Hey, guess who’s been too busy with other brain things to update this for a while? That’d be me. But let’s not waste time on it. Here’s the best things for a while. 

Best behaved weather of the week

Nice weather on a public holiday allowing us to sit outside around a fire and set intentions and let go of the things we no longer need? Cheers Tāwhirimātea!

Best new cafe in the Cuba Street area

There’s a new place for coffee and snacks near the top of Cuba St, on the corner of Tonks Grove, called Orange. It’s tiny but cute, with excellent banana bread and cheese scones (if you catch them quick enough), and a lot of customers seemed very excited by the resident fluffy dog. – Tom B

Orange Cafe counter, loaded with treats

(Anyone else remember the Orange Dining Room, next to the Bakehouse Gallery in what is now Noble Rot? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? – Editor)

Best ridiculous campaign for you to get behind

We’re starting a campaign for the most desperately needed revolution in Wellington: For Fred’s Sandwiches  (hey ANOTHER orange place on Cuba St that has an Instagram account but no website) to add sweet treats to their delivery menu, so we can have a little dessert after our perfect sandwich with the last of our delicious coffee please.

The ideal would be cups of the dreamy tiramisu from their sister The Ram (yes yes, that Wellington-wide tiramisu review is still coming), but brownies or cookies would be just fine. I’ve done some extensive research (looking at their instagram) and found that on 23 March, “Carrot cake w/ maple walnuts & brown butter miso cookies also on the menu!” so it’s not like they don’t have baking on offer to the people who visit them instore!  Please, Fred’s, help us home workers out!

Best article about A DANGEROUS MENACE TO SOCIETY

The Spinoff‘s The shocking drag storytime event Brian Tamaki didn’t want you to see. 

Threats of violence against a children’s event (or any event) is unacceptable, and using footage from an R18 show to claim that’s what happens at Drag Story Hour is fucking pathetic. While we can’t allow grifting thugs to continue to shut down events like this, Alex did a great job in shredding Destiny’s claims about the event  being unsuitable for children.

Tamaki and Destiny Church members have compared the drag storytime events to “the wolf dressed as granny waiting for [Little] Red Riding Hood”, labelling it “foul predator behaviour” and “targeting our innocent kids with their filth”. Others have posited it might just be a person dressed in sparkly clothes reading a book.

In excellent news for anyone who would have been unable to make it to the live reading, you can catch Willy’s recorded Facebook live any time now! I will warn you though, the last story was so beautiful it made me cry.

And if you wanna show some support to Willy, buy them a ko-fi.

Best other place for your rainbow dollars

Wellington Pride Festival (WPF) is being sued by representatives of an anti-trans group called Lesbian Action for Visibility Aotearoa (LAVA) after WPF made decision to not accept LAVA’s request for a stall at a gala event after the community alerted WPF to their anti-trans views. . The case will be heard by the Human Rights Review Tribunal (HRRT) in 2025. Full disclaimer – I am a new member of the WPF Board. 

To quote co-chair Tasmin Prichard in the New Zealand Herald:

Prichard said the festival and Lava had very different views on trans people.

“At the core of it, our organisation believes trans people exist, deserve the same rights as others, and have a place in Pride celebrations. We work hard to put on a bright, colourful festival every March that welcomes thousands of people, whether they’re part of the rainbow community or are whānau and friends.”

Wellington Pride Festival have a Givealittle going right now – “Funds raised by this Givealittle will be spent on supporting expert witnesses to help us and other legal costs. Any and all remaining funding left over will be donated to trans*/nonbinary support causes and charities.”