Everybody loved the messaging.
It was a glorious night.” He hoped this would be the first of many Younity events, saying it should grow to become a “regular part of the calendar year for Tauranga”.
Co-ordinator Trish Valois said families were flowing into the free afternoon gala.
“It was so well utilised by the public. It was busy, but it wasn’t overloaded.”
Valois said she felt driven to support queer youth after seeing the media coverage surrounding Bethlehem College earlier this year.
“I have always waved a rainbow flag for all my friends in the queer community.”
She said it was a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for her to see O’brien perform live with Tauranga Boys’ College students.
“It was just one of those emotional moments for me.”
Organiser Gordy Lockhart, who founded Youbeyou Tauranga Moana, said he was now “more jazzed and keen” to push the initiative further.
“The day was superb — but the main thing was, everybody loved the messaging,” he said.
“I don’t think any of us would argue that we are not now in a better place to understand and celebrate each other.”
Lockhart said the audience at the gig was “on point”.
“There was lots of screaming, and it was just hysterical to see such a huge number of people doing the time warp.”
He commended the musicians from local high schools who got involved, and said the Tauranga Boys’ College band was “just buzzing” after the performance with O’brien.
“There was nothing that wasn’t superb.
“Everybody on stage was into it — it was just tremendous.”
Lockhart said he was now focusing on how to get the charity’s “diversity, inclusion, and equity services” up and running.
Youbeyou was formed after Lockhart criticised Bethlehem College for asking school parents to acknowledge its belief that marriage was between a man and a woman.
Its creation was also prompted by the arson attack that destroyed a hub for queer and gender-diverse youth in the city.
A portion of the money raised over the week would go to local secondary schools’ queer straight alliance groups.