Former Auckland mayor John Banks desperately tried to put his homo-hating past behind him during last year's local body election campaign, in which he failed to retain the Auckland mayoralty. Attending a mayoral debate hosted by the Gay Auckland Business Association, Banks cheerfully made claims of being the largest employer of gay men ever, and told gay media that many gay men were supporting his campaign. He refused to discuss his long history of anti-gay statements both as an MP and a talk radio host, saying they were made twenty years ago and no longer relevant. Of course, as with so many other Bankstatements, the facts are a little loose. It was less than even ten years ago that a caller to his Radio Pacific programme said "sodomites" should have barbed wire shoved up their rectums, and Banks finished the call saying it would be a waste of barbed wire. That one went to the Broadcasting Standards Authority. In July this year, Banks engaged in an extended rant about “filthy” and “pervert” homosexuals on his Radio Pacific programme that went on and on. for nearly an hour. Banks also invoked the Koran to suggest that sexual acts between men should be punishable by death. And just this Monday morning, Banks was at it again, this time suggesting any form of affection between two males was “filthy”, with a fixation on male/male kissing on television that bordered on obsessive. This time, even his caller disagreed with him. With Banks not ruling out contesting the Auckland mayoralty again in two years' time, GayNZ.com is proud to continue presenting transcripts of these Bankstatements, for you to file and keep and read aloud should Banks have the cheek to ever show his face at a GABA forum or any gay event again... * Monday September 26, 7:15am. Radio Pacific CALLER: Good morning Banksie. On Friday you mentioned that you saw Holmes interviewing Donna [Awatere-Huata]'s three children... did you see the rest of the programme? BANKS: I saw it all, I was on the programme, did you see me on the programme? CALLER: No I didn't... anyway, were my eyes deceiving me or did I see Helen Clark's husband, Peter, kissing with another man? BANKS: A man was passionately embracing and kissing Helen Clark's husband, yes, you did see that? CALLER: Why has nothing said about it? BANKS: Well it's legal now. CALLER: Yeah, I know it's legal. But if it was you or anybody else, I mean... BANKS: If there was a man kissing Don Brash, Don Brash wouldn't be in parliament today, he'd be railroaded out. But because some bloke was passionately kissing Peter Clark [sic] at the after-match function... I actually thought it was quite filthy. CALLER: Well I didn't think it was filthy, but why is it kept so quiet. Nobody's said anything. BANKS: Well the Labour government's in charge don't you know? CALLER: Yes, I know that. I taped it actually, I just wanted to see if I was seeing things. BANKS: You know, I don't think it's good to see a man kissing the Prime Minister's husband, deep and passionately on the lips on television, albeit on election night... I can honestly say I've never done that sort of thing. But am I old-fashioned? No-one seems to care. I mean what about the days when men were men. We had people like Colin Meads, you know, played a game of rugby with a snapped arm, and now we've got all these psychologists and masseurs and fashion designers and hair stylists travelling around with the All Blacks. When I was a boy men were men and gays were homosexual, and the Prime Minister's husband was never kissed by another bloke on TV. Is this country going to the dogs or am I just not politically correct? I mean I don't know. I saw it, I couldn't believe it. I said to Holmes: "Is that true?" so they played it three or four more times for me. I don't know whether the guy was pleased to see Mrs, Mr Clark [sic] or whether he just likes kissing Mr Clark [sic] or whether he was just happy with the election result. But you can guarantee if some bloke went up and kissed Don Brash on the lips on election night, there'd be a lot of hoo-hah, wouldn't there? [Editor's note: The Prime Minister's husband's name is Peter Davis] Chris Banks (no relation!) - 7th October 2005
Credit: Chris Banks (no relation!)
First published: Friday, 7th October 2005 - 12:00pm