Auckland Council subsidizes conference on queer polyamory

Auckland Council has chosen to subsidize a one-day conference exploring queer polyamory relationships.

The conference is entitled “Poly Panel, Discussions around Queer Polyamory” and is described on GayNZ as “a one day event exploring a framework of ethical, healthy polyamory relationships.”

Further advertising for the event explains that “along with questioning heteronormativity, many LGBTI people question monogamous marriages and relationships.”  The event aims to “break down some of the isolation and misunderstanding that sometimes surrounds non-monogamous (and polyamorous) relationships.”

Councillor Cathy Casey, Chair of Auckland Council’s Community Development and Safety Committee stated in a media release earlier this year that the committee wanted “to support a framework” which would “help turn Auckland into the world’s most liveable city for our rainbow communities.”

That media release pointed out that ‘Rainbow communities’ “is a term that covers the diversity of sexual orientations and gender/sex identities.”

Other groups also received funding from the Auckland Council through what GayNZ refers to as the Rainbow Door Fund.  Some of these groups included:

• Gender Diversity Info and Advocacy Pack;
• Tamaki Makaurau Lesbian Newsletter Outreach Project;
• Silent Gays – a service for those LGBT people “hidden and suffering in the church and religious systems”;
• Trans Support Group for trans women 35 plus;
• Intersex Workshop.

This is not the first time the Auckland Council has subsidised gay events and projects.  They were partners for the Auckland Pride Festival which ran through February this year.  Part of the festival was the annual Big Gay Out, for which the Council were silver sponsors.

A 2012 report on GLBTI communities in Auckland also shows that the Auckland Council gave over $21,000 to Rainbow Youth and $20,000 to Outline NZ.

Why is the Council so intent on pushing social agendas in our city?  My husband and I pay our rates for services and infrastructure, we don’t expect them to go towards social engineering experiments.  My parents don’t even have a footpath running from their house to their local shops, yet the Council can find money to fund organisations that promote fringe behaviours such as polyamory.  It’s time the Auckland Council focused on it’s real job and serve the majority of their residents.