Musical showcase Little Gay In, with Jason Parker, is part of the Auckland Pride Festival. Photo: Luke Penney
As Auckland Pride Month kicks into high gear this weekend, queer pop star Jason Parker is out and about, performing, and enjoying the "rainbow heaven" that is the streets of central Tāmaki during February.
He joined Charlotte Ryan to share some of his favourite gay anthems and offer a warm welcome to anyone who happens to see him around:
"I've got pink on one side of my hair, blonde on the other. If you see me come say hi."
Parker is excited about his week to come, which includes attending Saturday night's Rainbow Parade, performing an afternoon set at Sunday's Big Gay Out Festival - "one of the best free events that Auckland puts on" - and three nights hosting his queer NZ music showcase Little Gay In.
"I'm blessed to just be born to perform. I love it up there," he says.
Parker first put on Little Gay In three years ago, just after he first moved to Auckland from Hawke's Bay. This year the show will be bigger than ever with three unique nights at the Basement Theatre on 19, 20 and 21 February.
On the first two nights, Parker hosts a live musical podcast with special guests Katie-Lee on the 19th and Tyrun on the 20th. On the 21st, the three will perform their original songs at a showcase event - aka "big party" - downstairs.
These days it's more acceptable for musicians to be openly queer and not hide the pronouns in their songs, he says.
"If I'm singing a song about a boy I fell in love with, I can say 'he' and it's not gonna, like, ruin my whole career, whereas someone like Elton John, there's no way that he could be singing that."
While growing up queer in rural New Zealand is hard for a lot of people, Parker feels very lucky for his experience in the tiny farming town of Waipukurau.
Although he was called 'gay' a lot at primary school, his 'switch moment' of realising they were right didn't come until he saw queer pop star Adam Lambert on American Idol as a teenager.
"You best believe I went down to the supermarket, bought a box of black hair dye and a stick of eyeliner, and my life changed forever. I have so much ... of Adam Lambert in me."
When Parker came out, he says his mum was like 'This makes sense' but his dad took a little bit longer to come around to the idea, although kept expressing his love and support.
"I really love my family. I feel very blessed."
Some of Jason's favourite gay anthems:
'It's a Sin' by The Pet Shop Boys (1987)
Parker first heard a cover of this song on the UK TV drama It's a Sin and it later became his "gateway" to all things Pet Shop Boys.
"I was like 'Okay, now I'm gonna go back through the catalogue and get obsessed with every other song... There are so many good ones. 'Domino Dancing', 'West End Girls'.
'Hung Up' by Madonna (2005)
"For what a pop star looks like, Madonna is the blueprint. She was doing things before anyone even thought about doing it that way.
"She is also a huge advocate for gay people and gay rights as well. During the AIDS crisis, she was one of the only people who would be on stage with queer people who were suffering from HIV and being like it's okay, we can touch these people."
'Milestones' by The Topp Twins
"The Topp Twins really paved the way for people like me to be doing what I'm doing. We've got to pay our respects.
Gay anthems shared by RNZ listeners:
'Small Town Boy' by Bronski Beat (from Julian)
'Just Can't Get Enough' by Depeche Mode (from Tim)
'I Am What I Am' by Gloria Gaynor (From Kay)
'Glad to be Gay' by the Tom Robinson Band (From Glenn)
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