Former MP Georgina Beyer, speaking in 2004 in support of legislation which would allow civil unions. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Former MP Georgina Beyer, speaking in 2004 in support of legislation which would allow civil unions. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The high-profile former politician Georgina Beyer has spoken of her "deep suspicions" over Destiny Church's attempted embrace of the rainbow community and why she will not be attending an event it is hosting.
Beyer, who was invited to the Saturday event, said she would not allow her profile to beused by Destiny Church as an endorsement of its Saturday event to which up to 50 members of the LGBTQI+ community had been invited.
"Brian Tamaki has brought a lot of hurt and damage to the rainbow community over the years. I've spent a lot of my time since the early 2000s, in regards to Destiny Church, railing against what they have said.
"I would have to hear an apology. It would have to be incredibly profound - an expression of remorse for the damage and hurt caused to the rainbow community."
The Destiny Church event is pitched as building relationships with the rainbow community
Beyer was the world's first openly transgender mayor and MP, and was a leading figure in promoting civil union legislation in the mid-2000s, against which Destiny Church bishop Brian Tamaki organised protest marches.
Speaking to the Herald, Beyer recalled the abuse hurled at her by those among thousands of Destiny Church protesters outside Parliament.
"They were calling me by my butch name. Saying I'm a sinner. And not just adults but children too. It was a horrible day."
The protest crowd outside Parliament in 2004, opposing civil unions. Photo / File
An audio archive from the protest captures Beyer confronting the protesters, telling them: "I'm happy to stare you in the eye. Why do you hate people like us? I'm going to come and look at each and every one of you. Your hatred is totally intolerable."
Beyer revealed an encounter with the Tamakis years later which had her feeling they might have softened their views. During a period in which she was suffering chronic kidney disease, and was requiring regular dialysis, there was a tribute evening in her honour which the Tamakis attended.
"He walked into the lion's den that night," she said. "I said 'I'll take that as a sincere gesture'. Why would you come to me? I destroyed their political attempts last time."
Beyer said shortly after Tamaki was in the headlines with his notorious comments about sin - including same sex relationships - causing the Christchurch earthquakes. It led her to believe any support behind the couple's appearance at the tribute evening wasn't genuine.
Beyer said she would not be attending because of concerns as to how her attendance could be used.
Destiny Church's Bishop Brian Tamaki outside Parliament in 2004, following a march against civil union legislation. Photo / Mark Mitchell
"I don't want them to have any opportunity to use me to trade on. To say, 'look, she's coming, she was here'."
Beyer said an appearance at the event might give support to those in Destiny Church who were gay.
Brian Tamaki's rejection of the rainbow community has been a consistent feature of his ministry. He has underpinned his church with talk of New Zealand being a "Christian country" and called for a return to Christian moral values.
In a sermon in 2016 - the day before the Kaikoura earthquake - he blamed sin for the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. In the sermon, Tamaki quoted the Leviticus book of the Old Testament which is most commonly linked to anti-gay Christian rhetoric.
During the sermon, he pointed to a former Christchurch MP driving gay marriage as a cause. He said: "Leviticus says that the earth convulses under the weight of certain human sin. Massive earthquakes have already hit in Christchurch. You could have almost predicted that one."
