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Overview
Crowned king
In 2019, Te Papa collected a small group of objects that reflect key moments in the life of a young, transgender New Zealander as he transitioned, both socially and medically, in the late 2010s. Assigned female at birth, he identifies as non-binary and trans masculine, and uses he/him pronouns.
This plastic jewelled crown is a very public and affirmative moment in the life of Will Hansen, a young non-binary person who began his transition while attending university. In 2015, he made the decision to 'come out' as trans to his friends and university hostel in Wellington. Of the experience he writes:
'I came out to my friends as trans on the 8th of August, 2015 (which included posting on our group’s facebook page a link to the song ‘I’m Coming Out’ by Diana Ross). On the 9th of August, we had our student hostel’s ball, and I was crowned king. It felt like a movie! Or, perhaps more cringingly, an episode straight out of Glee! Complete with the hall chanting my name, and later a slow-dance and sweet moment with the person I had a crush on at the time. It was truly unforgettable, and I will never know how to thank my friends enough for the overwhelming support I have received since day one.'
Glee
Glee is an award winning American TV series that ran from 2009 to 2015. The show focused on a school 'glee' club and combined the genres of musical, comedy and drama. Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan the series became known for its openly gay and trans-characters, including Unique Adams, played by Alex Newell and Shannon Bieste played by Dot Marie Jones. The TV show has been recognised for representing s LGBTQI+ characters in positive ways and for driving mainstream acceptance of LGBTQI+ communities.