Warning: This article contains content which may be distressing to some audiences.
Older Takatāpui and Rainbow people are almost twice as likely to experience abuse and harm as other older people, according to a new report by Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura.
The report found that 32 percent of Takatāpui and Rainbow older people experienced at least one form of harm in the past 12 months, compared with 16 percent of other older people.
“To have survived this long and then look to retirement, then find that you go into a rest home and [they] won’t allow you to be who you are, it’s extremely scary,” says Takatāpui advocate, Dr Huhana Hickey.
Hickey says many older people have experienced violence and discrimination throughout their lives.
“The memories I have are the people that threatened you or raped you, tried to murder you sometimes. They’d assault you all the time because, as far as they thought, you just need a real man to sort yourself out,”
“So a lot of our community have experienced that at the age they are now at retiring.”
The report was commissioned as part of the Ministry of Social Development’s wider Prevention of Abuse of Older People work programme.
Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura - Outing Violence, alongside the University of Auckland, looked into abuse experienced by older Takatāpui and Rainbow people. Those surveyed were older than 55, and the abuse was not only abuse as elders, but across their lifetimes.
“If you’re talking about kaumātua in that age group when it was illegal before the homosexual law reform and coming out was a risk always,” Hickey explains.
“I saw some beautiful people ending up in prison and ending up suicide afterwards. We went through the AIDS epidemic as well.”
Ngā tūkinotanga rerekē
Anna Tashkoff from Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura says the report highlights the different forms of abuse experienced by older Takatāpui and Rainbow people.
“Ka tūkinotia ngā kaumātua takatāpui e ngā kaimahi, e ngā kiritata, e ngā whanaunga,” she says.
“I ētahi wā, ka aukatia ngā kaumātua kia kore rātau e kite i a rātau mokopuna hei mahi uruhi.”
The report identifies several forms of abuse, including spiritual, psychological, physical, verbal, domestic, financial and sexual abuse.
Financial harm was reported by 14% of Takatāpui and Rainbow older people, compared with 3.8% of other older people.
Cultural and spiritual harm was reported by 12.8%, compared with 3%, while physical harm was reported by 10.1%, compared with 2.6%.
This means Takatāpui and Rainbow older people experienced nearly four times the rate of harm in these three categories.
Ngā hua o te tāmitanga
The report also explores the effects of colonisation on Takatāpui people.
“I’ve even seen some Māori attack our community saying it didn’t exist before colonisation, it didn’t exist in the old days - but it did.”
Hickey also says understanding whakapapa and reconnecting with mātauranga Māori can help challenge those attitudes.
“If you go through your whakapapa, you’ll find there are people in your whānau prior to colonisation who existed, who identified themselves very differently.”
Ngā whare tiaki kaumātua
The report also raises concerns about the safety of older Takatāpui and Rainbow people in residential aged care.
Hickey says some are reluctant to enter rest homes because they fear discrimination, abuse and being unable to live openly.
“Our kaumātua kuia are being abused or they get locked into rest homes and unable to live their lives,”
“You risk abuse, and that is dangerous, particularly if you’ve got dementia or early-onset dementia or Alzheimer’s.”
Te riri
Hickey also says domestic violence within Takatāpui relationships is not always recognised or taken seriously.
“For takatāpui, there isn’t much protection if the police don’t want to prosecute, if they just don’t take it seriously.”
Hickey reflected on a personal experience of domestic violence, saying the legal system did not adequately recognise the situation.
“Of course, domestic violence, the law is about violence between a man assaulting a woman.
“When I had to go and deal with my brain injury and my ex-partner, who was takatāpui, when she beat me unconscious, no, the police wouldn’t prosecute.”
Calls for better support
The report includes 24 recommendations to improve support and protection for older Takatāpui and Rainbow people.
These include culturally safe housing, healthcare and social services, as well as better recognition of Takatāpui identities in ageing policies.
“Ko te pae tata, ko a mātau taunakitanga e aro ana ki te whakapiki i te haumaru i tēnei rā, ināianei tonu, irakati,” Tashkoff says.
“Ko te whakawhanake o ngā rauemi me ngā ratonga e hāngai pū ana ki ngā kaumātua takatāpui.”
Hickey says protecting older Takatāpui people means allowing communities to care for their own.
“We protect them by setting up a takatāpui village as they are ageing and offer them that opportunity.”
“The younger generation coming through haven’t experienced that same violence. So in a way I’m hopeful it’s changing.”
National helplines:
Hohou Te Rongo Kahukura – Outing Violence: Specialist support for Takatāpui and Rainbow survivors of sexual harm, and their partners and whānau - wellbeing@kahukura.co.nz.
Elder Abuse Response Service: Free, confidential, 24-hour support for older people experiencing or at risk of abuse. Call 0800 32 668 65 or text 5032.
Age Concern: Support and advice for older people experiencing elder abuse. Call 0800 65 2 105.
OutLine Aotearoa: Free, confidential Rainbow support. Call 0800 688 5463.
Safe to Talk: Free, confidential support for anyone affected by sexual harm. Call 0800 044 334 or text 4334.
1737: Free, confidential mental health and wellbeing support, available 24/7. Call or text 1737.
If you are in immediate danger, call 111.
