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Andrew Dickens: Auckland Pride Parade has no resilience but plenty of shame

Author
Andrew Dickens ,
Publish Date
Tue, 20 Nov 2018, 12:00PM
I remember the first time police marched like that in a parade. I remember they got the loudest cheer. People were gobsmacked and impressed. Photo / Getty Images

Andrew Dickens: Auckland Pride Parade has no resilience but plenty of shame

Author
Andrew Dickens ,
Publish Date
Tue, 20 Nov 2018, 12:00PM

We talk a lot these days about resilience.

There’s a feeling abroad that new generations don’t have much of it. That after a privileged childhood full of comforts that prosperity and technological advancement has brought, young people these days find setbacks and disappointments extremely hard to cope with.

Deborah Hill Cone this week extended that to shame in her column. That while good people spend their life trying to avoid shame, it is actually something that needs to be experienced and learnt from. To acknowledge you have done something wrong. That your standing amongst others has fallen. That there’s something for you to atone for.

Well on a lighter note I acknowledge that I failed to show resilience last night. It was late and I turned on the cricket. New Zealand versus Pakistan. I had already lost hope but I watched Babar run out by Ish Sodhi. A small flame of hope flickered and I flirted with staying awake on a school night. But I didn’t. Going to bed just as one of the most remarkable test victories came New Zealand’s way. By just 4 runs!

The Black Caps showed resilience. The Black Caps never gave up. They should be very proud. I was a pussy, who missed a magic moment and all I had to do is sit there on my couch and yawn from time to time.

On a more serious note, it comes as a great disappointment to me that the Auckland Pride Parade has been so compromised. And in doing so the organisers have shown no comprehension of resilience or shame despite the fact that their community has shown it for so long.

There was a raucous meeting this week including fisticuffs and scuffles and the classic quote, "we left when the old gay amputee attacked the young trans". The Board of the parade decided to ban police marching in their uniform. In doing so they failed to show resilience against a small young band of radicals called People Against Prisons Aotearoa.

In a tragic irony, their leader Emilie Rakete was involved in a fight at the hui during a heated conversation on police brutality.

In another tragic irony, the people who argue most for inclusivity are now involved in exclusivity.

In yet another irony, the people who are often branded a minority demanding change have changed after the demands of a minority

So after showing such lamentable lack of resilience the entire Parade is compromised. The Defence Force now will not march with Auckland. Sponsors are pulling out. Georgina Beyer rang my programme last Friday incensed. Mika has called People in Prisons fascists.

But the insult to the Police is shameful. The Police have acknowledged a past of discriminatory actions to the community. But in allowing police to march in the uniforms, to admit that shame, to show things have changed was always something good. I remember the first time police marched like that in a parade. I remember they got the loudest cheer. People were gobsmacked and impressed. It showed real change.

So Pride Parade. No resilience. Shame on you.

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