The Same Same but Different festival
inspired an avalanche of emotion in me. I wasn’t able to attend all
the Same Same events but the ones I did left me reeling.
It isn’t enough to say that I was impressed by the calibre of LGBT writing talent on display - I was in awe. The highlight for me was definitely the gala event They fuck you up your mum and dad, featuring the impressive oratory and literary talents of Paula Boock, Gina Cole, Benjamin Law, Courtney Sina Meredith, Sam Orchard, Philip Patston, Ngahuia Te Awekotuku and Peter Wells.
A family-themed night at an LGBTI
writers festival was always guaranteed to bring forth a well of
emotion in both audience and speakers. Certainly, as the title of the
event suggests, LGBTI people are far more likely to experience a
strained and complicated relationship with their parents as a result
of their gender or sexual orientation. I was pleasantly surprised to
feel uplifted rather than depressed afterwards; the stories presented
were heartbreaking at times but more heartwarming. It disrupted my
own assumption that most LGBTI people of a certain age have
relationships with their parents that are complicated at best and
estranged at worst.
The evening began on a positive and sweet
note, with Paula Boock recounting the delightfully bittersweet story
of her parents. This story set the tone for the night - while there
were darker moments overall, what came across was the immense love
between children and their parents, and the way that love ultimately
overcomes the rest.
There was a somewhat tense moment during Ngahuia Te Awekotuku’s talk when she spoke out against the outspoken and vulgar racism of Philip Larkin, the poet whose writing served as the inspiration behind the night's topic. It is always difficult to initiate conversations about race and racism, but Te Awekotuku did so with poise. Hopefully, she inspired the organisers and audience to self-reflect and be more critical of the art they consume and celebrate.
The hour and a half flew by, and when
the talk was over I honestly felt sad wanting to hear more.
The Same Same but Different Festival is something definitely worth making part of your busy Pride month event itinerary.
