The second Auckland City Council LGBT network meeting is planned for this Thursday, and organisers are keen for a better turnout by lesbians this time. Lindsey Rea, Chair of the Eden/Albert Community Board, says Auckland City Council wants to know what the City should be doing to better support GLBT communities. "It is important that lesbian voices are heard as part of this network," says Rea. "Some lesbians have been to the meetings, but we have not been well enough represented. "Also, I will be very happy to come to any meetings any Lesbian groups are having to listen to what is important for you at Auckland City," she says. Rea remembers past Auckland City Council interaction with the GLBT communities, not all of them positive. “We remember the disputes over the Hero Festival and the Parades and John Banks will never be free of our memories of his bitter attacks on us when he was in Parliament. On the other hand, under the Mayoralty of Chris Fletcher, Auckland City hosted the international Pride Festival,” says Rea. "Although Dick Hubbard got off to a bit of a rocky start, he and the majority of the present Council are interested in establishing partnerships with significant communities to work together to make the City organisation more accessible, and to better met the needs of all citizens.” A Partnerships Committee, chaired by Labour Councillor John Hinchcliff, has been set up and Rea says the GLBT communities are one of the groups with which Council is interested in establishing a good relationship. "We have seen a concrete demonstration of this partnership in the Mayor's hosting of a reception in the Town Hall to mark the 20th anniversary of Homosexual Law Reform. Auckland City funded this function in partnership with various business and GLBT community groups." The second meeting of the Auckland City Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Takataapui network will be at 6pm on Thursday 7 December, at the Leys Institute, Ponsonby Rd. Lindsey Rea can be contacted by email on LINDOR.13cats@xtra.co.nzor by phone at 09 373 5672. Ref: GayNZ.com (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 2nd December 2006 - 12:00pm