UniQ has set up a Facebook page against the Goverment's funding of Destiny Church UniQ Otago has joined the groups hitting out at the Ministry of Social Development's funding of Destiny Church youth services. Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has revealed $860,000 was given to the social services arm of the bitterly homophobic and transphobic church. She defended the funding by saying Government decisions are not based on religious affiliation. UniQ President Justin Boswell says "enough is enough" when it comes to the Government funding and supporting openly biased organisations. "Any organisation that marginalises and separates any section of the New Zealand community should not be the beneficiary of Government funds," Boswell says. "These programs are realistically inseparable from the church's message, which is one of homophobic views. Our Government should not continue to endorse this message in any way." UniQ Otago has started a Facebook group in support of its message, 'Enough is enough with funding Destiny Church and its anti-LGBT agenda'. "We need to send a clear message to the Government that groups preaching intolerance are not ones our citizens want getting public funds. This money could be directed towards any number of supportive groups in the wider community which do not instil Homophobic messages in their members," Boswell says. UniQ believes that Government funding should only be given to programmes that follow the Human Rights Act. "When you look at the majority of social support programs out there, almost all of them already follow these basic criteria; it is why they are created. How Destiny managed to receive funding is beyond us." UniQ Otago has released a petition, which can be signed online.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 11th June 2011 - 8:03pm