The Wellington queer community is running an event to hit back at comments by Destiny Church head Brian Tamaki that the recent earthquakes affecting the country were caused by “gays, sinners, and murderers”.
GAYQUAKE will be held at the San Francisco Bath House in Wellington from 7pm, Sunday 4 December. The event will feature local bands HEX, Disasteradio and The Klaus Vermillion Quartet. All proceeds will be donated to Kaikoura communities affected by the earthquakes.
"While Tamaki's comments are ridiculous, they’re also offensive to the queer community and the people who've lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods in the earthquakes," says event organiser Nicole Skews-Poole "GAYQUAKE gives the queer community a chance to stand together while raising funds for earthquake victims."
Anglican Archbishop William Brown Turei weighed in on the controversy, saying, “The country we live in is on a fault line, therefore, we will experience earthquakes. So I really disagree that earthquakes are caused by the immorality of people.” Prime Minister John Key labelled Tamaki's comments 'stupid'.
Pop star Stan Walker has faced calls to disavow Tamaki's comments after it was revealed that he is to headline a Destiny Church men's conference alongside Tamaki this weekend.
An online petition calling on the prime minister to strip Destiny Church of its tax-free status has garnered more than 122,000 signatures.
Tickets to GAYQUAKE will be $10 waged and $5 unwaged.