Rainbow crossing for Tauranga a ‘symbol of diversity and belonging’

Tauranga getting a rainbow pedestrian crossing after a six-year campaign is a sign it’s “growing up”, an advocate says.

Tauranga’s community, transparency and engagement committee approved the installation of a rainbow crossing in Tauranga city centre at a meeting on Tuesday.

LGBTQIA+ advocate Gordy Lockhart campaigned for six years for a crossing in Tauranga and petitioned Tauranga City Council for one.

That petition, with 871 signatures, was presented to the council in April and the commission felt the decision should be left to the incoming council.

Lockhart was visibly emotional as the decision was made and he thanked the councillors and staff.

He was supported by a handful of people in the public gallery who applauded as the motion was passed.

The crossing will be installed at 21 Devonport Rd outside He Puna Manawa, the library and council service centre.

The standard pedestrian crossing will be flanked by the progress pride flag on either side.

Pride advocate Gordy Lockhart celebrated the decision to install a pride crossing in Tauranga with rainbow cake. Photo / Alisha Evans

Speaking after the meeting, Lockhart, who is the founder of the inclusivity charity You Be You, said he had asked the council for a rainbow crossing four times so getting one was fantastic.

He said the first two times were before New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi changed the law allowing roadway art.

Lockhart started the petition calling for a crossing after the rainbow crossings in Gisborne and Auckland were vandalised.

The petition generated a lot of hate and online trolling was “disgraceful”, which took a toll, he said.

Having something on the street that made everyone feel welcome was a great step to celebrating Tauranga’s minorities, Lockhart said.

“Tauranga just started growing up.

“If we start celebrating each other, then we’ll end up in a much better place as a city [and] as a nation.

“This is the start for Tauranga - we’re now going to have a symbol of diversity, a symbol of belonging, a symbol of valuing everybody for who they are. I think that is just amazing.”

Councillor Hautapu Baker said the council had a part to play in ensuring everyone has a sense of belonging. Photo / Alisha Evans

During the meeting, councillor Hautapu Baker said Tauranga meant safe anchorage and he wanted to ensure the council lived up to that.

“That has inspired my vision to ensure that everybody, regardless of who they are, where they come from, can anchor themselves safely in our city and feel a sense of purpose and belonging.

“This community … has only ever attempted to find a place where they belong.

“[The] council has a part to play, ultimately, in actually providing that sense of belonging and purpose, and we’ve heard quite clearly for a number of years [from] this community that they don’t have that.”

The rainbow crossing was one small step to ensuring the LGBTQIA+ community could anchor safely in Tauranga and the council recognised who they were, their challenges, and celebrated them, Baker said.

Councillor Steve Morris said in these “divided times”, the community needed a symbol of common humanity and dignity.

“The installation of the progress pride flag does not represent that because it is highly political.

Gisborne's pride crossing once it was restored after being vandalised.

The progress pride flag had become “highly political” and for many people represented gender-focused ideology, therefore it wasn’t appropriate in the public realm, Morris said.

The council should be “very agnostic” when displaying symbols that were “highly political”, he said.

Morris voted against installing the crossing.

Councillor Rod Taylor acknowledged the bravery of Reihana Marx, a transgender woman who ran in the July election.

Her fortitude in putting herself into the public arena was inspiring and led to him supporting the crossing, he said.

“My hope is that by promoting the LGBTQIA+ community in an overt way, we will have a city where everyone can make their contribution without fear.”

The crossing will cost $10,000 to install and require the road to be closed for one night.

The council aims to have it finished by the end of the year.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.