Outrage, disappointment and disbelief are the emotions emerging from the Auckland glbt community in the wake of a letter bearing Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard's name, sent to MPs, urging them to vote down the Civil Union Bill on the basis that gay and lesbian parents are more likely to abuse and murder their children. Western Bays Community Board member Bruce Kilmister is outraged. "If this accurately represents his position this would alienate a huge section of the community who voted for him, and flies in the face of comments he made at the GABA mayoral forum where he said the overriding concern for him in relation to the gay community was tolerance and acceptance." Richard James, president of the Gay Auckland Business Association is likewise disappointed. "These are serious comments," he says. "Given the comments he made at the GABA mayoral forum regarding civil unions, gay issues and gay rights, it's disappointing that he's decided to take this view now." James says that as a gay parent with an 11-year-old daughter he doesn't think she's any more at risk of abuse in his family than any "traditional family". Michael Wallmannsberger of the Campaign for Civil Unions says the letter contains more evidence of shoddy research. "These are unsubstantiated, baseless statements," he says. "United Future MPs have been doing this in Parliament, making statements that are on any rational basis not supported by the evidence. It's disappointing that someone in charge of a city as large as Auckland with the resources of the Auckland City Council at his disposal is so ill-informed." GayNZ.com will continue to bring you reaction and comments from the gay community as they become available. Mayor Hubbard has yet to return our phonecalls seeking to discuss his last minute betrayal of his gay supporters on the Civil Unions issue.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 8th December 2004 - 12:00pm