Westpac Stadium Trust chief executive David Gray has apologised for any offence caused over comments he made in the media about same-sex kissing. Gray was reported as telling the Dominion Post that if two women were to kiss in the crowd at Westpac Stadium, as had happened at a recent Napier cricket match, security guards would be instructed to remove them as a matter of policy. He also was reported as saying same-sex kisses in the crowd would not be shown on the stadium big-screen monitors, because "at a family stadium it's not appropriate". In an email to GayNZ.com, Gray says his comments as reported were inappropriate and do not reflect stadium policy. "By way of explanation the incident was described to me by a reporter (inaccurately because the information was second hand) and related as having caused a disturbance in the crowd. It was in that context I made my comments," he says. "I acknowledge that I should have handled the question in a more professional and sensitive manner and accept that it was a mistake on my part. Clearly there is nothing offensive about a kiss." "The stadium does have a quite liberal approach to what is shown on the screen and this is best evidenced by the use of the screen and its interaction with the crowd during the International Sevens. This event is essentially a two day party where the screen is a major part of the entertainment," he continues. "I can assure you the Stadium is sensitive to the feeling of all its patrons and I again apologise for any offence caused."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 18th January 2006 - 12:00pm