Gay swimmer, athlete and writer Chris Dempsey writes an open letter to a director of Orca swimwear who is a supporter of the Destiny Church and the "Enough is Enough" campaign. Dear Mr Unsworth, I watched Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty last night winning gold and silver in the triathlon at the Greek Olympics. It was a fantastic moment and I was really pleased for Hamish, knowing his disappointment at Sydney. But I also thought to myself, how evil is that? Hamish and Bevan probably have no idea that Orca supports hatred and denial of civil rights to ordinary Kiwis, Kiwis who are just like them, except they are gay and lesbian. They probably thought, much as I did, that they were proud to wear NZ-made sports clothing that ranks up there with the best in the world. I swim. In January, I needed new togs. As you are aware, swimmers go through a lot of togs as they wear out. It is very difficult to find a good pair that offer a combination of good wear and comfort. The team had bought Orca togs before and found them to be the best - undoubtedly so. So I went to the Orca store and got a new pair. I'm ashamed to wear them now. I will be returning them for a refund. Regards, Christopher Dempsey. UNSWORTH'S REPLY: Dear Christopher, Orca is not involved in the Destiny Church and proceeds from sales of Orca are not used to promote or restrict the Civil Union Bill. Any statements that declare Orca is an active participant in Destiny Church or the Enough is Enough Campaign is untrue. I have also sent blind copies to the appropriate people, and will not be providing any further comment Scott Unsworth Editor's note: GayNZ.com acknowledges that Orca might not provide direct financial contributions to Destiny and we have modified the introduction to Mr Dempsey's letter accordingly. However, Mr Unsworth has been reported to publicly support Destiny's anti-gay Enough Is Enough rally and he is a paid director of Orca. He is quoted on the reputable Scoop newssite thus: "Businesses endorse ENOUGH IS ENOUGH campaign. Scott Unsworth, the director of ORCA – official New Zealand Olympic Apparel Supplier, has declared his support for the ENOUGH IS ENOUGH mass gathering, which will take place on Monday 23rd August 2004 at the grounds of Parliament." We are unaware of any dispute between Scoop and Mr Unsworth regarding this report. In addition, Orca was until recently listed as a supporter on Destiny's Enough is Enough website, though this website appears to be no longer functioning. Chris Dempsey - 28th August 2004