RuPaul's Drag Race star films video in support of Auckland Pride Parade's uniform ban

Friday, 23 November 2018

RuPaul's Drag Race star The Vixen has posted a video in support of the Auckland Pride board's uniform ban.

An American drag queen is supporting the Auckland Pride board's decision to ban police officers from wearing uniforms at next year's parade.

It comes as SkyCity announced it was the latest sponsor to pull out of the parade over the decision.

Professional dancer Joel Walsham received a video on Thursday evening from The Vixen, who starred on season 10 of the hit show RuPaul's Drag Race.

The Emmy-award winning reality show sees contestants compete to be America's 'next drag superstar'.

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Joel Walsham received the video from The Vixen on Thursday evening.

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In the video, The Vixen said she wanted 'to show some love for everybody down in Auckland and the Auckland Pride Board.

'I think the community activists who are trying to have a gay old time are amazing and I just want you guys to know that I am behind you,' she said.

The police's response to the uniform ban was not OK, The Vixen said.

'Pride is always political and police brutality is the worst.

The Auckland Pride board has banned police officers from wearing uniform at next year's parade.

'So you know what? Keep fighting, show them your black girl magic, kia kaha.'

Walsham said the video was 'really exciting' and meant a lot to members of the rainbow community.

'The Vixen came to prominence in her community by speaking out against racism and police violence,' Walsham said.

'It means a lot to us, especially from somebody like The Vixen who hasn't been afraid to take on a fight and it has been energising for us.

'Drag queens are also a really exciting part of our community and they're also people that listen and lead so we're so grateful for The Vixen,' Walsham said.

On November 9, the Auckland Pride board announced that police were not allowed to march in the 2019 parade if they marched in their uniforms.

The board cited concerns raised by transgender people and people of colour within the rainbow community about police treatment of them.

Since then, an array of sponsors and participants including the Defence Force and Fletcher Building have withdrawn their support.

On Friday, SkyCity's general manager of human resources, Claire Walker, said the company could not condone the exclusion of uniformed police from the parade.

'SkyCity is a proud and active supporter of LGBTIQ+ people, both among our own diverse and talented staff and the wider Rainbow community,' she said.

The Pride board decision was not consistent with the company's values of diversity and inclusion, she said.

'SkyCity is considering other ways to celebrate diversity and inclusion with our Rainbow community, and will light the Sky Tower in rainbow colours for Pride-related events in February, as planned.'

The Auckland Pride board's decision was not that radical, Walsham said.

'We're really looking at a moment in queer organising where we have to ask ourselves, 'what is it that we've achieved and who have we left behind?'

'As young people now, we're looking around and we're hearing our friends tell us stories about their interactions with police and we look at the police's own statistics,' he said.

'We need to look at what are the actual end outcomes of the police force and how they're interacting with our community.

'We also remain committed to the Pride Parade going ahead unlike the police who have shown that they are prepared to lead a corporate boycott of one weekend that our community gets a year.

'I think that in itself is a statement of how the police view their relationship with our community and we're prepared to say 'that's not right''.

The people who held diversity liaison positions in businesses were generally not the most marginalised people in the LGBTQIA+ community, he said.

'I'm a young, gay white guy – I've done pretty well but it's now time to look at who has been excluded so that we don't pull the ladder up behind us and that we remember none of us are free until we all are.

'As long as there are gay people, there will be gay pride, as long as there are trans people there will be trans pride – it's a street and we can walk on it and we're going to take our message to New Zealanders.

'We want Pride to be for everyone – that's entirely our point.'