Tamaki’s tirade an insult - gay MP
National MP Paul Foster-bell has announced he is gay, saying preacher Brian Tamaki’s claims about homosexuals causing earthquakes meant he had to speak up.
Foster-bell, who has never spoken publicly about his sexuality, told TVNZ’S Q+A programme he wanted to stand up for young, gay Kiwis who could be questioning their self-worth as a result of Tamaki’s remarks.
Tamaki’s assertion that ‘‘gays, sinners, and murderers’’ cause earthquakes, repeated after last month’s magnitude-7.8 earthquake, has prompted protests.
Foster-bell told Q+A the comments, and other world events, had inspired him to talk about his own experiences.
‘‘There’s been a number of things over recent months, from events in the Middle East with gay people being thrown off buildings, through to even closer to home, gay people being criminalised, being imprisoned and whipped in some of the Pacific nations.
‘‘But, actually, it was Brian Tamaki’s outburst a few weeks ago that really did make me furious, and it meant that it was time for me, really, to speak up.’’
Tamaki’s remarks were akin to ‘‘throwing petrol on a fire’’ for young Kiwis who were questioning their sexuality and self-worth, Fosterbell said.
‘‘You and I can dismiss that as intelligent adults as just being ludicrous but, for those kids, that’s actually a really hurtful thing at an already difficult time in their life.’’
Foster-bell, the vice-patron of Rainbow Wellington, said his announcement would not come as a surprise to his colleagues but he felt it was the right time for the wider public to know.
‘‘That outrageous tirade from Mr Tamaki . . . really made it clear to me that I had a moral obligation to speak out and to use the platform I have, particularly as a government MP.
‘‘The opposition have a number of gay MPS but, actually, it’s important that within the team that’s running the country we also have that community represented, and I want to take a leadership role there.’’
Foster-bell is facing an internal selection battle in Wellington Central from senior Fonterra executive Nicola Willis, but denied his announcement was linked and said he had been thinking about going public for over a year. - Fairfax NZ