Anti-gay church compared to Nazis
The massive anti-gay protest at New Zealand’s Parliament House on Monday has been compared to a Nazi Nuremberg rally by transsexual MP Georgina Beyer.
Around 8,000 members of Christian church group Destiny New Zealand marched through Wellington to Parliament House to show their opposition to the government’s plan to legally recognise same-sex relationships with the Civil Union Bill.
The legislation is currently before a Senate Committee and will give gay couples the same legal recognition as straight married couples. The bill is expected to go before a vote in the Senate on 23 December.
Beyer said many New Zealanders were deeply disturbed by images of the rally shown across the country’s television screens.
The marchers wore the uniform of black T-shirts, black pants and black boots. The men and male children were at the front marching in a military-style formation right through the middle of Wellington throwing their arm in the air yelling, -˜Enough is enough’, Beyer told Sydney Star Observer.
I felt like I was at a Nuremberg rally. To see that happening in the forecourt of our parliament – I was in disbelief.
The Destiny demonstrators were accused of trying to intimidate the 700 or so gay rights activists outside Parliament House, The Australian reported. Beyer said she was verbally abused by men, women and children saying I’m filthy, abnormal, that I’ve got a behavioural problem.
Destiny leader Brian Tamaki told the crowd, The pending Civil Union Bill represents gay marriage in everything but name. If this bill succeeds the time-honoured institution of marriage, that sustains nations, will be rendered meaningless. The breakdown of families will shift into overdrive.
A few years ago Tamaki said it was wrong for New Zealand to have female leaders such as prime minister Helen Clark, saying it was the work of the devil.