Although the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi have yet to be re-introduced into the Auckland Pride Festival Inc. constitution as signaled in June the matter will be addressed when the forthcoming 2016 Festival is over. When the Auckland Pride Festival trust morphed itself into an incorporated society after the first festival the Treaty clause was left out of the new constitution. At today's second public Pride consultation hui, Pride Board member Shirley Allan said a review of the organisation's constitution had been scheduled and restoring the treaty commitment would be part of that process. "The Treaty will go back into the constitution as part of our determination to reach out and support minorities more," she said, describing its disappearance as being "lost in translation" between the two organisations. When the disappearance of the Treaty provisions was discovered by GayNZ.com Daily News gay community stalwart and performer Mika, a strong proponent of urban glbti Maori culture, threatened to turn his back on the festival unless he was assured it would be reinstated.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 14th November 2015 - 10:50pm