Sponsors pull out of Auckland Pride after board bans uniformed police from marching

Sponsors pull out of Auckland Pride after board bans uniformed police from marching
Image: Image: NZ Police.

Police say they will not participate in this year’s Auckland Pride Parade following a decision by its board to ban police from marching in uniform.

Police were told they would need to march in t-shirts instead of their uniforms.

An Auckland Pride Board spokesperson said that though there is “goodwill towards the NZ Police”, the agency does not “meet the degree of safety and awareness of intersectionality required by our rainbow communities”.

The decision has seen a handful of sponsors pull out of the parade, including Westpac, Bank of New Zealand, Vodafone New Zealand, and Ponsonby Business Association.

Rainbow New Zealand Charitable Trust, a charitable organisation which donated funds to the event, has pulled its $10,000 contribution after a unanimous decision from its trustees.

The New Zealand Defence Force has also said they will not apply to participate in next year’s Auckland Pride Parade.

Stuff.co.nz reported that a “scuffle” broke out at a meeting where an attendee said the board wouldn’t budge on the decision.

“We heard clearly during this consultation that for groups within our community the Police uniform does not make them feel safe,” the board said in a statement regarding the decision.

“During that time we also heard numerous stories of transphobia, racism, misogyny, and homophobia directed at members.

“The Board has a responsibility to listen to all of our community, and to pay attention to marginalised voices who have distanced themselves from Pride due to police involvement.”

Members who support the ban have alleged that the police’s refusal to march out of uniform shows that their involvement is motivated by brand management rather than genuine inclusiveness, but a spokesperson for NZ Police’s diversity liaison officers said that they want the work they’ve undertaken to make the police force more inclusive recognised in the parade.

A special general meeting will be held to discuss the decision, with some members reportedly expecting that the board will be removed through a no confidence motion.

Australia’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras recent board elections were marked with a similar debate around police involvement in the festival, with motions and candidates who supported police from marching in the Parade falling short at last month’s AGM.

This year’s Auckland Pride Parade was marred by a protest by trans-exclusionary radical feminists, or TERFs, who interrupted the parade holding a sign which read “stop giving kids sex hormones, protect lesbian youth”.

Jacinda Ardern also became the first New Zealand Prime Minister to participate in the event at this year’s parade, which also saw New Zealand’s rainbow police car take part in proceedings.

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5 responses to “Sponsors pull out of Auckland Pride after board bans uniformed police from marching”

  1. “Members who support the ban have alleged that the police’s refusal to march out of uniform shows that their involvement is motivated by brand management rather than genuine inclusiveness, but a spokesperson for NZ Police’s diversity liaison officers said that they want the work they’ve undertaken to make the police force more inclusive recognised in the parade.”

    That sure sounds like the cops are agreeing with those who support the ban…

  2. Disagree with all of the above comments.
    The police can NEVER be trusted.
    Same policy should extend to NSW police and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
    And if sponsors don’t like it, then they can fuck off, along with NSW police…

  3. Sheer stupidity – the Board should be sacked! This has to be a lesson that we can’t preach inclusiveness and then do the opposite ourselves. If the board here had barred the police and the Liberal Party as some turkey’s had wanted us to do this is precisely what would have happened to us! In short, we dodged a bullet.
    For so long through all that has happened to us we have always held the moral high ground. What the NZ board has done is to throw it all away – and there is a huge price to pay for that.

  4. Good on the Sponsors.

    So much for inclusion

    and I wonder how many have had a positive inter-action with Police ? I have and love that they march at our Mardi Gras and have their displays at Fair Day. Try banning them here and you get zero support from me.

  5. So it’s okay to be a police officer but don’t wear the uniform, keep it in the closet. Don’t ask, don’t tell.

    I wouldn’t doubt that there are some shameful incidents, I wouldn’t doubt that there were times in the past when it was all homophobic and never the sort of polite helpfulness we see on episodes of Police 10-7. But I really don’t think now is the time to be spiteful, it’s a bad look and I think it goes against the Pride spirit.