Alison Mau comes out: "Yes, I'm bisexual"

[JayB]

Posted in: New Zealand Daily News by GayNZ.com Daily News staff - 6th November 2010

Television presenter Alison Mau has tonight ended months of speculation by publicly confirming that she is indeed part of the glbt community and that media hounding of her on the matter has caused her much grief.

Speaking on stage moments before announcing the winner of the Queen of the Whole Universe fundraising pageant, Mau, 44, told the packed auditorium at the Aotea Centre that there was "no room in my life for bigotry of any kind and I am proud to be standing amongst the community."

She then acknowledged her partner Karleen Edmonds who had sat near her through the evening as Mau headed the event's judging panel, introducing her lover to the audience and saying she was looking "incredibly hot!" The audience erupted into cheers and applause.

Moments later, in an exclusive interview with GayNZ.com, asked if when she said "the community" she actually meant "our community," Mau said "Yes... I'm bisexual."

Mau was aggressively targeted by the Sunday News and other media earlier this year. The newspaper ran paparazzi-style photos of her partner and unilaterally declared her to be in an all-female relationship. However, until tonight Mau has refused to discuss the matter publicly, nor to publicly confirm her sexuality. "I haven't wanted to talk about it, it's been a difficult time and the speculation has caused me grief," she says. "And I had to bear in mind the effect this would have on my new partner and my children and ex-husband." Mau was formerly married to Television One news anchor Simon Dallow.

The new host of the long-running TV One consumer watchdog programme Fair Go says she felt the speculation in the straight media was an attempt to force her out into the open before she was ready. However, she said that at tonight's QWU event, surrounded by thousands of glbt people she finally felt safe to come out publicly. And she says that tonight she felt it was time to hit back at those who had abused her new relationship in such a "bigoted" manner.

Mau clearly had had a rough time at the height of the media speculation. "It was their bringing it up again and again that hurt," she said. Asked if she felt the newspapers which pursued her had been merely seeking sensational headlines, Mau paused for thought as if choosing her words carefully. "If it had been written up with sensitivity I wouldn't have minded so much. Then I wouldn't have felt so much grief." She says it was unpleasant to be publicly written about in such a "titillating, sniggering" manner.

She says she felt comfortable coming out through GayNZ.com Daily News because she felt the matter would be reported "more sensitively."

Mau says her attraction to Edmonds had come as a surprise. "I have fallen in love with a wonderful woman and it was just so unexpected," she smiled. Glancing around at the after-show crowd, which included glbt and straight people, she commented: "I feel safe."

[Jemima]

Yay!

[The Don]

Go Ali!

[AceKiwi2010]

Wow good news. She's normal.

 

Stick that in yer pipe and smoke it Sunday News.

[Kiwihouse]

Yawn 

[irishkiwi]

Isnt this old news?

[Matty - remember me?]

Nice work GayNZ!
She's never spoken publicly about this, she was outed by publicists at TVNZ who informed a sunday newspaper gossiper about her new relationship.
So this story is a major step as she's choosing to be open about it now, and the quotes are wonderful.
Lovely. And I wish I'd been there last night! :-) xox

[Fluffygrl]

Good for her and I hope she's happy. She's gorgeous I reckon...

[salniamh]

Yay, go Ali :-)

[Tones]

fabbbbbbbbbbbbulous!

[kinda_invisable]

I still don't understand what the fuss is about!  We all know.  Is it just that her actual confession is imprimatur of certification?  Is she now deemed a member of an illustrious body of lofty regard?  She's a ho like the rest of us.  So what?

[Jemima]

Today's NZ Herald has a short item on pageA3 that refers to Alison coming out but doesn't say as what.  You can infer some of the story by its quotes of Ali saying she's in love with another woman.  But nowhere in the story does the reporter AK (who is the NZH sports reporter) mention the words bisexual or lesbian.

Is it just my impression, or is the Herald's reporting frequently ill informed and a bit phobic on LBGT issues and people, including referring to transwomen as transvestites and "he" rather than "she"?

The fuss is like the "It Gets Better" campaign fuss, where a known and respected public figure identifies with a minority group that still faces discrimination and prejudice and negative stereotypes.  By identifying as bisexual, Ali provides a positive image of a woman in love with another woman who is not just playing up for male attention, and who is a good mother and is apparently in a committed monogamous relationship.

[kinda_invisable]

Today's NZ Herald has a short item on pageA3 that refers to Alison coming out but doesn't say as what.  You can infer some of the story by its quotes of Ali saying she's in love with another woman.  But nowhere in the story does the reporter AK (who is the NZH sports reporter) mention the words bisexual or lesbian.

Is it just my impression, or is the Herald's reporting frequently ill informed and a bit phobic on LBGT issues and people, including referring to transwomen as transvestites and "he" rather than "she"?

The fuss is like the "It Gets Better" campaign fuss, where a known and respected public figure identifies with a minority group that still faces discrimination and prejudice and negative stereotypes.  By identifying as bisexual, Ali provides a positive image of a woman in love with another woman who is not just playing up for male attention, and who is a good mother and is apparently in a committed monogamous relationship.

STOP reading the Herald dammit!!!   

[Matty - remember me?]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10686153

It's great that they linked to GayNZ.com's story. As they should!

[kinda_invisable]

WOW...I can't believe she is 44!!!  She looks early 30s.  See.  That's what happens when you go gay....you get younger!!!