Wed 22 Oct 2008 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
A National party proposal to disband the gay-friendly Families Commission and instead fund NGO initiatives carried out by homophobic conservative religious groups has led Rainbow Labour spokesperson Maryan Street to label National leader John Key as "two-faced." National party leader John Key John Key announced the proposal to a barely-publicised forum run last month by the conservative Christian lobby group Family First. He said National would cut funding to "bureaucrats telling you what constitutes a family in New Zealand" and pass the money saved to organisations such as Parents Inc, run by evangelical Christian Ian Grant. Family first has called legal recognition of same sex relationships "social engineering to satisfy small minority groups" and characterised proposals to allow adoption by same sex couples as "children [being] used as consumer products by adults." It damns political leaders who voted for Civil Unions as "not family friendly." "National's door will always be open to [Family First]... because we know you have insights into issues that a government may not see or understand," Key reportedly said. "I don't pretend today that we will respond to every issue you raise with us, but we will always listen." "John Key has different messages for different audiences," lesbian MP Maryan Street says. "To a conservative audience he'll say: 'We'll do away with the Families Commission, and you can have that money for your pet projects.' And yet early next year he will go to the Big Gay Out again, saying: 'It is really important that New Zealand is a tolerant society.' I find the man cynical and lacking in principle." "I believe there must be support for people to live the way they want to live... so long as it is within the law and does not oppress anyone else," Street says. "I have no problem with people of various faiths being supported in the way they wish to live, but if you feed an extremely conservative agenda you do by definition oppress others." The Families Commission says it takes "a broad and inclusive approach to families and this takes account of the full range of families, their roles and functions. Any two or more people living together as a family is considered by us to be a family, this includes same sex parents and their children. A spokesperson says the Commission actively engages with "as many different family types as possible" and focuses on issues that are common to most families, regardless of their sexual orientation. The Commission's report on couple relationships, due for publication later this year will include research interviews with gay and lesbian couples. "We have also funded a small study that is looking at the parenting experiences of some gay and lesbian couples," the Commission says. The Commission was established as part of an agreement by the United Future party to support the Labour-led government. United Future leader Peter Dunne has said the Commission "has more than fulfilled my vision... It would be a terrible mistake to shut it down." GayNZ.com approached John Key's office for comment, asking whether he was aware of the homophobic activism of Family First and similar faith-based groups, whether government funding of community work carried out by homophobic groups was appropriate, how the money would be disbursed and what oversight mechanisms were envisaged. We have received no acknowledgement or response.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 22nd October 2008 - 8:11pm