Brian Tamaki is a self-appointed bishop of a church in South Auckland. It has just lost charitable status. It is Maori, it is workingclass.I have problems with his theology. But Brian is not converged. The White Ribbon is, and Brian turning up triggers them.

THis is master level use of rhetoric.

Marches have been held across the country to mark White Ribbon Day.

The annual campaign aims to end men’s violence against women, but in Auckland organisers pulled their support for a march in the city as they felt the event had been hijacked by Destiny Church.

The White Ribbon organisation also met in Wellington and Christchurch but pulled out of its Auckland march because it felt the day had been hijacked.

“We’re really concerned about some of the messages from Destiny’s Church,” said campaign manager Rob McCann. “We don’t want to see the queer community ostracised in any way or form.”

Destiny Church’s Brian Tamaki denied he was homophobic and said there were people from the gay community on the church stage on Saturday.

“I don’t believe I’m homophobic at all, not at all. I have beliefs and opinions. I hold those strongly as a minister.”

The White Ribbon charity said it would refuse to go ahead with its march if Mr Tamaki spoke at the event, and he did.

“Brian Tamaki comes with his own agenda, and we want these White Ribbon events to be about the kaupapa of White Ribbon, ending men’s violence against women,” said Mr McCann.

The church said it was disappointed by that decision.

“It’s a bit sad because we’re both standing for the same thing, and we were always going to be here. We had our Man Up convention on this weekend and it just happens to fall at the same time,” said Mr Tamaki.

White Ribbon had other issues. It wanted to focus on violence against women, but the church message was wider-ranging.

“We’d looked at the advertising that they had online and women were not even mentioned,” said Mr McCann.

“It shouldn’t just be narrowed down to one issue – tackle the whole lot,” said Mr Tamaki.

The White Ribbon events in Wellington and Christchurch went ahead without a hitch, and the Auckland organisers have appealed to Destiny Church to choose one of the 364 other days of the year for next year’s event.

The pledge and the money made on the pledge is useless. Violence is a human activity. Men do it as much as women: if you are a woman you are more likely to be hit by an antisocial or perverse partner: the rates of violence among gay couples is as high or higher than heterosexuals. The violence industry can do damage as it destroys families, damages children, and sees all events through an ideology built on lies.

Tamaki is flawed, but he is better than that.

And the leaders of the white ribbon movement are now wearing the white feather.