Taranaki Gay Society Newsletter No. 1 – September 1978

Organisation: Taranaki Gay Society

Date: 11 September 1978

Location: New Plymouth, Taranaki, Aotearoa New Zealand

This is Newsletter No. 1 of the Taranaki Gay Society, marking an important moment in the formal organisation of the local LGBTQ+ community in New Plymouth.

Key highlights from the document include:

• 📣 Establishment of the group’s new nameThe newsletter confirms the group has formally adopted the name Taranaki Gay Society, reflecting a move toward a clearer, public identity.

• 🏛️ Formal structure & constitutionMembers are informed that the group now has an official constitution, agreed upon and printed. This signals a shift from informal gatherings to a more structured organisation.

• 👥 Committee roles and leadershipThe group reports on:

  • President and Vice President appointments

  • Committee members elected

  • Secretary/Treasurer and South Taranaki Liaison Officer returned unopposed

• 💰 Membership feesMembership is set at $6 per year, with newsletters included — a strong sign of sustainable grassroots organising in the late 1970s.

• 🗓️ Regular meetings and social eventsThe Society commits to:

  • Monthly business meetings

  • At least two social events per month

  • Upcoming parties and meetings at private flats on St Aubyn Street, New Plymouth

• 💬 Community-building toneThe newsletter encourages members to take responsibility for the group’s growth, reinforcing the idea that this was a member-powered, community-led organisation.

• 😄 Humour and warmthThe “Joke of the Month” reflects how newsletters were not only administrative but also social glue, building familiarity and warmth within a community that often had few safe public spaces.