Preparations for the next HERO Festival, to be held in Auckland next summer, are well underway. The two-week festival has been a mainstay of the local LGBT social calendar since 1991, and attracts a wide cross-section of the LGBT community. The 2007 Festival officially kicks off with the Big Gay Out family picnic at Coyle Park on Sunday February 11 and culminates with the HERO Dance Party on Saturday night February 24. The New Zealand AIDS Foundation is hosting the Big Gay Out (BGO) and considering other plans for involvement with the wider HERO Festival, says NZAF Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier. The BGO fits with the NZAF's “health promotion framework, part of which involves building supportive environments for the GLBT community,” says Le Mesurier. “In view of the shocking increases in new cases of HIV amongst gay and bisexual men, it is a crucial opportunity for NZAF to increase our engagement with our key audience and promote the safe sex message, as well as grow our relationships with GLBT businesses, entertainers and the broader GLBT community.” Le Mesurier notes that in “a large city like Auckland, communities easily become fragmented and isolated” and the BGO provides a “unique opportunity” for the NZAF to interact with the “diverse cross-section” of the community attracted by the family picnic. “It's important to have a day where GLBT people can truly be themselves and be surrounded by others who share the common bond of sexuality. Being in an environment where you're in the majority for once is incredibly relaxing, affirming, and has very positive effects on self-esteem.” Ref: GayNZ.com (d)