New Zealand GAYTM “pinkwashed” by queer activist group
A NEW Zealand ANZ GAYTM was defaced with pink paint last week by a group called Queers Against Injustice, who published an online explanation behind the incident after initial reports stated it as a homophobic act.
Our Ponsonby GAYTM was vandalised this morning. Sadly some people still ignorant & intolerant @ANZ_NZ #GAYTMNZ #PRIDE pic.twitter.com/hBDf8xZMcI
— ANZ NZ Media (@ANZ_NZ_Media) February 19, 2015
Originally reported by Stuff.co.nz as a vandalistic attack by people deemed to be “ignorant” and “intolerant” to the current pride celebrations in NZ, Queers Against Injustice soon after claimed responsibility of the act by stating that the “pinkwashing” was a protest against “the commercialisation of the Pride festival”.
Pinkwashing, a term the group defined as being an act in which institutions co-opt LGBT struggles to distract from or disguise unethical behaviour, was used against the ANZ GAYTMs as a way to “object to the representation of queer identity in terms of consumptive and wealthy citizens”.
The group also cited that by “associating queer politics with personal banking within a gentrified area reduces the queer subject to a bourgeois, cis-gender, white, male subject, and in doing so reproduces many of the intersecting injustices by which queer subjects are marginalised”.
Technician tending to our vandalised GAYTM – looks like it’s going to be a big clean up job #GAYTMNZ #PRIDE @anz_nz pic.twitter.com/zYxQkyYoDL — ANZ NZ Media (@ANZ_NZ_Media) February 19, 2015
The group also wrote on their website that it was “disheartening that the representation of our symbolic pinkwashing of the GAYTM has been manipulated into an act of hatred and complicity. This misrepresentation reinforces the image of tolerance that ANZ has spent a lot of money marketing to us.”
Australia will see it’s first GAYTM for the Mardi Gras season on Tuesday morning on Sydney’s Oxford St.
Sounds like the kind of group who get outraged for the sake of being outraged. I don’t want these vandals representing us.
I am more worried about Tony’s new law on “Metadata” targeting gay men and what adult gay porn sites they are on!
Well he did say and quote back in March 2010 – “I am threatened by homosexuality”!
Either or great publicity for all parties involved
Stupid with a capital Fuckwits! This kind of shit has to stop. Makes me so angry.
Face palm. These vandals need to get out a little more
Look, I’ve lived in Australia for 10 years and living in NZ being brought up here is torture being gay, everyone wants to be a celebrity or having there say. I kinda understand this manic behaviour. I don’t approve though
This is so fucking stupid.
Absolutely shameful and disgusting.
Absolutely disgusting!! I can’t believe that there is some pro-gay support coming from a bank, and a group who identify as gay themselves have decided it’s a GOOD idea to wilfully damage them?! The coward pieces of shit should own up to their asshole act, and hand themselves into the police.. But we all know they won’t…
There’s truth to the madness
A disservice to the LGBTQI community. Fair enough we’re all entitled to our opinions. I just think it’s about time we let this ‘us vs the world’ mentality go.
Dumb idiots!
Fucking morons. They don’t ‘act’ on my behalf. Self-righteous twats.
I really resented these ATMs last year when they were in Sydney… It stereotypes us when they use pink colour and feathers etc etc. those things don’t represent me or anybody that I know.
Absolute Disgusting. They should be ashamed
These assholes are giving us all a bad name. Its bloody rediculous that they would do this, they are like the LGBTIQ extremists. I would never stand up and say I am one of them.
Remember money talks and if big companies are on our side then we should be bloody happy with that, money influences and companies such as ANZ have done a heap for the LGBTIQ community.
I refuse to believe that gays could be responsible for such a horribly boring shade of pink.
Bitter queens spoil it for the rest of us who want to celebrate for the queers
What does “associating queer politics with personal banking within a gentrified area reduces the queer subject to a bourgeois, cis-gender, white, male subject, and in doing so reproduces many of the intersecting injustices by which queer subjects are marginalised” even mean?
I’d say “pinkwashing” is just as complicit
It’s vandalism and spoils things for everyone else. Prats.
I’m all for radical queer activism. But I’d rather see it directed to a different audience. I tend to think that this pot shot went wide of the mark.
If your going to report something get your facts right Here in Sydney we had many atm’s decorated last year and for the last week or so once you put your card in you are greeted with ” HELLO DARLING “across the screen with a rainbow
Assuming you’re talking about the line
“Australia will see it’s first GAYTM for the Mardi Gras season on Tuesday morning on Sydney’s Oxford St.”
While we saw GAYTMs last year, the first one for *this season* (as the article implies) is on Tuesday. Their facts are correct.
Ok I’m sorry Andrew Wogas I did read the article wrong it was probably because I was getting wound up as I can’t believe a gay group would turn on a company that has backed the gay community for so long
No use getting wound up over f*ckwits mate :) thankfully their opinions belong to a very specific minority.
I fail to understand how damaging someone else’s property (big four bank or not) furthers your cause, whatever it is, and whoever the target. It’s just ignorant and selfish.
Aren’t they called vandals?
The don’t want pride ‘commercialised and mainstream’ but they want awareness and equality.
Um…..
Corporatisation of a social policy is a little hard to grapple, but if it leads to more general community acceptance (which it does), where is the harm? They’re radical – they have the right to believe in what they believe in, but violent or radical revolution is not he process to achieve such outcomes.
Oh come on..
They did the same thing last year in Oxford Street Sydney
How do you know that?
no homophobic vandals attacked the Oxford St one, these are anti capitalist queers on the NZ one
This is why we can’t have nice things.
Idiots