Auckland Hero Parade Is Not Possible!
MEDIA RELEASE FROM HERO TRUST
The Hero Board of Trustees
has announced today that a February Hero Parade
is not
possible. Sean Lofts and Anne Speir, co-Chairs of the Board,
today
announced plans for a late November 2000 date
instead.
"After much consideration, it was decided
unanimously that a Parade in
February 2000 was
unachievable," the Chairs said. "By moving the date,
Hero
is still able to organise a Parade in 2000, rather than
facing the
reality of not having a Parade at all. Why
should Hero miss out on
millenial celebrations due to
fiscal restraints and unrealistic timeframes?"
"Previous
Heroes have been praised for fabulosity, but have resulted
in
serious financial problems, which reflect not only on
Hero but on the gay,
lesbian and transgender communities
as a whole. At the recent AGM, a
motion from the previous
Trust to wind up the Hero organisation was
narrowly lost.
Fiscal responsibility was at the core of that motion.
The
new Board was elected to ensure the future of Hero
and to learn from the
past."
The new Board has since
that time been deliberating on the long-term
viability of
Hero. "The Board sees Hero as encompassing much more
than
just the Parade. Becoming a financially secure
community based
organisation is essential, one that can
provide the leadership and a public
face for the gay,
lesbian and transgender communities."
"We cannot make any
decision which would place the future of Hero
in
jeopardy, financial or otherwise. For far too long,
the Hero organisation
and those entrusted to its
direction, have been vilified for their efforts
to make
decisions in what they believe will be in the best interests
of the
community. The current Trust wishes to take the
time to secure long term
relationships with sponsors,
community groups, and those who it is supposed
to
represent. The Trust feels that moving the Parade to
November allows
the organisation time to concentrate on a
strategic plan that is fiscally
responsible, and enables
time to re-connect with our communities."
"We have
received proposals for alternative ways of holding the
Parade in
February. None of these are viable and none
allow Hero to achieve its
objectives."
"We have decided
to hold a low cost "family"-based event in
February
tentatively called the Big Gay Out. This will
essentially be a daytime
pride celebration. The Trust in
coming weeks will also release plans for
an annual
calendar of events, each with a different focus and
opportunity
to fundraise.
This Trust is fully committed
to our communities realising a true sense of
pride, not
only in ourselves, but in Hero as well. Hero is a gift to
New
Zealand which, to everyone's benefit, the Trust must
ensure continues into
the future.