“We Were the Town's Tomboys”: An Interview with Raukura “Bubs” Hetet

Abstract

This article is based on an extensive oral history with Raukura Te Aroha “Bubs” Hetet (1940–1993), a Māori woman from a small town in Aotearoa/New Zealand, who was aware of same-sex attraction from an early age, living in lesbian relationships for most of her adult life. She was seen as a tomboy in her small town, and describes some cross-dressing episodes when she was a teenager. Later, Bubs identified as butch in her social life and in her relationships. She worked for the New Zealand Post Office, joined the Women's Royal New Zealand Air Force, and made her home in the city of Auckland. The interview provides a rare opportunity to consider a life seldom documented in lesbian histories.