Latest news with #DragStoryHour
1News
23-04-2025
- 1News
John Campbell on Destiny Church: ‘I've never encountered so much fear'
Today John Campbell launches Under His Command, a five-part TVNZ+ investigation into Destiny Church and the women who live in its shadows. For more than 25 years Destiny Church and its controversial leader Brian Tamaki have occupied a small, if loud, fundamentalist corner of New Zealand's religious culture. But recently, the church has made fresh headlines due to its active stance against the LGBTQI community, with members of its Man Up division (and other Destiny offshoots) targeting rainbow events and most notably storming the Drag Story Hour at a West Auckland public library in February, resulting in injuries to the public and seven Destiny arrests. Officially, Man Up professes anti-violence, claiming to 'strengthen men to become better fathers, husbands and leaders in their home and community'. But an unexpected phone call to John Campbell in February revealed that some members' aggression and fear tactics aren't limited to public displays. That phone call led to Campbell taking a deep dive into the shadows behind Destiny, a church with nine registered charities, all eligible for tax exemptions on their income. Through watching hours and hours of Tamaki's sermons and conducting more than 20 interviews with current or former members of Destiny, he discovered a culture of at best antiquated patriarchy and at worse violence and coercion. 'In over three decades of journalism, I've never talked to so many people as afraid as the women I encountered in this investigation,' he says. Today John Campbell launches Under His Command, a five-part investigation into Destiny, screening on TVNZ+. He talks to Emily Simpson. ES: John, what sparked your interest in Destiny right now? JC: Sometime in February, two people came to me and said, "We're dealing with a whole lot of Destiny Church people, and some of them are in a really bad way." Years ago Campbell Live did quite a lot of stuff on Destiny (Brian Tamaki has accused me of being obsessed with him) but I hadn't done much on them recently and hadn't really been thinking about them. The Campbell Live stuff was more about the notion that a business was being built around a relatively low-income congregation. But as people have pointed out, that ain't unique to Destiny. Then these people said to me, 'There is so much pain and hurt" and I thought, what are you talking about? I spoke to one of them, in particular, who, like many of those we spoke to, wanted to remain anonymous. After a couple of conversations, I felt like I really needed to sit down with this person. So I travelled out of Auckland to meet them, and we spent a day together. There was no doubt that they were genuinely troubled. And really well informed. And completely sincere. ES: It's a famously closed church. How did you delve deeper? JC: This person introduced me to more Destiny people. And then I went back to some of my old Destiny contacts. Some people just hung up on me. But I got passed around and eventually established contacts with three or four members, or former members. And then they passed me on, and so on. In the end, I spoke to 22 people in meaningful ways, some many times and, with one exception, they were all women. They had all either left the church or were still in it, reluctantly, because their husbands were in it. And they didn't have the sense of agency or the financial means to leave - their families are in the church, their children, everyone. These conversations felt like this kind of unburdening, people often cried. These women were hurt and scared and exhausted. They made me promise that Brian (Tamaki) and the Man Up guys wouldn't know I'd spoken to them. ES: What, specifically, were they afraid of? JC: One woman said, about speaking to me, "I can't do it, those Man Up guys know where I live." Another woman said, "If my husband finds out I've spoken to you I'll get a hiding." You can't unhear that. I spoke to Debbs Murray, who does fantastic work in the family violence awareness space, about why people stay in toxic relationships. She talked about the dynamics of coercive control, how it traps people in relationships by tapping into their vulnerabilities. On a larger scale you could say that a group like Destiny exercises that same kind of control, because it attracts vulnerable people and convinces them that there's great danger outside of the group. ES: The premise of Destiny's support group for men, Man Up, is family values, anti-drugs, anti-crime, anti-violence. Why are these women so afraid of Man Up and its members? JC: Back in 2019, I spoke to a Mongrel Mob former chapter head who said Man Up really worked for him, so there are success stories. But the women I spoke to believe it's an organisation that isn't nearly as dedicated to dealing with toxic male behaviour as it would proclaim. This kepty recurring. They said it's sometimes been more interested in victim blaming – as in the woman shouldn't have 'triggered' the man's anger. I think Man Up would very emphatically deny that that's their message (our many requests for interviews were denied, our emailed questions unanswered), and I don't have explicit evidence of that in more recent years, but what I am able to say emphatically is that many of the women I spoke to are terrified. In part they're terrified about losing their place in the community, but four or five of the women I spoke to were afraid of a violent response. Kaupapa Māori academic Professor Leonie Pihama – she's incredible – had some interesting things to say about how, even if the men of Man Up were no longer violent in a domestic setting, their violence has been transplanted and directed at the LGBTQI community. The violence isn't gone it's just, in some cases, got new targets. She also talked about Destiny's use of haka against the LGBTQI community – and how utterly inappropriate it is to weaponise the haka in such a harmful way. One former insider, the only man I spoke to, said 'rage is Tamaki's marketing tool'. I've watched hours of Brian Tamaki sermons – the incendiary tone, the homophobia, the transphobia, the xenophobia, it's staggering and it's not healthy, it's not good for your heart to be assailed with that. ES: Do you think that the trans issue, having been in the media a lot lately, has become a kind of vehicle for Destiny Church? JC: That former Destiny member talked about attacking drag queens being Tamaki's 'ticket', because Destiny's toxic response to drag events gets media attention. And then I found footage of Tamaki himself actually using that word – 'ticket". He's explicit in this. It's a deliberate marketing strategy. But it requires rage to fuel it. When you think about it, about all of the moral panic around things like Homosexual Law Reform (1986), the Civil Unions Bill (2004) and same-sex marriage (legalised in 2013), you can't go to market with that stuff anymore because none of it was true. So in order to create moral panic you have to go harder, or tell lies, or find new villains. And the new villains are trans people. But there's such a disconnect. You look at the Pride Parade on Ponsonby Rd, there are people wandering along waving a rainbow flag or something and they're met with this fury. Some of the Destiny members I spoke to anonymously said they were ashamed of the church's homophobia. They talked about having a brother or cousins who are gay. ES: Aside from potentially being a marketing ploy, what do you think motivates the intense trans- and homophobia? JC: Brian Tamaki seems obsessed with fatherhood and protecting families from the people he regards as perverted. He constantly conflates LGBTQI with paedophilia and child abuse, when we know that if you were a child abused in the last 30 or 40 years it was likely to have happened in a state institution or a church. But that conflation of child abuse with trans people or gay people is incendiary. Leonie Pihama said you have to think about some of these Man Up members might have come from. If you look at the overwhelming link between state care and violent crime and gang membership – many Man Up members may share that background, they may be victims of abuse, and they're being taught to channel their rage towards a community that doesn't deserve it. There are other targets for Tamaki's rage, including a growing concentration on immigrant communities (I was really taken aback by the explicitness of some of this) but the LGBTQI community is the one he returns to again and again. ES: Who else is targeted? JC: Māori activism - Tamaki calls Te Pāti Māori a terrorist association. Immigrants, as I said. He's suggested that 98% of immigrants are 'probably terrorists'. He says, 'They're not here to integrate, they're here to invade.' He calls multiculturalism 'evil'. Hundreds of people turn up every week for these sermons, but it's nearly all men who go out on these confrontational missions, which Tamaki admitted he directs. In one sermon, he talks about making phone calls and saying to people 'you get to the Te Atatū library'. He uses military language: armies, generals, strategies. In this TVNZ+ series I look at other issues attached to Destiny (such as laundry baskets full of cash disappearing into vans parked out the back of the church). But what to me is key now is that this is a community that is being galvanised into a kind of rage. And people who don't want to be part of that feel afraid to step away. And it's rage towards communities that don't deserve it. And then there's the tremendous amount of hurt and fear being cultivated within the church. I don't think I've ever, in over three decades of journalism, talked to people as afraid as the women I encountered in this investigation.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Major events coming to Amelia Park Arena in April and May
WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Amelia Park Arena is preparing for a busy spring, with four major events scheduled over the next five weeks. The lineup begins with the 25th Annual New England Invitational Sled Hockey Tournament from April 4-6, followed by the Spring Classic hockey tournament, a cornhole competition, and the Artworks Westfield Annual Articulture Show. Drag Story Hour event halted by bomb threat in Pittsfield Amelia Park Arena General Manager Billy Fellows expressed excitement about the slate of events, particularly the sled hockey tournament, which he considers one of the highlights of the year. 'It's no doubt one of my favorite events,' Fellows said. 'Longtime coordinator Dale Wise unfortunately passed away in 2022, and it has been an absolute honor to take the reins and keep this amazing tournament going in our community.' To honor Wise's legacy, the Dale Wise Sportsmanship Award is presented to one of the participating teams each year. This year's ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 5, at noon, with State Senator John Velis presenting the award. Following the sled hockey tournament, Amelia Park will host the fourth annual Spring Classic from April 11-13. The tournament will feature 16 teams competing across three divisions–18+ A, 18+ B, and 40+–for the coveted 'Classic Cup.' NCAA, ACHA, and high school players will be among those taking the ice for the three-day event. After the conclusion of the Spring Classic, Amelia Park will undergo its annual ice removal and transition into a space for off-ice events. The first event to take advantage of the transformed venue will be the fourth annual Amelia Park Cornhole Tournament on April 26. Sponsored by PeoplesBank, the tournament will include food and beverages from Tin Bridge Brewing and North Elm Butcher Block, offering a lively atmosphere for players and spectators alike. Wrapping up the five-week stretch is the Artworks Westfield Annual Articulture Show on May 2-3. The event, now in its ninth year, will showcase the work of more than 70 local artists inside the arena's converted space. Articulture will also feature authors, live music, and food trucks, with proceeds helping to support additional community arts events throughout the year. Kevin Chrisanthopoulos, President of the Amelia Park Board of Trustees, emphasized the importance of these events for both the arena and the greater Westfield community. 'I speak on behalf of the entire Board of Trustees when I say we are thrilled with how many annual events we now have at our facility,' Chrisanthopoulos said. 'Each event offers something a little different for our patrons, and it is awesome to see Amelia being utilized as a key resource for our community.' As a non-profit organization, Amelia Park Arena relies on these events to help sustain its operations while also providing opportunities for the community to come together. All four major upcoming events at the arena offer free admission for spectators. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WANDER Berkshires to host Black History Month drag story hour
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Families are invited to a joyful and empowering Black History Month Drag Story Hour at WANDER Berkshires. The free event, set for February 15 at 11:00 a.m., will feature renowned storyteller Sativo Green in a celebration of books, music, and crafts that uplift Black voices and narratives. Mass. AG leads coalition in issuing statement pledging to protect gender-affirming care As part of the event's mission to promote literacy and inclusivity, every child in attendance will receive a free book to take home, helping to expand their personal library while engaging with stories that highlight Black excellence, resilience, and joy. Through dynamic storytelling and interactive activities, children and families will have the opportunity to connect with narratives that inspire and empower. WANDER Berkshires, a community-focused space in downtown Pittsfield, is dedicated to creativity, healing, and inclusivity. The venue features a recovery-focused café, a photography gallery and teaching darkroom, a wellness studio, and an event space, fostering a welcoming environment for artistic expression and community connection. Drag Story Hour Berkshires is known for its inclusive and educational storytelling events, which promote self-expression, imagination, and diversity. By presenting books that embrace differences and encourage acceptance, the program creates a safe and affirming space where all children can see themselves reflected in stories. Seeing Rainbows, a trans-led organization, is committed to building holistic and liberating systems that foster community care and solidarity. The organization works to dismantle oppressive structures and create new, equitable models of support through grassroots initiatives. The Black History Month Drag Story Hour at WANDER Berkshires is an opportunity for families to come together and celebrate the power of storytelling, fostering understanding, inclusivity, and joy. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
