Crowds swing at city festivals

Baby Liliana with dad Giovanni Fabricius, mum Kim Myhill (left) and Ms Mynhill's partner Andi Chapman. Picture / Greg Bowker

Drag queens dressed as fruit rubbed shoulders with MPs and mayors and protesting Christians were offered a hug from transgender MP Georgina Beyer at Auckland's annual Big Gay Out carnival yesterday.

Cloudy weather and occasional drops of rain couldn't dampen festivities at the gay picnic, which attracted a similar crowd to past years of around 10,000.

There was the usual live music and competitions, including handbag-throwing, dog show and kids' running-race, and Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard was careful to again put in an appearance.

"It's a lovely occasion, one of the premier events in Auckland City," he told the crowd, making amends for the second year in a row after he caused outrage in the gay and lesbian community last year when it was revealed he had signed a letter criticising the civil union legislation.

The mayor was joined at the festival by Auckland Issues Minister Judith Tizard, National MP Georgina te Heuheu and Ms Beyer, whose overtures to two Christian protesters were obviously unwelcome.

Holding placards proclaiming homosexuality to be a sin, one protester tried to fend Ms Beyer off as she went to hug him but, unlike last year, there were no scuffles between Christians and festival-goers.

Organisers had earlier called for the crowd to ignore the demonstrators.

"Well they just want a reaction really, don't they?" said organiser and drag star Buckwheat.

A good part of the crowd was made up of gay families enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.

Kim Myhill - there with her 5-month-old daughter, Liliana, partner Andi Chapman, Liliana's father, Giovanni Fabricius, and his partner, John Ahern - said she had been to gay pride events in London but Auckland's festival was a "great day".

"It's more relaxing because it's less overwhelming."

Meanwhile, around 4500 enjoyed a day of wine-tasting at Waiheke Island's fourth annual wine festival on Saturday. Organisers said more vineyards participated this year and the event was going from strength to strength.