SHORTY STAR AWA 'I WAS HIT & SPAT ON!

The trans actress reveals a violent attack that put her in a dark place - and the love that saved her

- Cloe Willetts

When actress Awa Puna led a large transgender rights march in Auckland last year, the Shortland Street star looked at the thousands of supporters around her and tears of pride streamed down her face.

With her loving partner Mark Chayanat Whittet by her side, she was protesting British anti-trans activist Posie Parker, who’d arrived to tour New Zealand. As the group played musical instruments and banged pots together to make noise, Awa smiled, not anticipating the violence about to unfold.

“The reality hit when we saw a group of around 1000 Destiny Church members who didn’t want us there,” recalls Awa, 24, who stars in the new TVNZ+ series The Boy, The Queen And Everything In Between.

“Someone stood on my shoe and it came off, so I went to pick it up and a man pulled me by my hair, which sent me to the ground. Then I started being hit. Later that day, a lady with a pram left the child’s side to run up to us and spit right in my face! It felt pretty dangerous, but I knew it was important to be there to show that myself and others like me matter.”

The event was confusing for Awa, who’d experienced transphobia in the past but never on that scale. She kept to herself, feeling depressed at home, for two weeks afterwards.