Elizabeth Kerekere

Elizabeth Kerekere (Ngāti Oneone, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Whānau a Kai, Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri) (born 1966) is the Founder/Chair of Tīwhanawhana Trust (2000), a scholar and an activist within the LGBTQ+ community in New Zealand. She identifies as takatāpui and produced the first major research on mental health and the culture of on the takatāpui whānau. Kerekere is also an artist, having graduated from EIT with a Bachelor in Māori Visual Arts (Te Toi o Ngā Rangi).

Education

Throughout her studies at EIT, Kerekere focussed on mana tupuna (ancestors), mana wahine (women) and mana takatapui (the right to live and love regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity) and was the only degree graduate to have a solo exhibition. After graduating from EIT, Kerekere spent the following five years researching the development of takatapui identity in the 21st century at Victoria University of Wellington, arguing that pre-colonial Māori were sexually experimental people who openly accepted gender and sexual fluidity.

Politics

Kerekere stood in the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand in the 2017 New Zealand general election. She placed third of three candidates with 1,924 votes.