Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard has said he deeply regrets offending the gay community over a letter he signed which alleged gay parents were more likely to abuse and murder their children. Following what he calls a “good, constructive discussion” with three representatives of the Gay Auckland Business Association, Hubbard has agreed to consider formally revising his position once he is in possession of research which refutes the studies cited in the letter, which made no specific reference to gay parents. GABA has agreed to help provide the Mayor with more complete information on the subject of gay parenting. The Mayor acknowledged that his understanding of the issues around civil unions and the Relationships Bill, scheduled for passage in the New Year, was not great. He agreed to GABA's offer to invite Tim Barnett and others to keep him informed about legislative changes and research around equal rights. The Mayor has also agreed, in light of the Civil Union Bill's passage, to ask the Chief Executive to review Auckland City's policies on gay and lesbian employees. Now that the Civil Union Bill is law, Hubbard says he will not continue to oppose it. However, GABA still want him to distance himself formally from the slanderous assertions made in the letter. “We have made it very clear to Mr Hubbard that he must retract his signature of this letter and everything that it implies about us as parents, families and equal citizens of this city and our country, before any kind of ongoing engagement can be considered,” says GABA president Richard James.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 18th December 2004 - 12:00pm