While most Pride events across the country have been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, that doesn't mean we as a community and as a country can't celebrate who we are and what has been achieved so far.
There are many things that still need to change both here and overseas, but if we turn and look to our history, it can be shocking for some just how different things were less than a generation ago.
Here's a look back at four key moments in New Zealand's queer history.
49 votes to 44 - Homosexual law reform in Aotearoa
It's hard to believe that it wasn't that long ago that homosexuality was illegal in New Zealand.
The Homosexual Law Reform Act was signed into law in July 1986 after intense political debate led by MP Fran Wilde.
It's also important to remember that there were some vicious opponents to the law change: None more so than National Party MP Norman Jones.
"You're looking into Hades, you're looking at the homosexuals, don't look too hard you might catch Aids," Jones told parliament.
"Go back into the sewers where you come from. Let all the normal people stand up. We do not want homosexuality legalised. We don't want our children contaminated by those people."
Then National MP John Banks added: "Those members who wheel themselves through the doors of the Ayes lobby to vote for legalised sodomy at the age of 16 should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves."
Phil Goff, Annette King, Trevor Mallard and Peter Dunne were in parliament at the time and voted in favour of the law change. So too was Winston Peters, who voted against.
Civil Unions
With New Zealand not quite ready for same-sex marriage, the Civil Union Act was passed in 2004 and gave many of the rights of a married couple to people in a civil union.
The Civil Union Bill passed its third and final reading by 65 votes to 55. Those opposed it included Damien O'Connor and John Tamahere from the left, and Don Brash, Gerry Brownlee, Judith Collins, Bill English, Maurice Williamson, John Key and Lockwood Smith from the right.
Despite the law change, the number of civil unions taking place remained low, peaking at 374 in 2006.
In 2010, just as many opposite sex civil unions took place as male couple unions.
Marriage Equality
On April 17, 2013, the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act passed into law with 77 votes to 44.
MP Louisa Wall introduced a private members bill a year earlier which would see Aotearoa's marriage laws changed to allow same-sex couple to marry and be given equal rights to those in heterosexual marriages.
MP Maurice Williamson's 'big gay rainbow' speech turned him into an overnight international gay icon. Parts of his speech can been seen in the video above.
Gatherings took place in bars, clubs and living rooms across the country as members of the rainbow community awaited the results of the vote in parliament's debating chamber.
Following the vote count being read out and confirmation the law change would take place, an impromptu performance of 'Pokarekare Ana' was performed from the public gallery of the debating chamber, moving many MPs in the house to tears.
On Auckland's Karangahape Road, the community celebrated.
'Pray the gay away': Conversion therapy made illegal
Performing conversion practices intended to change or suppress someone's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression was made illegal in New Zealand just this month.
It passed with 112 votes in favour, with eight National MPs opposed.
Under Judith Collins' leadership, National voted as a block against the bill; but this changed when Christopher Luxon got in the captain's seat of the party and allowed its MPs to vote on conscience.
Simon Bridges, Simeon Brown, Melissa Lee, Todd McClay, Simon O'Connor, Chris Penk, Michael Woodhouse and Shane Reti opposed the bill at the third reading.
Under the law, performing conversion practices could result in a prison sentence of up to five years.
At Select Committee, the bill received nearly 107,000 public submissions - the highest number of public submissions ever received.
Labour MP Kiri Allan posted the following message on Twitter following the vote.
"At 16, I went through conversion therapy (it wasn't called that, but that's what it was) through my church. I desperately tried to 'pray the gay' away - to be accepted by my family, community and church. My 'illness" & 'weakness' to temptation was etched as sin into my skin," she said.
"Ultimately, I had to divorce myself from my church, my safe place that I had always known. I had to break my parents' hearts (because they held a genuine belief, at that time, that I was going against God's teachings) and be cast adrift from my spiritual community."
