UniQ Aotearoa

File:UniQ-natcol-small.png

UniQ Aotearoa Logo

UniQ Aotearoa (UniQ) was Queer Students' Association of New Zealand, a collection of queer student groups at universities, polytechs and colleges of education in New Zealand.<ref name=":6">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":7">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

UniQ was active at most New Zealand universities and several polytechnics. The term queer was considered to had been reclaimed Template:Clarification needed and was used by UniQ to acknowledge both gender and sexual diversity.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":8">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was considered to be collective term for non-heterosexual and non-cisgender identities; inclusive but not exclusive to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, takatāpui, intersex and asexual people.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":8" />

The name 'UniQ' comes from the name given to the work carried out by Matt Soeberg.<ref name=":9">Template:Cite news</ref> Soeberg was employed as a Queer Project Worker by New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA) to address the needs of queer students.<ref name=":9" /> The overall name given to the work was 'UNIQ - Creating Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students' which was eventually adopted by various student groups as their name.<ref name=":9" />

UniQ worked to promote education and understanding for and about queer students undertaking tertiary study and regular events held around New Zealand's tertiary institutions. This included Pride Week when local UniQs facilitate a week-long series of events usually culminating in a dance party.

Members

UniQ Aotearoa was made up of various local iterations of UniQ and other queer student groups at different universities and polytechs across New Zealand.<ref name=":5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

UniQ Members<ref name=":5" />

Name	University
UniQ Canterbury	University of Canterbury
Wintec UniQ	Waikato Institute of Technology
UniQ Auckland	Auckland University
OUT@AUT	Auckland University of Technology
UniQ Otago	Otago University
UniQ Waikato (formerly Askew - Waikato)	University of Waikato
UniQ Victoria	Victoria University of Wellington
UniQtec	Unitec Institute of Technology
UniQ Massey Wellington	Massey University
Massey UniQ Palmerston North	Massey University

National Conferences

UniQ used to meet once annually at a national conference, starting from 1997.<ref name=":10" /> Initially known as the Queer Youth and Students (UniQ) Conference, these conferences were opportunities for students across New Zealand to come together to discuss and address the wide range of current issues facing queer students.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite report</ref> These conferences usually included workshops, planning sessions and guest speakers (including political, religious and disabled speakers).<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":11" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":12" /><ref name=":13" /><ref name=":14" />

UniQ National Conferences

Year	University / Location	Host
1997	Massey University	Massey University Students' Association (MUSA)<ref name=":1" />
1998	Wellington<ref name=":1" />	New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA)<ref name=":1" />
1999	University of Canterbury<ref name=":2" />	University of Canterbury Students' Association (UCSA)<ref name=":2" />
2001	Massey University	MUSA
2002	Otago University<ref name=":3" />	Otago University Students' Association (OUSA)
2003	Auckland University of Technology	Auckland Student Movement (AUSM)
2004	University of Waikato	Waikato Students' Union (WSU)
2005	Victoria University of Wellington<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":15">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) and UniQ Victoria<ref name=":15" />
2006	Massey University<ref name=":11">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite report</ref>	MUSA<ref name=":4" />
2007	Auckland University and Auckland University of Technology<ref name=":13">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":16">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	UniQ Auckland and Out@AUT<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":16" />
2008	Otago University<ref name=":14">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	OUSA
2009	Victoria University of Wellington<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":12">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2010	University of Canterbury<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite report</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	UCSA
2011	University of Waikato<ref name=":10">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Askew Waikato

See also

• LGBT New Zealand
• Gay rights in New Zealand

External links

• Archival link to the UniQ Aotearoa national website