Tue 9 Aug 2016 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Kirsten Sibbit The Auckland Pride Festival board has defended its efforts to include Maori and Pasifika people and communities in festival governance and events and to be an open and inclusive organisation. The board is responding to allegations by a recently-departed board member, Phylesha Brown-Acton, that Maori and Pasifika people are under-represented in glbti organisations and events and she has singled out Auckland Pride as an example. She says during her two years on the Pride board her attempts to raise race inequality issues were met with transphobia, racism, gatekeeping and ignorance. She believes transgender and transsexual peoples need to be welcomed and given opportunity to be in governance positions or be nurtured into these positions. “As a Board, we always try to ensure that our event represents all parts of the rainbow communities, especially those represented in Aotearoa. That includes Maori, Pasifika, trans and queer communities,” says Auckland Pride co-chair Kirsten Sibbit. “We aim to have a diverse Board that enables us to do that and also look for Board members that have a broad range of skills, capabilities and experience. Each year we are incredibly proud of the contributors to the Festival that deliver incredible events telling Maori, Pasifika and transgender stories.” “Since the end of the last Festival, we have had a number of retirements which also concerns us in terms of the current lack of diversity on the Board. We're seeking to fill those roles and have been open in our desire for applications from members of parts of our communities not currently represented, particularly people who represent Maori, Pasifika and transgender communities. We still have open positions and are interviewing candidates now. We have also this year opened up the Board into a committee structure and have sought applications for additional input through this structure. Where we haven't found that the right representation has come forward, we have talked with people in the community to find people who want to be involved.” Sibbit says the board meetings are an open environment, "allowing its members to raise issues that they feel strongly about and fully expects to engage in debate at times.” She adds that the Board members “are here to do the best that they can to deliver an event that represents and entertains the rainbow communities of Auckland and Aotearoa and makes them proud. All members have the ability to influence the direction of the Festival and the Board.” She says board members are open to meet or talk with anyone who has an interest in Pride. And, she says, the current board is looking at moving away from the closed/appointed membership model it inherited, to an open membership arrangement, though it is not yet clear if this fundamental change in the organisation will be able to be put in place before the next festival early next year.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 9th August 2016 - 1:50pm