What is a modern Māori famiy construct? Labour MP for Waiariki, Tamati Coffey (Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Te Roro o Te Rangi, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Āti Awa) knew he wasn’t going to have the ‘coffee-book’ family. Wife, two kids, white-picket-fence and a dog.
At 15 years old, Coffey came to a startling realisation - because he was gay, his line of whakapapa would stop with him. It was an internalised turmoil he faced, but came to terms with. Fate, however, had other plans - and two weeks ago, Coffey became a father.
It’s a conundrum nobody should ever have to face - potentially being the ‘end-of’the-line’, essentially ‘where-the-whakapapa-stops’. This is Tamati’s story.
This is The Taumata Kōrero.
21 июл 2019
