He once dated a Pakeha woman - but Hone Harawira has never been out with a man.

Harawira's confession came after he attended a gay community party at Lolabar on Auckland's Ponsonby Rd.

He mingled with guests, including drag queen Buckwheat, just over a week out from the Te Tai Tokerau byelection.

The week before visiting Lolabar he attended a Destiny Church service to show he "loved all my whanau".

Harawira once caused outrage, saying he wouldn't be comfortable with his children dating a Pakeha. This week he admitted he had once dated a Pakeha woman.

"I've had brothers and cousins going out with non-Maori ... But ... ever since I was a young man I knew I would marry a Maori woman. There's always been something special about a Maori woman and I'm lucky I've got the best of the lot."

What about dating men then?

"No," he said. "Let's just leave it at that."

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