Auckland City's main street will not be a safe place for anyone opposing the politics of the Destiny Church this weekend, say organisers of a counter-rally to the anti-gay Destiny's Defend The Legacy hate march on Saturday 5 March. Don't Hate, Celebrate! has been organised by a group of individuals with the support of local church leaders, and is designed as a peaceful counterpoint to the Destiny fundamentalists, whose march up Queen Street this Saturday is expected to be as aggressive and intimidating as the “Enough is Enough” march on Parliament last August. “[In Wellington] people were spat on, pushed and subjected to abuse. They had Destiny people yelling, ‘kill a homo for God', ‘you are filthy and perverted'. This is not a safe environment either physically nor emotionally for anyone who disagrees with the Destiny Church”, says Annalise Roache spokesperson for “Don't Hate, Celebrate!” The counter-rally will be held away from the Destiny march, and is planned as a fun day out for families, with activities, entertainment stalls and events for children planned. “People's safety is of greatest concern,” says Roache. “We have decided not to confront Destiny Church instead organising a peaceful response in the form of a fun, family festival.” Don't Hate, Celebrate! will be held at the Auckland University Quad, on Princess Street from 11am to 2pm on March 5th. More information is available on the event's website, http://www.notmydestiny.org.nz/.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 28th February 2005 - 12:00pm