Law Reform Girl (1986)
‘Law Reform Girl 1986’ (2023) by Yuki Kihara. Plastic doll, fabric and mixed media. 360mm (H) x 170mm (W). Part of ‘BERTHA’ (2023) exhibition by Yuki Kihara curated by Natalie King. Commissioned by the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo, Sydney. Courtesy of Yuki Kihara and Milford Galleries, Aotearoa New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Gui Taccetti.
“The jacket was made by my drag sister Shuvon.
In 1986, the Homosexual Law Reform (HLR) bill was passed into law decriminalising homosexual acts in NZ. This was the outfit I wore in March down Queen St, the main road in Auckland’s CBD. I marched in solidarity with my gay, lesbian and trans brothers and sisters and many straight allies. Arm in arm with my drag sisters, we marched and our image ended up on the front page of the NZ Herald. I was courting discovery as I was not yet out to my family.
The photo shows a performance at Mr Gay Auckland competition in 1992 with one of my signature endings of falling to the ground. No wonder my knees are wrecked in later life.
The HLR was an important step allowing our community to deal with the impending effects of a strange virus decimating gay communities overseas, later called HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus.”
-BERTHA aka Harold Samu