2:30PM: The presence of fundamentalist Christian protesters at this year's Big Gay Out festival in Auckland has prompted the organisers of Wellington's Gay and Lesbian Fair next month to consider their security options. Co-ordinator Jeff Montogomery says the events at the Big Gay Out, which included anti-gay pickets, threats to festival-goers, and leaflet drops on cars, have been discussed by the Wellington Fair's organising team. Police held an information stall at last year's Fair, and private security were also present. “We're making sure the police are aware of that background and we're doubly encouraging them to have their stall again,” says Montgomery. As the Fair is held on private property at Newtown School, Montgomery says it's easy to remove any potential troublemakers. Meanwhile, the organisers of the Big Gay Out, the New Zealand AIDS Foundation, are hoping to calm fears that this year's events are an ominous signal of an ever-growing fundamentalist circus in years to come. "At the end of the day the gay community is more than strong enough to handle this sort of presence and I venture to suggest that, in ten years time, the gay community will still be here and be strong, and it's quite likely they (the protesters) won't be," says executive director Rachael LeMesurier. The Foundation acknowledges that because this is an election year, fundamentalists will be doing all they can to raise their profile. "However this protest needs to be seen in context. He was one man, with his wife and about eight confused teenagers who were dwarfed by the huge, enthusiastic and positive celebratory community that attended the BGO day."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 21st February 2005 - 12:00pm