Akira – Part 1/2
I’ve never left Christchurch. I don’t really want to. This is where my roots are, where my husband is, and our family, and we’ve just got a great life here. Christchurch is a great place to be at the moment.
I was adopted into a Pakeha family when I was three years old. I’m Maori on my birth mother’s side, and Japanese on my birth father’s side.
My adopted parents, Dad was a detective in the police force, and Mum was a nurse for Nurse Maude, and they had five of their own biological kids. When they weren’t busy being detectives or nurses and looking after their own kids, Mum and Dad ran a foster home. We always had kids in and out of the family, but for some reason they decided to adopt me.
I know what it’s like to have a really supportive, inclusive family and I know that it’s not the same for a lot of our Rainbow community. If I can help improve someone’s life or connect them with the support systems, or just connect them with the community, then my life’s been worthwhile.
I guess I got that from my parents, because they always helped people. Didn’t matter who you were, where you were from, if you needed something they’d give you the shirt off their back. We didn’t have a lot, but they had good hearts.
Growing up being Maori, Asian, queer, I never really saw myself in the rainbow community. The only images I saw of gay men were blonde, tall guys with abs, and that was never going to be me!
Diversity and inclusion is integral to me, and so that’s why I do the work that I do, because I know a lot of people don’t quite feel seen. If people can see themselves, they feel that sense of inclusion and belonging.
The world is just a much better place if we can just be a bit more open-minded and don’t sweat the small stuff.
And that’s why I do drag as well, because it’s just about having a bit of fun, it’s sprinkling some colour and glitter, and not taking the world so seriously.”
August 2026
This story is part of an inclusivity campaign in collaboration with InCommon and Christchurch Pride.