Tribute to Sharon Alston – Taranaki Lesbian Newsletter (1995)
Publication: Taranaki Lesbian Newsletter (TLN)
Date: 1995
Location: Taranaki / New Plymouth, Aotearoa New Zealand
🌈 Tribute to Sharon
This page contains a handwritten tribute by Fiona to Sharon, who died of lung cancer in Mater Hospital after a period of illness. The tribute highlights:
Sharon’s death during a thunderstorm on Friday 10 February
Her role in bringing the lesbian community together
The memorial gathering held at the crematorium, with songs, readings, poems, letters and memoirs
Her influence in the lesbian community nationally, including early visibility in Auckland in the 1970s
The way she lived openly and courageously at a time when public lesbian visibility attracted backlash
The writing frames Sharon’s legacy as one of truth, dignity, and community-building, capturing both grief and gratitude within the lesbian community.
🏳️🌈 Community life in Taranaki
Alongside the tribute, the page includes:
Club 47 (Women Only)
Regular lesbian social nights in Taranaki
Held on the 2nd Saturday and 4th Friday of each month
Queer Pride Week (Taranaki)
Listed dates: 19–26 June
Encouragement to look out for local programmes closer to the time
This shows how memorial, social life, and activism were interwoven within TLN — the newsletter functioned as both community memory and events calendar.
