4pm: Julian Haldane, director of the 2001 and 2002 Hero Parties, Jack magazine editor and long-time event promoter, has confirmed he will not be making a bid to organise the 2009 Hero Parade. “It's hard enough to justify the financial expense, but it'll be even harder to generate the massive volunteer support structure needed to pull a full-scale Hero Parade off,” he says. Haldane believes there aren't enough positives outcomes for GLBT people to warrant the exhaustive amount of community energy required to organise a successful parade. “I guess it's a kind of pedestal for visibility for those that want it. They seem like an older bunch these days, and most of the young people I know are actually quite against it. To them, a Hero Parade sounds like a bit of a cliché-ridden last-century embarrassment. “I'd sooner see energy go into the Big Gay Out, which seems a far more natural expression of Auckland's gay communities, and which is truly an event for us and by us,” Haldane asserts. “What about an environmentally-friendly GLBT bicycle parade for next year? Everyone could meet up in Western Park, ride merrily down Ponsonby Rd, and enjoy a big finish at the Big Gay Out in Coyle Park. It could be a joint initiative between the NZAF and SPARC, and it could happen all around the country - especially in the small centres that need it most. Wouldn't that be way more modern, manageable and meaningful?” Haldane has another idea for a successful event the broader community can get behind. “If Auckland wants a parade, I think it should be a nightlife spectacle that celebrates all of the city's diverse cultures and communities – a ‘Love Parade' essentially - and out of respect for our role as originators, a fantastic Hero float should always be at the lead.” Ref: GayNZ.com (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Thursday, 19th April 2007 - 12:00pm