Chants of "Kill the gays" and a building gutted by fire. Suicide attempts and a school that speaks of God and love. What is happening in this New Zealand town?
You cannot claim to align to and live by dogma based in compassion and kindness and acceptance and do this.
We have to stop allowing institutions to hide behind "freedom of religious expression" as an excuse to justify persecution of anyone, for any reason outside of law (so still okay to judge rapists and murders and tax evaders etc).
You are entitled to beliefs and they do not have to he the same as everyone else's. But you should not be entitled to set up institutions based on these, with crown funding, when they undermine and belittle beautiful people just because you don't understand them. It is grotesque and hypocritical to the beliefs you claim inform your stance.
Just do better. Change is hard and scary and takes humility. But apparently Jesus was all about a challenge. So get amongst.
My heart hurts, this is so very very sad 😔 I can only hope that the attention will bring about some change and self reflection. Although I’m not holding my breath on that. Sending you heaps of love and solidarity as you report on this very heavy matter ❤️🩹
One note, and if I have this wrong I will stand corrected. It has been told to me that we no longer say “commit suicide” because it is language that goes back to a time when suicide was considered a crime or a sin. Rather we say “died by suicide” or “attempted suicide”. It was explained to me by way of saying one commits a crime, one dies by suicide. I hope that’s ok to say.
David, idk how you do these. It’s so exhausting. And it’s always during pride month. Every time they get reminded that we exist, they have to do everything in their power to remind us they do not see us as human. Your ewok analogy was spot on.
Pride Month is now just a reminder that everyone wants us dead. The anniversary of the Pulse shooting was Sunday, and I am still in such a shit headspace from it. I hate that it’s everywhere. I hate that nz kids can’t even have a safe center without being targeted. I hate feeling like i’m always a little in danger just for existing.
i’m bi, non binary, and did not grow up christian, but found my way to it at 19 (so i didn’t have all the brainwashing to unpack). The whole “god doesn’t make mistakes” thing has been such an affirming statement to me, god made me trans, god made me gay, god doesn’t make mistakes, and loves me just as i am. For people to weaponize that to the point it is driving people to suicide is gross. i am becoming more and more convinced that Evangelical Christianity is truly evil.
i’m glad you’re taking time for yourself. thank you for delving in even when it’s hard. even when it feels too close. Please step away and pat some good neighborhood cats if you need to. ♥️♥️♥️
Also, a little positive LGBTQ+ news for everyone. The Sweat with Pride fundraiser has raised over $465,000 (NZD) so far this month. There are people out there walking the walk and supporting these communities. It's a little light amidst the hate.
Just thinking about the idea that "many Christians don’t truly understand LGBTQ people as real people." and turning it around in my head, I'm left wondering exactly who these evangelical/fundamentalist "christian" "leaders" do see as Real People.
Who makes John Cameron's list of Real People? Does his brother Brent fart in the face of Real People and chase them naked through hotels? Are their wives Real People, or are they hetronormative status symbols.
In the worst case, it seems that the abused and indoctrinated interns of Arise didn't even see *themselves* as Real People, deserving of care and nurturing.
Forgive my clunky thoughts. The specifics of this just seem to be yet another example of a more basic & pervasive thought pattern that simultaneously has justified racism and sexism. The fundamental belief that people are to be judged and categorized, considered less or more, in a made-up hierarchy. Power and control. A sick manifestation of what it seems to be we humans do, and have done, for millennia. People choose to behave in this way, they choose to believe this is right. Gloriavale is seen as some kind of perverse exception. No its not. It's just more obvious because it has a 'brand'. All of this is sick, it's fucked up and has been accepted as ok for too long. Lean into us David, we got your back on this. Thank you for your work, thank you for rattling me out of hopelessness
You will probably have seen the news of the suspected arson at the Tauranga Rainbow Youth centre. Which I am betting is a hate crime. I am so unsettled by how far the far-right (I suppose it's right there in the name) are willing to go with their vitriol and violence. It has me so worried for the queer community.
Interesting as well that the Bethlehem College document states "the school has a serious responsibility to protect against anything that could potentially harm a child". HOW can they write that, and be so blind as to completely miss that their very own ideology is harmful?
Middleton Grange (where I went to school) is the South Island's version of Bethlehem. They're "sister schools" if I recall correctly. I wonder if anything is going to come out of the woodwork about them next.
Thank you for this reporting David, and the hard work of everyone else getting this out into the light.
It’s horrifying and heart wrenching for this bigotry to have such a hold in communities, it is certainly a much bigger story than Bethlehem College.
Can’t help but feel the light growing dimmer in respect to LGBTQ+ rights, however I’m in the UK where we’re somehow getting more transphobic by the day - it’s exhausting.
Make sure to look after yourself.
P.S. this is completely unrelated, but thanks to your work and your Spotify playlist for NIN - I’m seeing them live for the first time tomorrow at the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK. I’m very excited to have a break and the opportunity to see them! So thanks once again
It seems the moment you pop the lid off on 1 thing, the flood gates open with a raging theme. Thank you so much David. I’ve become a paid member now as your work is critical. I live in Tauranga and staunchly support the LGBTQ community. As chair of the board of another school we’ve focused on our Inclusion Policy, Bullying Policy and now looking at Resilience. I feel our work here is now even more important.
David, you are truly fighting the good fight and people are listening. I will ensure I’m a vocal change agent. It’s the least I can do
Tauranga has a long history of narrow Pentecostal religiosity. Many churches and Bible schools there and throughout NZ taught that homosexuality was a spirit you needed to be delivered from, a demon that should be cast out.
And the petitions crying to allow BC "freedom of speech" start rolling on in. They can do it privately.
And not force people to sign a document saying they agree with them.
And not use my taxpayer money.
David that image you used in the recent American gun problem newsletter springs to mind. What guns were like when their amendments were written vs what guns are like now. The world has changed just a tad in the last 2000 years (or rather since King James dabbled in some editing in medieval times). Adapt to the times conservatives.
Also seems funny that they start going into genetics to prove a point. They might stray too far and learn about evolution by mistake!
Thank you for all of your work dragging these things in to the light. These institutions think that they can create their own realities and then impose them on anyone who falls into their net. Special Character my arse. They are just using religion as a tool to force people to match their precious reality, irregardless of the damage it does. It's so important to shatter that bubble, cut off their finances and expose them to loud public shaming.
It hurts my heart to see so much hatred, and especially to see it aimed at children. It seems we are reaching the sort of societal tipping point that pops up throughout history - progressive ideas gain ground, marginalised people gain acceptance, then some sort of social trauma hits and people close in, become reactionary and lash out at anything "other". This time it is Rainbow communities in the firing line, and we are learning just how fragile the gains made towards equal rights and a place in society really are. We need to fight tooth and nail to protect them. We have become too tolerant of intolerance.
We can interpret "God doesn't make mistakes" in a gender affirming way.
You cannot claim to align to and live by dogma based in compassion and kindness and acceptance and do this.
We have to stop allowing institutions to hide behind "freedom of religious expression" as an excuse to justify persecution of anyone, for any reason outside of law (so still okay to judge rapists and murders and tax evaders etc).
You are entitled to beliefs and they do not have to he the same as everyone else's. But you should not be entitled to set up institutions based on these, with crown funding, when they undermine and belittle beautiful people just because you don't understand them. It is grotesque and hypocritical to the beliefs you claim inform your stance.
Just do better. Change is hard and scary and takes humility. But apparently Jesus was all about a challenge. So get amongst.
A colleague said yesterday that Christianity and missionaries didn't have anything to do with colonisation in Aotearoa.
I had to use all the will in my body not to shout "Are you fucking kidding me!?"
The hold the Church and Christianity has over this country is bizarre.
My heart hurts, this is so very very sad 😔 I can only hope that the attention will bring about some change and self reflection. Although I’m not holding my breath on that. Sending you heaps of love and solidarity as you report on this very heavy matter ❤️🩹
One note, and if I have this wrong I will stand corrected. It has been told to me that we no longer say “commit suicide” because it is language that goes back to a time when suicide was considered a crime or a sin. Rather we say “died by suicide” or “attempted suicide”. It was explained to me by way of saying one commits a crime, one dies by suicide. I hope that’s ok to say.
My heart surges with pride seeing how much the words “webworm”, “farrier” and “Shaneel Lal” rattle these old dinosaurs.
David, idk how you do these. It’s so exhausting. And it’s always during pride month. Every time they get reminded that we exist, they have to do everything in their power to remind us they do not see us as human. Your ewok analogy was spot on.
Pride Month is now just a reminder that everyone wants us dead. The anniversary of the Pulse shooting was Sunday, and I am still in such a shit headspace from it. I hate that it’s everywhere. I hate that nz kids can’t even have a safe center without being targeted. I hate feeling like i’m always a little in danger just for existing.
i’m bi, non binary, and did not grow up christian, but found my way to it at 19 (so i didn’t have all the brainwashing to unpack). The whole “god doesn’t make mistakes” thing has been such an affirming statement to me, god made me trans, god made me gay, god doesn’t make mistakes, and loves me just as i am. For people to weaponize that to the point it is driving people to suicide is gross. i am becoming more and more convinced that Evangelical Christianity is truly evil.
i’m glad you’re taking time for yourself. thank you for delving in even when it’s hard. even when it feels too close. Please step away and pat some good neighborhood cats if you need to. ♥️♥️♥️
Also, a little positive LGBTQ+ news for everyone. The Sweat with Pride fundraiser has raised over $465,000 (NZD) so far this month. There are people out there walking the walk and supporting these communities. It's a little light amidst the hate.
Just thinking about the idea that "many Christians don’t truly understand LGBTQ people as real people." and turning it around in my head, I'm left wondering exactly who these evangelical/fundamentalist "christian" "leaders" do see as Real People.
Who makes John Cameron's list of Real People? Does his brother Brent fart in the face of Real People and chase them naked through hotels? Are their wives Real People, or are they hetronormative status symbols.
In the worst case, it seems that the abused and indoctrinated interns of Arise didn't even see *themselves* as Real People, deserving of care and nurturing.
It's all bloody sad really.
Forgive my clunky thoughts. The specifics of this just seem to be yet another example of a more basic & pervasive thought pattern that simultaneously has justified racism and sexism. The fundamental belief that people are to be judged and categorized, considered less or more, in a made-up hierarchy. Power and control. A sick manifestation of what it seems to be we humans do, and have done, for millennia. People choose to behave in this way, they choose to believe this is right. Gloriavale is seen as some kind of perverse exception. No its not. It's just more obvious because it has a 'brand'. All of this is sick, it's fucked up and has been accepted as ok for too long. Lean into us David, we got your back on this. Thank you for your work, thank you for rattling me out of hopelessness
You will probably have seen the news of the suspected arson at the Tauranga Rainbow Youth centre. Which I am betting is a hate crime. I am so unsettled by how far the far-right (I suppose it's right there in the name) are willing to go with their vitriol and violence. It has me so worried for the queer community.
Interesting as well that the Bethlehem College document states "the school has a serious responsibility to protect against anything that could potentially harm a child". HOW can they write that, and be so blind as to completely miss that their very own ideology is harmful?
Middleton Grange (where I went to school) is the South Island's version of Bethlehem. They're "sister schools" if I recall correctly. I wonder if anything is going to come out of the woodwork about them next.
Thank you for this reporting David, and the hard work of everyone else getting this out into the light.
It’s horrifying and heart wrenching for this bigotry to have such a hold in communities, it is certainly a much bigger story than Bethlehem College.
Can’t help but feel the light growing dimmer in respect to LGBTQ+ rights, however I’m in the UK where we’re somehow getting more transphobic by the day - it’s exhausting.
Make sure to look after yourself.
P.S. this is completely unrelated, but thanks to your work and your Spotify playlist for NIN - I’m seeing them live for the first time tomorrow at the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK. I’m very excited to have a break and the opportunity to see them! So thanks once again
It seems the moment you pop the lid off on 1 thing, the flood gates open with a raging theme. Thank you so much David. I’ve become a paid member now as your work is critical. I live in Tauranga and staunchly support the LGBTQ community. As chair of the board of another school we’ve focused on our Inclusion Policy, Bullying Policy and now looking at Resilience. I feel our work here is now even more important.
David, you are truly fighting the good fight and people are listening. I will ensure I’m a vocal change agent. It’s the least I can do
Tauranga has a long history of narrow Pentecostal religiosity. Many churches and Bible schools there and throughout NZ taught that homosexuality was a spirit you needed to be delivered from, a demon that should be cast out.
And the petitions crying to allow BC "freedom of speech" start rolling on in. They can do it privately.
And not force people to sign a document saying they agree with them.
And not use my taxpayer money.
David that image you used in the recent American gun problem newsletter springs to mind. What guns were like when their amendments were written vs what guns are like now. The world has changed just a tad in the last 2000 years (or rather since King James dabbled in some editing in medieval times). Adapt to the times conservatives.
Also seems funny that they start going into genetics to prove a point. They might stray too far and learn about evolution by mistake!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/469221/rainbow-youth-tauranga-drop-in-centre-destroyed-in-suspicious-fire
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tauranga-lgbtqia-advocate-gordy-lockhart-says-allegations-made-in-email-to-employer-are-false/3EMR3F5ECQ5JZYP45HPQAWSNLM/?c_id=1&objectid=12531369&ref=rss
I wonder if all these things are related? Something seriously wrong happening in Tauranga right now
Thank you for all of your work dragging these things in to the light. These institutions think that they can create their own realities and then impose them on anyone who falls into their net. Special Character my arse. They are just using religion as a tool to force people to match their precious reality, irregardless of the damage it does. It's so important to shatter that bubble, cut off their finances and expose them to loud public shaming.
It hurts my heart to see so much hatred, and especially to see it aimed at children. It seems we are reaching the sort of societal tipping point that pops up throughout history - progressive ideas gain ground, marginalised people gain acceptance, then some sort of social trauma hits and people close in, become reactionary and lash out at anything "other". This time it is Rainbow communities in the firing line, and we are learning just how fragile the gains made towards equal rights and a place in society really are. We need to fight tooth and nail to protect them. We have become too tolerant of intolerance.