New Zealand School Forced To Cancel LGBTQIA+ Event After Protest Threats

A New Zealand secondary school has been forced to cancel their upcoming LGBTQIA+ event for students after threats of a protest.

The school made the decision in the interests of the safety of the students after they received news of the protests.

However many have been left disappointed at the decision.

New Zealand School’s ‘Lil Gay Out’ Cancelled

Each year Hobsonville Point Secondary School in Auckland, New Zealand hosts their annual event, Lil Gay Out, which has been running since 2021.

The widely popular event is attended by hundreds of students from across Auckland each year and provides educational and informative workshops about mental health and sexual education.

However sadly this week students were told that the event would be unable to proceed next month.

It is understood that outside protestors had threatened to turn up to the event, something that would jeopardise the safety of the students and staff.

Speaking with the Herald, Hobsonville Point Secondary School principal Kirsty Dowding confirmed the unfortunate cancellation of the event.

“Ultimately our key role is in educating our students in a safe, happy and healthy environment,” she told the publication.

“We are aware that there is the possibility of outside protesters at this event, [and] we do not consider this risk to be in the interests of our students, staff, visitors and community and have made the decision to cancel this event” she said.

Following the announcement of the events cancellation, New Zealnd police also commented on the matter, confirming they had met with the school to discuss their concerns.

A spokesperson confirmed that the police department had conducted a meeting with the school earlier this week to discuss the event, which was scheduled for June.

“The meeting was to discuss the potential need for a policing response as part of their safety and security assessment. Ultimately, the school decided to cancel the event” said a spokesperson for the police department.

Several students spoke to the Herald anonymously expressing how upset and devastated they were at the cancellation of the event, stressing its importance to the local school community.

“Events like Lil Gay Out are not just social gatherings — they are lifelines” one student told the publication.

News of the cancellation of the Lil Gay Out event follow recent protests in February this year that disturbed Auckland pride events.

Local religious group Destiny church turned up to protest at the local pride celebrations, forcing a group of 30 attendees including young children to barricade themselves in a library.

They later turned up to the Pride March where they broke past police barricades and interrupted the parade by performing the Haka.

It has not been confirmed if this is the same group that were threatening to protest outside the Auckland school.