GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - A public statement made by George Mayor Melvin Naik regarding the Boston Gay Choir's concert in George put a damper on the build-up to the event. Naik made an announcement on the local Christian radio station, Heart BeatFM, on Tuesday 12 June, saying he heard that the event takes place under the banner of the George Municipality and that it does not carry his approval.

"As the mayor of George Municipality I want to make this statement, all due to my Christian convictions and belief system. It does not carry my approval. I'm saying this without any judgement or discrimination against anyone. This is only out of my Christian conviction. All of us are equally made by God, all that I will do is bless these men and keep on praying for them," he said.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape issued a statement yesterday morning, condemning in the strongest terms the utterances made by Naik. "His utterances do not represent the views of the party. Therefore, the Federal Executive chairperson, James Selfe, will be referring this matter to the party's Federal Legal Commission (FLC) for further investigation. No public representative of the DA can make a decision to exclude or discriminate against any member of our society based on his/her personal views. The DA is a party for all people, irrespective of one's sexual orientation. We reject unfair discrimination on any grounds and show solidarity with the LGBTI community."

The Boston Gay Choir will be visiting George on Tuesday 19 June, performing at the Gay Pride Parade in York Street in the morning and giving a concert in the Conville community hall that evening.

Themed around a message of acceptance and freedom for people to be who they are, the Gay Pride Parade is expected to host international gay ambassadors and local activists, and is open to anyone who wants to support or participate.

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