A particularly large crowd turned out this evening to watch the annual Auckland Pride Parade, and although official estimate numbers are not available it appeared to GayNZ.com reporters that the spectators were far more numerous than for the past three annual parades. GLBTI community groups, mainstream businesses, political parties and the uniformed services marched in front of a crowd which stretched unbroken from Three Lamps to the Karangahape Road end of Ponsonby Road, in places three and four deep. The colourful and noisy parade started with a ribbon cutting ceremony and amongst those wielding scissors was Fran Wilde who, as an MP thirty years ago, spearheaded the successful parliamentary campaign to decriminalise male homosexual intimacy. The Police entered a particularly strong contingent, with Police and Corrections minister Judith Collins in a rainbow-hued dress leading around fifty uniformed and support staff from Auckland and as far afield as Canterbury, along with a kiwi mascot, three horse-riders, eight police dogs, a remote-controlled police car character and two real police cars giving occasional blasts on their sirens. Although many of the entries were of the coloured t-shirts and balloons type the Outline national telephone counselling service's rollercoaster-themed entry was highly creative. Beefcake abounded with buff Mad-max style drummers, six-pack marching boys and leaping acrobats. Drag queens flounced and a number of children and pet dogs were brought along for the fun. Those lost to the AIDS epidemic were remembered and community groups such as the Gay and Lesbian Singers, Falcons rugby team and competitors from the proud To Play sports event marched in large numbers. The parade was delayed for around 20 minutes by protest action but otherwise appeared to run smoothly with the crowds along its length good-natured and appreciative of the spectacle.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 20th February 2016 - 9:41pm