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Over the past thirty years the Auckland City and now supercity mayoral chains have been handed by voters to Dame Cath Tizard, Les Mills, Christine Fletcher, John Banks, Dick Hubbard, Banks again and Len Brown
Cath Tizard, mayor for two terms from 1983
-1990, was notoriously gay-friendly, supporting all gay equality
initiatives, occasionally reprimanding people whom she perceived had
uttered a homophobic slur. To this day she attends gay community
functions as and when her advancing age allow. As Governor General
she was an especially proactive patron of the NZ AIDS Foundation.
Les Mills, two terms 1990 – 98, was an
altogether different kettle of conservative fish. Supported of
the equally conservative council headed by arch-foe of glbti
anything, David Hay, Mills was particularly anti-gay. The annual Hero
Parade was launched during his tenure and his obstructiveness became
legendary. When indignant citizens complained in writing about gay
people cavorting and gyrating down a public street he famously passed
their letters on to the police, who took no action. The fact that
many gay men used the downtown Les Mills gym created a significant
ethical divide between the body-conscious and the social activists in
the gay communities.
Christine Fletcher, one term 1998 –
2001, was a National party stalwart and MP but a definite social
liberal who embraced gay issues and gay people (literally) without
hesitation. She was a regular at gay events and developed a strong
support base amongst glbti people. Early in her mayoralty the
Auckland Gay and Lesbian Youth group received a $15,000 grant from
the now more liberal council. There was much carping and harrumphing
from conservative elements in the city but Fletcher was unrepentant.
She was the patron of the Gay Auckland Business Association for
several years and currently serves as an Auckland City councilor.
John Banks, one term 2001-2004, was
probably Auckland's most homophobic mayor in living memory and
possibly since the city first rose out of the flowing cesspit of the
Ligar Canal. Frankly, we can't be bothered listing or even
summarising his anti-gay outrages which first came to the fore when
as a National MP he voted against Homosexual Law Reform and Civil
Unions, stirring up public sentiment against glbti people in the
process. As a mayor of Auckland he was no better and his litany of
anti-gay abuse broadcast on talkback radio is legendary. As an ACT MP
he voted for marriage equality but this was widely seen as a
desperate and cynical move to try to cling on to his last vestiges of
political power.
Dick Hubbard, one term from 2004 –
2007, started out badly when his evangelical Christian background
blinded him to the baseless but vicious allegations in a letter
penned by his friend John Sax and which Hubbard signed. The letter
lied to MPs that allowing Civil Unions would endanger children
because gay people kill their children at an alarming rate. Hubbard
was aghast when the falsehood was pointed out to him and met with a
number of glbti delegations. He subsequently became an effective
force for reasonable and equal treatment of glbti people in the
city.
John Banks, one more term 2007 – 2010. Nothing had changed from his previous stint, he continued to be just plain ugly, awful, unpleasant and persistent in his homophobia.
Len Brown, Auckland supercity 2010 –
present, hailed from the mayoralty of multi-cultural Manukau City (now absorbed into the supercity) and had a more embracing
view of the city's diverse population. A liberal by inclination he
has been a feature of the ribbon-cutting group which starts each
Auckland Pride Parade, walks the talk at the Big Gay Out events and has
supported council initiatives to ensure glbti people have an
effective voice and presence in the city.
