Destiny Church protests against a children’s drag event and Auckland’s Rainbow Parade erupted into a confrontation over the weekend, drawing condemnation from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, and Labour leader Chris Hipkins, and praise from supporters online.
Destiny’s Man Up and Legacy Sisterhood groups interrupted a drag queen’s science show at a Te Atatū library. Hours later, the same groups disrupted the Auckland Rainbow Parade, pushing through police barricades before being dispersed.
During his Sunday morning sermon, leader Brian Tamaki told followers that he had directed the church elder overseeing the protest:
“I want you to storm the library they’re in and shut it down.”
Luxon defended free speech but said the protests went “too far”, while Mayor Brown slammed the actions as “totally unacceptable.” Hipkins took a sharper line, declaring: “Real men don’t barricade women and children. Real men don’t threaten and intimidate. Real men don’t preach hate.” He concluded by calling Tamaki “just a boy.”
Tamaki dismissed Hipkins’ criticism as weak, writing: “Funny how a bloke dancing around waving a rainbow flag thinks he can lecture me on masculinity.”
Many attacked Hipkins’ post for its irony in light of the Labour leaders’ infamous ‘What is a woman?’ gaffe.
Tamaki also accused the government of spending public funds on “borderline pornography and perversion targeting innocent Kiwi kids.”
The Free Speech Union weighed in, criticising the protest tactics. “Barging into the facility, banging on doors, and attempting to enter the room is not free speech,” said its chief executive, Jonathan Ayling.
Centrist Ltd.