Brian Tamaki speaking event cancelled after activists plan 'big gay party'

Bishop Brian Tamaki. Photo / Stephen Parker.

Outspoken religious leader Brian Tamaki has had his Christchurch speaking event cancelled after activists were set to welcome him with a "big gay party".

The Destiny Church leader has targeted gay people in the past, saying sinners, gays and murderers caused New Zealand's earthquakes.

He had been due to speak at the Haeata Community Campus in Aranui on Monday, but the booking has now been cancelled, the campus confirmed.

Protesters had been planning to meet Tamaki at the event with a Queer Quake Mardi Gras, which had almost 150 people listed as attending on its Facebook page.

Activist Josie Butler, who shot to fame for throwing a sex toy at former Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce in 2016, organised the party to protest against Mr Tamaki's "homophobic hate slur".

She said it also aimed to show people attending Tamaki's talk, who may be struggling with sexuality, that it's "okay to be gay".

However, with Tamaki no longer talking at the Haeata campus, the Mardi Gras Facebook page has urged supporters to keep an eye on updates in case he re-books somewhere else.

"Hopefully he was afraid that we would genuinely cause an earthquake, and has decided not to come," organisers wrote on the page.

- NZN