Auckland Pride accused of using taxpayers money to fund gay fisting festival
(Getty Images)
Taxpayers’ money is being used to fund a five hour gay fisting festival, according to campaigners.
Taking place between February 2 and 18, Auckland Pride hosts a series of events and activities to celebrate LGBT life in the New Zealand city.
Among the itinerary is KIWIFIST – described as “New Zealand’s biggest arse-play event”.
The pride event is partly funded by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), causing some to raise concerns that their hard-earned money is being splashed on a kink party.
Auckland Pride Parade (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
KIWIFIST promises “a full-on, five-hour-plus, gathering of gay and bi men into fisting and arse-play big-time” and advises participants to bring their own “toys and lubes”.
Guests are charged $30 to take part in the Saturday afternoon sex party.
Ratepayers’ Alliance Auckland, a local campaign group “dedicated to championing prudent fiscal management”, raised concerns that the event is being funded using public money.
Auckland Pride parade (Getty)
Jo Holmes, spokesperson for the group, said: “I’m certainly not someone who would have concern with Pride, however I have concerns personally as a member of the gay community with the direction Pride is going with its events, and as a spokesperson for ratepayers, I can see no justification at all for ATEED to be sponsoring an event like KIWIFIST.
“Sex parties do not benefit the general ratepayer.”
The group’s statement adds: “The Ratepayers’ Alliance does not believe ratepayers should be subsiding sex parties, regardless of the sexual orientation of those involved.”
Concerns were raised after an email advertising KIWIFIST, along with events called “Pig” and “Random shagger”, was sent out with ATEED’s logo attached.
According to the Ratepayers’ group, $40,000 from of public money has been donated to Auckland Pride 2018.
However the Tourism board insists that the money is used exclusively to fund the pride parade, not spread across the full range of events.
Auckland Pride has now removed ATEED’s logo from all event pages on its website besides that of the pride parade.
PinkNews has contacted Auckland Pride for comment.
