The first-ever Southland Pride picnic attracted 60 attendees, and was the chance to officially launch a new LGBT support phoneline for the region. Dunedin's PFLAG group and representatives from Otago UniQ and NZAF's South Island Gay Men's Health Promoter Brent Mitchell attended the first Pride Picnic in Invercargill, hosted by Southland Gay and Lesbian Support (SGnLS). Local City Councillor Wayne Harpur and Labour MP Lesley Soper were there to officiate, and comedian Phillip Patston amused the crowd with break dancing and a rousing drag act. SGnLS Admistrator Robyn says the support line would not have come this far without funds received from the Southland Community Trust, the local licensing trust, and the fantastic support and encouragement of Stephen Jenkins of Public Health South and the NZ AIDS Foundation. Invercargill has a history of people leaving town because they did not feel accepted, Robyn told the Southland Times. The new initiatives aimed to change that by promoting the acceptance of sexual identities and the normalisation of same-sex relationships. "We are not out to offend anyone. We just want to be accepted as part of the community," she said. The new SGnLS phone support line is 03 2174657. The SGnLS official website is available on the link below. Ref: GayNZ.com, Southland Times (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 14th February 2007 - 12:00pm