Photo: Robert Kitchin
WELLINGTON ICON
Wellington, with its stuffy capital city bureaucracy, actually has a liberal outlook and was once home to the most famous drag queen in Australasia. Cultural icon, Carmen Rupe was a colourful character who is now immortalized by four pedestrian traffic lights in Cuba Street in the central city. It is believed to be the first traffic light illustration of a drag queen in the world. The lights were officially unveiled this month on the 30th anniversary of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill coming into effect. It’s ironic that a person known for effectively creating Wellington’s red light district, should be remembered with a green light. Perhaps it says something about how far the nation has come in accepting its gay community.
Ceidrik Heward is an Amazon TOP SELLING AUTHOR and has lived and worked in 7 countries working as a TV cameraman, director and film tutor. For the past 17 years he has focused on writing and has been published in magazines and newspapers in Europe, USA, Asia and the Middle East.
His interests include photography, psychology and metaphysics. He loves to read and always has at least 3 books on the go. He has written 22 manuals/books and has just completed his 4th short novel. Ceidrik believes sharing information and stories is the best way to stimulate the imagination and enrich our lives.