Hero Parade
Encyclopedia
The Hero Parade was an annual gay and lesbian Parade through the streets of Auckland
, New Zealand
, in the 1990s. The last Parade was in 2001. It was the showpiece of the Hero Festival in Auckland which runs to the present day. The Hero Parade and Festival usually took place in February, a week or two ahead of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
.
The Parade was an event attended by more than one hundred thousand people annually, (and at its height, by as many as three hundred thousand), in the years that it ran, from 1992 to 2001. It is a significant Parade historically for New Zealand because of the public impact, the controversy, and (in the end) the acceptance of gay life in New Zealand that was evident because of it.
Gay rights in New Zealand
were significantly improved because of the Hero Parade. In 1999 the Prime Minister of New Zealand
, Rt Hon Jenny Shipley
, of the National Party
announced that she would attend the Parade. The Leader of the Opposition
, Rt Hon Helen Clark
had attended the Parade several times before and she criticised the then National Government for not attending earlier. In the end the Hero Parade was the beneficiary of the publicity created, and the Parades in 1999 and 2001 were bigger than ever before.
In 1998, the Auckland City Promotions Committee voted against funding the Parade. A complaint against the Committee was made to the New Zealand Human Rights Commission
, alleging discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. The Commission reported that it could not find any evidence of discrimination. By 2001 however Auckland City Council was prepared to support the Parade, and did so.
The Hero Parade, despite the public enthusiasm, was under constant financial pressure. The 2000 Parade was cancelled for a lack of organised financial backing, and the 2001 Parade, for which there were high hopes, again saw the Hero Trust Board make a significant loss. The organisation responsible for the Hero Parade (the Hero Trust Board) was unable to continue and to the present day, despite aspirations expressed by some, there has been no further Parade.
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, in the 1990s. The last Parade was in 2001. It was the showpiece of the Hero Festival in Auckland which runs to the present day. The Hero Parade and Festival usually took place in February, a week or two ahead of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
The Sydney Mardi Gras is an annual LGBTQI pride parade and festival in Sydney, Australia, and draws in thousands of visitors from around Australia and overseas...
.
The Parade was an event attended by more than one hundred thousand people annually, (and at its height, by as many as three hundred thousand), in the years that it ran, from 1992 to 2001. It is a significant Parade historically for New Zealand because of the public impact, the controversy, and (in the end) the acceptance of gay life in New Zealand that was evident because of it.
Gay rights in New Zealand
Gay rights in New Zealand
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have most of the same rights as other people in New Zealand. At present, the remaining exceptions are the right to adopt children as a couple, and the right to marry. However, New Zealand enacted legislation that permitted civil unions in 2005, which...
were significantly improved because of the Hero Parade. In 1999 the Prime Minister of New Zealand
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
, Rt Hon Jenny Shipley
Jenny Shipley
Dame Jenny Shipley, DNZM , served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first, and to date only, woman to serve as parliamentary leader of the National Party of New Zealand.-Early life:Shipley was born as Jennifer...
, of the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
announced that she would attend the Parade. The Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)
The Leader of the Opposition in New Zealand is the politician who, at least in theory, commands the support of the non-government bloc of members in the New Zealand Parliament. In the debating chamber the Leader of the Opposition sits directly opposite the Prime Minister...
, Rt Hon Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
had attended the Parade several times before and she criticised the then National Government for not attending earlier. In the end the Hero Parade was the beneficiary of the publicity created, and the Parades in 1999 and 2001 were bigger than ever before.
In 1998, the Auckland City Promotions Committee voted against funding the Parade. A complaint against the Committee was made to the New Zealand Human Rights Commission
New Zealand Human Rights Commission
The Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution in New Zealand. It is funded through the Ministry of Justice, but operates independently of the New Zealand Government...
, alleging discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. The Commission reported that it could not find any evidence of discrimination. By 2001 however Auckland City Council was prepared to support the Parade, and did so.
The Hero Parade, despite the public enthusiasm, was under constant financial pressure. The 2000 Parade was cancelled for a lack of organised financial backing, and the 2001 Parade, for which there were high hopes, again saw the Hero Trust Board make a significant loss. The organisation responsible for the Hero Parade (the Hero Trust Board) was unable to continue and to the present day, despite aspirations expressed by some, there has been no further Parade.
External links
- Official site
- Photos - Te Ara, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- Human Rights Commission comment on discrimination complaint (Google cache)
- Hero Parade (1998), hour-long TV broadcast, NZ On Screen