Future of Pride Parade in doubt as organisations continue to withdraw support

Exactly how many floats will be in next year's Auckland Pride Parade remains unknown as organisations continue to withdraw their support after police were booted out of the event.

Vodafone New Zealand's Rainbow Whānau is the latest to pull out of the celebration today confirming it was instead supporting police who had been banned from attending.

The New Zealand Defence Force has also axed its attendance while the Rainbow New Zealand Charitable Trust has pulled its funding in response to the Pride board's decision to ban uniformed police from marching at the event.

The parade's board chair Cissy Rock today said they were committed to still holding the event.

"The 2019 Auckland Pride Parade was always intended to be a place to cultivate our roots in activism and protest. We have always welcomed business groups and institutions who wish to participate in a way that works for the safety of all members of our Rainbow community," Rock said in a statement.

Miss Chocolate at the Auckland Pride Parade last year. Photo / File

Police on horses during the 2015 Pride Parade. Photo / File

Rock said the board tried to ensure that those who participated in the parade "worked proactively" with them to ensure the safety of the Rainbow community was at the forefront.

"Unfortunately, institutions such as the police were not able to compromise with the Pride board despite months of consultation with the community that highlighted more work needed to be done in order for participants to feel safe with the police's presence in the parade.

"The Pride Parade is so much more than its corporate sponsors or government institutions. It is about our Rainbow community coming together to both celebrate and fight for a future where everyone is free from systemic discrimination.

"We remain open to finding common ground with institutions that are working towards ensuring they are truly Rainbow inclusive, but have yet to get to that point."

Rock said they would continue work on the parade and festival once it had held an upcoming special general meeting with its members.

A Vodafone Rainbow community spokesperson said they remained hopeful the Pride board would change their minds.

"If our hope is realised and the ban is lifted, we will be the first to congratulate and thank the board for their willingness to listen and respond to the overwhelming call for inclusion. If not, unfortunately, we will not be able to march in February."

Standing by police was "simply the right thing to do to ... as we would with any excluded group, and insist on inclusion for all".

"We cannot participate in an event that applies different rules for different groups and seems to be acting contrary to its kaupapa."

If the Pride board did not welcome police back, the Vodafone Rainbow community would celebrate their pride events elsewhere.