weaponising 'community'

That's how I'd characterise the moves of my opponents since I said in 2021 that I wasn't a believer in prisons and that I thought restorative justice was an interesting idea. However, it's not restorative if both parties are unable to agree, and I certainly think that claiming a 'community focus' in order to avoid paying me for the mahi that I put in to write those screenplays and songs isn't really in the spirit of utu (or reciprocity). As I see it, these people significantly affected my mana by making baseless claims, and they don't have a mental illness as an excuse. They haven't taken any significant steps to rebuild that reputation, and Tina isn't a step towards that because the notes that were given to me were essentially intended to gut my politics and to re-write it into something that the transphobes were more comfortable with. I'm absolutely and completely legally entitled to choose to adapt my screenplay, based on my own life, into another medium, and IIML has to accept my choice to refuse to write it under their aegis. That's me exercising my right to choose who I associate with, and that is another of the core rights that the Bill of Rights protects. My only friend in that group of people literally waged a war of his own against those people. Like, Alan and Michelle Cameron have nice jobs working for VUW now, but I'm actually opposed to working with them because of those jobs. Here's a significant quote from Michael O'Leary's book: "One thing that always puzzled me in relation to the Globe readings [poetry readings at The Globe Hotel] was the total lack of interest from the university people. None of the English literature students or lecturers attended the readings. I thought this strange as both Roger Horrocks and Wystan Curnow were always enthusiastic when returning from various times in the USA, saying how exciting it was in New York and San Francisco that there was these live poetry readings, and I thought it would be natural to encourage their students to attend the same things that were happening in their own city. It was the same in the mid-2000's when Mark Pirie and I organised the Winter Readings series of live readings in Wellington. None of the IIML students or teachers supported us, despite Bill Manhire and several of the other tutors emphasising the importance of students being exposed to different types of work, live readings etc." Briefly, I've given a number of performances: many of which were on the actual streets. And it really is true that not a single lecturer or current student from the NZSM has ever attended any of those things. I don't like performing in concert halls, and I'm also not particularly fond of churches either. In 2021, I was regularly performing at Ingrid's open mic night, and so was Aidan. Despite this, I never saw any other classical music people at those events. It's only you lot that haven't gotten the full Amanda experience. The politicians have had the opportunity to hear me play guitar, and many of them have taken me up on that opportunity. Newsflash: I'm not the for-profit institution in this fight! In fact, I've spent what amounts to tens of thousands of dollars on a cause that isn't likely to directly lead to a profit for me, though a liberal pro-coffee club regime might result in a liveable income. - In many ways, what I'm doing is what Chloe doesn't quite have the balls to do. She's made some strong public statements about how it sucks that virtually all music venues are supported by alcohol sales. I reckon she still goes to those gigs, though. If you check my reviews, you'll see that most of those weren't alcohol venues. I mean, the Bluegrass Society does sell beers, but it's primarily the ticket sales that support Andrew and the rest of the WBS. Don's gig was at Old St. Paul's, and Tiki's gig was at the Te Papa rotunda. Indeed, none of the gigs that I've reviewed have taken place at a bar. I drink privately, but I fucking hate public drunkeness, particularly as a trannie. Like, I swear that after a few drinks people see what they want to see, and that's genuniely dangerous for me, as we've seen regarding some drugged-up people that got way too fresh with me. - People from my old world keep thinking 'oh, it's such a fluke that Sondheim gave you that tape' and 'why are Peter and Fran so interested in your movies?' Well, the answer is simple: I'm genuine, and I'm more than willing to say when the stuff that my idols produce is crap. Plus my movies passed the litmus test, and felt like 'real' films, which is a really high bar to jump. See, the difference here is that, instead of John Waters making the films, Divine made her own films. And that's literally true, in that Dave Roil actually directed Te Whakaahua, and also that I made the Dakumentary. If talented and powerful people are interested in my career, and willing and able to give me legal advice to further my goals, I see that as something that I've earned by doing all the various things that I've done. I wasn't kidding when I said that virtually every major NZ musician is broadly supportive of my channel and the cause. If anything, it's a sign that they think they could do business with me, while the uni folk are baffled and shocked by my business tactics. I'm sorry that tenure isn't appealing to me, but it really isn't. I'm a practical person, even though I can explain the theory behind my music. My VUW boycott is practical, and fairly straightforward: if you want me to give a lecture, find another place for me to speak. Please stop harassing me, VUW. I wrote those cease-and-desists, and they're valid.