NZ’s Big Gay Out Bans Politicians From Its Stage

A stall-holder sets up at Big Gay Out in Auckland, New Zealand, on Feb. 14, 2021. Dave Rowland/Getty Images

No politicians will be allowed to speak at this year’s Big Gay Out, organisers of the LGBT festival have confirmed. The Burnett Foundation (formerly the NZ AIDS Foundation) announced its main stage at the event will be reserved for “community members and performers.”

The annual celebration is part of Pride Month and was first held in February 1999. It’s usually attended by over 10,000 people, and in past years, politicians from most parties have taken to the main stage to promote their policies during scheduled appearances agreed with the organisers.

The Foundation has been through a leadership change this year and says it has taken the opportunity to “review how best to engage politicians at our events in a way that ensures not just the advancement of our advocacy efforts but also the safety of our community in attendance.”

“Politicians are more than welcome to attend Big Gay Out, and political parties will be briefed on our advocacy priorities for the event, as well as the key community and health promotion activities on the day,” it said in a statement.

“However, this year our stage is just for talent.

“We are, of course, continuing to advocate directly for the issues that impact our communities through our organisation’s policy.”

Major LGBT Policy Changes Afoot

The decision comes at a time when the National-led coalition government is making several policy decisions that will impact LGBT people.

It has just completed consultation on a proposal to regulate the prescribing of puberty blockers, with the Ministry of Health concluding there is a lack of robust data showing their effectiveness and safety.

Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has asked Sport NZ to review and update its Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport.

He said he had concluded that they “do not reflect legitimate community expectations that sport at a community level should not just be focused on diversity, inclusion, and equity but also prioritise fairness and safety.”

And Education Minister Erica Stanford says the government will rewrite the relationships and sexuality education curriculum for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Labour MP Shanan Halbert, the party’s spokesperson for LGBT issues, said in a statement that pride is political.

“At a time when the current government is in reverse gear on positive change for our Rainbow communities, it’s baffling that they will be given a free pass at our largest Pride event and not have to defend their policies as has been the case for many, many years,” he said.

“Pride is political. It is a chance to hold politicians to account and for each party, including ours, to put their kaupapa [philosophy] forward to the rainbow community. Saying that, I also respect the decision that Burnett Foundation Aotearoa have made as the event organisers.”

Halbert confirmed that Labour will be at both the Big Gay Out and the Pride Parade.

Last year, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was forced to leave the event after facing hostility from protesters, but the Burnett Foundation refused to respond to reporters’ questions as to whether that had influenced their decision to keep politicians off-stage this year.