Nikki Kaye, Rainbow Youth's Tom Hamilton and GABA's Gresham Bradley The Gay Auckland Business Association Charitable Trust has handed out the money it has raised this year to a range of community groups, supporting everything from sound system for West Auckland lesbians to new books and DVDs for Rainbow Youth's library. At GABA's Christmas party at Kamo on K' Rd last night, the $12,000 raised during Help Out in October was split between Rainbow Youth, Body Positive, the Charlotte Museum and OUTLine. Rainbow Youth will spend its proceeds on rent, Body Positive on medical consultation fees for its members, the Charlotte Museum on training volunteers and OUTLine on promoting its 0800 number. The cheques were handed over by National MP for Auckland Central Nikki Kaye, who hinted that she is pushing for more community funding for Auckland and is in talks with the relevant Government Minister. "I hope that within a couple of months we are going to be able to say more about funding for this community," she said. "I can't say more this evening because it's something we are working on." Kaye acknowledged GABA President Glenn Sims, who drove Help Out In October and has been revitalising GABA. Tess Tickle then premiered her hilarious Susan Boyle show, leaving the crowd in stitches with her deadpan take on the woman who shot from Blackburn to global fame. Tess Tickle channels Susan Boyle GABA patron Chris Carter was introduced as by MC Johnny Givens as "a man who has been queer before he was a Cabinet queen, the man who has rocked the nation over the last year, but he's still part of our community and we love him". Chris Carter The Te Atatu MP said he was pleased to be at the ceremony and applauded GABA for its proud 25 year history of supporting the community. "I am really pleased to be here with my partner tonight" he told the crowd. "It's a bit of an anniversary for us too – 37 years ago we met in Auckland and we're still together. That's pretty good. He's here with me tonight and he looks just as cute as when he climbed out in his Kelston Boys uniform." Carter then gave away the proceeds from the GABA Charity Auction earlier in the year. The Charlotte Museum was granted a further $2,000 to make 10 short vignettes for public viewing on a variety of topics on lesbian issues and lifestyles from the past, while Rainbow Youth received $1,000 to bolster its popular library. The Auckland Women's Centre received $2,028 which it will spend on training facilitators and organisers to run a new group for women over the age of 27 who are coming out. West Auckland lesbian events group Lowdown was given $2,500 to buy a PA/sound system which it hopes to rent out to other GLBT groups in Auckland at affordable rates. Number 8 films received $2,200 to support its Auckland Gay Film Nights at Galatos, the next of which is being held on Wednesday 15 December, featuring gay Christmas flick Make The Yuletide Gay. PrideNZ.com has been given $1,600 in to create eight 30-minute audio interviews profiling GLBT Aucklanders who are making a difference. Chair Gresham Bradley says the GABA Charitable Trust was so impressed with the applications it was sent for its Tertiary Scholarship this year that it decided to give out three scholarships worth $3,000 each. The recipients are Alex Edney-Browne from Takapuna Grammar, Logan Reynolds from Fairfield College in Hamilton and Matt Hickmont from St Paul Collegiate, also in Hamilton.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 2nd December 2010 - 12:43pm