Bruce Kilmister MNZM While a gay man was being made a Member of New Zealand Order of Merit at Government House in 2001 a woman invited to the day's investitures loudly voiced her disgust at a homosexual being honoured. Bruce Kilmister says he was only half aware of the comment from amongst the audience as the then-Governor General Dame Sylvia Cartwright was reading the backgrounding preamble prior to pinning the badge on his chest. The GG mentioned his work on important causes such as Homosexual Law Reform, HIV and Auckland's Hero Project. Kilmister says he is not sure of exactly what was called out from the audience as he was concentrating on the ceremony. "I half heard it... it was something like 'disgusting' or disgraceful'," he says. Another member of the audience came up to him after the ceremony and apologised for the woman's behaviour, he recalls. Kilmister says the warm reception and respect accorded to more recent honorees shows how far New Zealanders have moved on from more homophobic and transphobic times.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 9th June 2016 - 8:43pm