Auckland's Pride Parade reincarnated as a 'march' after police uniform stoush

Thursday, 10 January 2019

The parade became mired in controversy when police were banned from marching in uniform. (Video first published in Jan 2019)

Auckland's Pride Parade will be reincarnated as a march for 2019, after a ban on police attending in uniform led to sponsors pulling out.

The Pride board's membership secretary Zakk d'Larté said the march would take place on February 9 – the day before the Big Gay Out – at a yet-to-be-confirmed venue, most likely in downtown Auckland.

'We've had a flooding of support not for a protest, but for a march,' he said.

'What we're trying to get out there is it'll still be a celebration, it'll still be queer and glittery, camp and costumes.'

Auckland's Pride Parade is usually held in Ponsonby, but will be moved, most likely to downtown Auckland, in its reincarnated form.

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The Auckland Pride board's membership secretary Zakk d'Larté said the march would be held on February 9.

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The big difference between this year's planned event and those of the past would be the lack of corporate sponsorship.

The Rainbow New Zealand Charitable Trust and Fletcher Building were among the groups that pulled funding from the parade over the police uniform ban.

Instead, the march would be funded by the $30,500 raised on Givealittle late last year, and 'money we had in the bank', d'Larté said.

While the Pride Parade had traditionally been held in Ponsonby, d'Larté said many Pride members felt alienated from the suburb and had called for this year's event it to be held elsewhere.

The march would also be 'less of a spectacle, with floats, for people to watch from the sidelines', and more participatory, he said.

'This time round people are of course welcome to watch, but they're also welcome to join in – to wear a crazy costume and bring a banner.'

Police were welcome to join if wearing mufti, he said.

The exact location of the march should be confirmed within the week.