4.20PM: Auckland Mayor Len Brown has reaffirmed his personal support for council funding to make the proposed Pride festival a reality. The mayor was speaking from the main stage of this afternoon's Get It On Big Gay Out and the community committee established to guide an annual glbt festival into place has subsequently confirmed to GayNZ.com that a concrete proposal has been formally presented to the council. The Council's events organisation has for some time identified a glbti festival as a welcome addition to Auckland's annual major events callendar and last year funding was nominally earmarked to assist such an event. A number of councillors, including deputy mayor Penny Hulse, are also known to support significant council events funding being made available to the project. The crowd at the BGO continues to be philosophical about the occasional rainshowers which have been a feature of this afternoon's event and enthusiasm hasn't been dasmpened. Amidst the thousands of glbt folk two lesbians, both in their early 20s and both named Hannah, say they are having a great time. "It's really empowering to have such a positive and fun celebration," says one Hannah, for whom this is her first BGO. Her companion has baked a rainbow cake and is sharing pieces of it with glbti people she meets around Coyle Park. GayNZ.com Daily News is filing regular live reports throughout the afternoon from the Big Gay Out. Photos from the park will begin to be progressively posted on this site from early this evening. You can discuss this New Zealand gay community news story in the GayNZ.com Forum.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 12th February 2012 - 4:28pm