It’s been a year when our honours list was burgeoning, while ‘villains’ have been fewer and far between. But there are some people and organisations who firmly deserve places on this year's short New Year’s Dishonours list. They are, in alphabetical order... Colleen Bayer Colleen Bayer The head of homophobic Catholic group Family Life International who whinges about haters being called out as bigots. This year she mourned that her heart was broken because the Big Gay Out was family-friendly. So silly. Especially when in reality the Big Gay Out is far more ‘family’ friendly and a much safer space than churches and their leaders who peddle hatred and intolerance, to ‘our’ kids anyway. Gay bashers It is now 2015 and they still exist. Sadly we can’t say a lot more due to cases such as what happened at Wellington’s Ivy Bar being before the courts, but gay bashers are disgusting. Pastor Logan Robertson Logan Robertson and those moulding his mind A mini Westboro Baptist Church in our own backyard? West Auckland ‘pastor’ Logan Robertson’s hope that gay people kill ourselves and his belief that the Government should be putting us to death was just plain awful. At least it brought out the best in so many people who rushed to condemn the bizarre rhetoric. We are left wondering though, who is behind it? He says he was appointed by some other leader, and has clear links to the kind of US evangelicals who promote this sort of attitude in places like central Africa. During the campaign to decriminalise homosexuality the links between these US haters and NZ's own Bible Belt (aka Auckland's Mt Roskill) were strong and toxic. We sure hope they aren't getting their sticky fingers involved again here in Godzone. Mr Gay World 2014 organisers Accusing New Zealand’s competitor in this competition of ‘alcohol abuse’ when the evidence seems clearly against it was unprofessional and disappointing. Misrepresenting what went down in Rome was disgraceful. And still not publicly apologising to Mr Gay New Zealand Troy Williams and his Australian counterpart, or at least retracting their false and nasty slurs against both men is just plain callous. Although the Mr Gay World organisation claims a broom has been swept through their organisation those at the top are still there and basically unrepentant. We are hoping 2015 will be a much better organised year – though it remains to be seen whether New Zealand will ever again send a representative, despite our strong history of support for, and of winning, the competition. Mike Puru and his The Edge co-hosts The Edge This is becoming a regular thing – this radio station running some kind of numbskull campaign treating gay people and our lives as some kind of freakshow, and therefore making this list. This year it was the utterly tacky ‘straight mates’ wedding, a ceremony full of homophobic undertones and playground jokes which ended up with a honeymoon freak-out when they were expected to share a bed. Stay classy, The Edge. And come on Mike Puru, shouldn’t you of all people know better? Transphobes From the scaremongering spreaders of ridiculous misinformation to people within our own communities who are disappointing ignorant and hateful: Got an issue with trans people? Get over it. Educate yourself. Here’s a start. Cameron Slater Whale Oil and Cactus Kate Cameron 'Whale Oil' Slater supported marriage equality, but his blog is so liberally peppered with childish and offensive gay digs, it’s hard to take that support seriously. Throw in his mate Cathy 'Cactus Kate' Odgers’ comments, revealed in the ‘Whale Dump’ texts, that gay people are “fucking gross” and their appearance at a bar next door was like “having cold water poured over ones nipples” and we have a fine pair. Temper this read with our New Year’s Honours list, which is much more inspiring! GayNZ.com Daily News staff - 1st January 2015
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 1st January 2015 - 12:55pm