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Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Boobs on Bikes is coming to Tauranga

By by Kiri Gillespie - with Rachel Thomas
Columnist, Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post·Bay of Plenty Times·
8 Jul, 2011 07:57 PM4 mins to read

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The controversial Boobs on Bikes event will parade through Tauranga streets next month, sparking an outcry from local leaders who have labelled the event "shameless", "disgraceful" and "sad".

Porn king Steve Crow confirmed to the

Bay of Plenty Times Weekend

yesterday that a "Booby Tour" of up to 50 people would come to Tauranga next month - and possibly Mount Maunganui. The tour will also visit Waihi and Katikati.

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Mr Crow's Boobs on Bikes event, which sees topless women riding motorbikes through town, has been an annual event in Auckland for more than 10 years. It has become synonymous with heated protest from women's rights groups and religious sectors.

The tour was spawned out of demand from local residents, Mr Crow said. The parade will go down The Strand, Devonport Rd and Elizabeth St on August 4.

Tauranga City Mayor Stuart Crosby said he would "absolutely not" welcome the tour's arrival.

"My initial view is that it's just a shameless, degrading self promotion and people should ignore it. Maybe then they won't come to town."

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Sexual abuse counsellor advocate Denise McEnteer said she was "aghast" Boobs on Bikes was spreading to Tauranga.

"It's just denigrating women. Actually it's just making us victims again of leering and lecturing men really. What's the point?

"Tauranga is a place that we know has a proportion of young families and elderly. For those two reasons it's totally inappropriate."

Ms McEnteer said the parade was unnecessary and objectified women, which could lead to bigger problems.

"We know that access to pornography skews normal healthy sexual relationships, particularly at younger ages."

Tauranga city councillor and Kiwi Party leader Larry Baldock questioned where society drew the line in decency.

"It shouldn't be permitted and we don't need it," Mr Baldock said. "It's disgraceful. The problem is that there's little that we can do about it."

Mr Baldock said everyone had a role to play in monitoring community standards.

"We are throwing our young people to the wolves. They aren't allowed to be innocent anymore. It's sad. Women should be the first to object to being objectified."

Chamber of Commerce chief executive Max Mason said a positive could be that the event was legal and might generate income for the city.

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"But my personal perspective on it is that it's not particularly great for Tauranga and I think we can do better in our events.

"The other aspect for me is for families and young kids and things like that. I don't think it's a particularly good example for our community."

Retailers on The Strand and Devonport Rd said the event might be good for business.

"It's quiet in winter, it might help us pick up a little bit," said Linda Zhung from AJ's Lotto and Tobbacconist.

Brenda Clere from Strandbags thought Boobs on Bikes would not do retailers any good.

"What kind of business do you want? It's not what we want in Tauranga. I just don't think it's acceptable."

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Debbie Clifford, manager at BA Readers second hand bookshop, said she personally didn't care about the parade but said it might put customers off.

A retailer who spoke on the condition of anonymity thought the display was "totally unnecessary".

"You would normally get fined for roaming through town topless." Tauranga National MP Simon Bridges said people should go to other cities if they wanted this kind of thing.

"We have got a strong family culture here and the route of the parade will have it going past key points in the CBD where families should feel free to take children without having to worry about this sort of thing."

But Mr Crow said the tour coming to Tauranga was in response to the number of requests for it.

"You know, we kept getting asked."

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He said protesters had a right to complain but that would not change things.

"If they don't like it, it's not as if we are going to grab them by the throat and say they must watch it.

"You are going to get people complaining and that's their right. It's freedom of expression."

Mr Crow said he would not entertain suggestions that Boobs on Bikes was pornographic and could lead to sexual violence. He said the adult industry had fewer incidents of sexual violence convictions compared with churches.

Ministers contacted by the

Bay of Plenty Times Weekend

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declined to comment on the issue.

Photo: The Boobs on Bikes Erotica parade, as it makes its way down Queen Street, Auckland / File.

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