Auckland Rainbow Pride Parade: third time's a charm for lockdown-hit event

Saturday, 27 March 2021

A reveller with a rainbow flag and mask during the Auckland Rainbow Pride Parade on Saturday.

The Auckland Rainbow Pride Parade, twice delayed by the city's lockdowns, has beaten the rain and gone off with a bang.

Crowds line Ponsonby Rd to watch the action.

It is the second incarnation of the walking parade in Ponsonby, formed following a dispute over a ban on police marching in uniform.

As the sky darkened over the city and a northeasterly wind blew on Saturday evening ahead of the event, event manager Shaughan Woodcock was fearful it might rain on his parade, following two postponements.

But the rain held off and marchers began heading down Ponsonby Rd about 6pm.

**READ MORE:

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

* Covid-19: New date confirmed for Auckland Rainbow Pride Parade

* Covid-19: Rainbow Pride Parade postponed, Fringe Town cancelled due to lockdown

Police marching in uniform with rainbow flags emblazoned with their logo.

* Rainbow Pride Auckland Parade returns to Ponsonby for second year running

* Cloud looms over Wellington Pride Festival as rainbow groups to boycott parade

Gwendylon Powell Rainbow enjoying the Rainbow Parade as it travelled down Ponsonby Rd.

Tommy Poppers making the most of the Rainbow Parade as it travels along Ponsonby Rd.

Ivanna Drink encourages the parade participants.

Woodcock was expecting about 1200 participants, and there were many more who came along to watch.

Celia Whitley, left, and Julie Qiu enjoy each other's company during the Rainbow Parade along Ponsonby Road.

“Which is huge, because it’s a walking parade, and it's only the second year,” he said.

Among the marchers were a large contingent of police officers, and a police dog, plus firefighters and St John ambulance staff.

Also present were corporate groups such as Les Mills International, along with MPs and members of political party youth wings, plus a sizeable and vocal contingent from Body Positive, a support organisation for people with HIV/AIDS.

Thousands lined Ponsonby Rd to watch the parade, as residents in the upscale suburb watched out over glasses of champagne from packed restaurants.

The presence of police and corporations at pride marches has caused growing controversy in recent years, in part due to accusations of “pinkwashing” - the co-opting of LGBT issues to burnish their image.

In 2018, the Auckland Pride board said in a statement it banned police from marching in uniform because it made some members of the queer community feel less safe about participating.

“These discussions indicated that whilst there is goodwill towards the NZ Police, as an institution they do not currently meet the degree of safety and awareness of intersectionality required by our rainbow communities,” the board said.

Woodcock acknowledged the concerns about corporate and police involvement in pride parades.

However, he said the businesses who marched had demonstrated they were working towards creating safer workspaces.

'I don't have an issue with corporates being in the parade. I have an issue if they're just there to showcase themselves.

“But every corporate that we've got in this parade has a strong diversity team within it, and they can actually demonstrate that they're working towards safer workspaces.”

Asked how he could be sure the businesses weren't just using pride to bolster their image, Woodcock said he had to take them at their word.

“You have to take them for what they say, and the majority of the organisations that do participate, their involvement is driven by the diversity team.”