mormon faith, discovering her identity, travelling the world as a model, and ultimately embracing the uniqueness that would become her greatest strength—Amanduh's journey is one of courage, resilience and authenticity.

This conversation moved me so much that, for the first time on Takatāpui Talk, we've released it as a two-part episode.

Part One is a story of dreaming beyond the limits others place on us, and finding the courage to become exactly who we are.

I hope you'll join us.

📅 Premieres this Sunday at 6:00 PM (NZT).

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TakatapuiTalk
📘 Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TakatapuiTalk
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takatapuitalk
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk
🎧 Podcast: https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com
🌐 Website: https://www.takatapuitalk.com

If Amanduh's story resonates with you, please like, subscribe, comment and share. Every share helps preserve and celebrate the stories of our Takatāpui community for future generations.

#TakatāpuiTalk #AmanduhLa #Takatāpui #Whakapapa #Māori #RainbowCommunity #LGBTQIA #QueerVoices #RepresentationMatters #Authenticity #EmbraceYourUniqueness #Podcast #Aotearoa #NewZealand #Storytelling #Pride #Resilience #OurStories #YouTubePremiere #PartOne

Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth.

If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond.

Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews.

Our conversations.
Our stories.
Our voices.

Arohanui.

Send us Fan Mail

Jade Dayna Kanara Mills | Finding Sisterhood, Love & Identity | Takatāpui Talk Ep. 8

Today on Takatāpui Talk, I sit down with the wonderful Jade Dayna Kanara Mills—a proud Māori whakawāhine whose whakapapa connects her to Hokianga, Te Rarawa and Ngāti Tāmāra.

Jade shares an extraordinary life story spanning decades. Growing up at a time when there was little understanding or language for young whakawāhine, she speaks openly about leaving home, finding community, surviving through sex work, and discovering the strength that comes from chosen whānau.

This is also a beautiful love story. Jade reflects on the man she has loved for more than 30 years, the life they have built together, and the joy of creating a future that once seemed impossible.

We also talk about the cultural work Jade has undertaken through Aha Ko Te Aha, the importance of preserving our stories, and what it means to grow older with gratitude, humour and purpose.

Some parts of this conversation are frank. We discuss sex work, identity, belonging, and the realities faced by many whakawāhine of Jade's generation. These are Jade's lived experiences and personal reflections, shared generously and in her own words.

Thank you, Jade, for trusting Takatāpui Talk with your story.

If this conversation resonates with you, please like, subscribe, and share it. Every subscription helps us preserve and celebrate the voices of our Takatāpui community for future generations.

🎧 Listen on Buzzsprout:
https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com

🎵 Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow Takatāpui Talk:
 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/takatapuitalk
 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takatapuitalk
 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk

#TakatāpuiTalk #JadeDaynaKanaraMills #Takatāpui #Whakawāhine #Māori #RainbowCommunity #LGBTQIA #QueerHistory #OralHistory #Aotearoa #NewZealand #Community #Identity #Whānau #Love #Resilience #MāoriStories #Podcast #DonaldHollingsworth #AhaKoTeAha

I think this is one of those episodes people will come back to. Jade has a way of telling her story that feels like you're sitting across the table with her, listening over a cup of tea. Those are often the conversations that stay with people long after they've finished watching.

Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth.

If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond.

Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews.

Our conversations.
Our stories.
Our voices.

Arohanui.

Send us Fan Mail

Steven Oates | Television, Radio, Pride & Community | Takatāpui Talk

For decades, Steven Oates has been a familiar face and voice in Aotearoa's rainbow community.

From his beginnings in radio and television to organising Pride events, fundraising, and creating Woof!, Steven has dedicated much of his life to ensuring LGBTQIA+ people could see themselves represented and celebrated.

In this heartfelt conversation, Steven reflects on growing up gay in New Zealand, finding community, the importance of visibility, and the legacy we leave for future generations.

These are the conversations that preserve our history—real people, real lives, and real stories.

In this episode:
• Growing up gay in Aotearoa
• A career in radio and television
• Creating Woof!
• Pride and community leadership
• Visibility and representation
• The importance of preserving our stories
• Reflections on love, resilience and legacy

About Takatāpui Talk

Hosted by Donald Hollingsworth, Takatāpui Talk is a long-form interview series preserving the voices, histories and lived experiences of Takatāpui and LGBTQIA+ people in Aotearoa New Zealand. These conversations create an archive for future generations—celebrating resilience, identity, culture and community.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Buzzsprout.

📱 Follow Takatāpui Talk:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/takatapuitalk
Instagram: https://instagram.com/takatapuitalk
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@takatapuitalk

If Steven's story resonates with you, please like, subscribe and share this conversation so these important stories continue to reach more people.

#TakatāpuiTalk #StevenOates #Takatāpui #LGBTQIA #RainbowCommunity #Pride #Woof #NewZealand #Māori #Podcast #QueerHistory #Storytelling #DonaldHollingsworth #OurStories #Aotearoa

Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth.

If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond.

Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews.

Our conversations.
Our stories.
Our voices.

Arohanui.

Send us Fan Mail

At a young age, Raureti Ormond is already helping shape the future of Takatāpui storytelling in Aotearoa.

A playwright, performer, drag artist and creative storyteller, Raureti joins Donald for a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about identity, belonging, self-expression, and the power of being unapologetically yourself.

Together they explore what it means to be seen, how creativity can become a place of freedom, and why telling our stories matters for future generations.

This episode is a celebration of young queer Māori excellence, courage, and the next generation of Takatāpui voices.

🎧 Takatāpui Talk – Important Conversations. Real Voices. Our Stories.

Follow and subscribe:
Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, YouTube and Facebook.

#TakatāpuiTalk #RauretiOrmond #Takatāpui #QueerMāori #RainbowAotearoa #MāoriStorytelling #LGBTQIA #Playwright #DragPerformer #TheTīwhas #HeIngoa #Podcast #RealStoriesRealVoices

Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth.

If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond.

Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews.

Our conversations.
Our stories.
Our voices.

Arohanui.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Takatāpui Talk, host Donald Hollingsworth sits down with Josie Mihinui-Selwyn for a heartfelt and deeply personal conversation about family, identity, resilience, and finding love later in life.

Growing up in Maketū alongside her identical twin sister Rose, Josie reflects on the whānau connections that shaped her, the challenges she faced through marriage and motherhood, and the difficult relationships that became part of her journey.

With honesty and warmth, Josie shares how she navigated life's ups and downs before finding the woman who would become her wife. It is a story of courage, self-discovery, and the transformative power of love.

Josie also speaks openly about living with lupus, the importance of whānau support, and what it means to embrace your truth after a lifetime of experiences.

This episode is a powerful reminder that our journeys are rarely straightforward, but through resilience, connection, and authenticity, it is possible to find peace, happiness, and a place where you truly belong.

Takatāpui Talk is a platform dedicated to preserving and sharing the voices, experiences, and histories of Takatāpui and Rainbow Māori throughout Aotearoa.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and all major podcast platforms.

🌐 https://takatapuitalk.buzzsprout.com

Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth.

If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond.

Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews.

Our conversations.
Our stories.
Our voices.

Arohanui.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Takatāpui Talk, Donald Hollingsworth sits down with dancer, choreographer and breathwork facilitator Taane Mete.

Taane shares the story of a life shaped by movement — from childhood imagination and the freedom he found in dance, to performing with some of Aotearoa’s most respected companies, exploring drag, and eventually guiding others through breathwork, yoga and healing.

This is a warm and deeply personal conversation about identity, grief, creativity, embodiment and what it means to live fully as takatāpui.

Listen as Taane reflects on the people who believed in him, the experiences that shaped him, and the importance of love, movement and connection.

Thank you for listening to Takatāpui Talk with Donald Hollingsworth.

If this kōrero resonated with you, please follow, share, and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your support helps these stories reach more people across Aotearoa and beyond.

Follow Takatāpui Talk on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for episode updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and upcoming interviews.

Our conversations.
Our stories.
Our voices.

Arohanui.