Bishop Brian Tamaki was the keynote speaker at a rally against domestic violence in Auckland, despite requests from White Ribbon that he be withdrawn.

Brian Tamaki has addressed thousands of Destiny Church followers at a march in central Auckland, denying he is homophobic and challenging the Government to work with Destiny to address social issues.

The march was an act of defiance against the White Ribbon campaign, which threatened on Friday to withdraw its support for the event if the church leader was not cancelled as a speaker.

"White Ribbon pulled out at the last minute because they want me to disappear," said Tamaki, "but I'm still here."

Brian Tamaki addresses the crowds after leading marches up Auckland's Queen St.

Tamaki's speech followed a hikoi up Queen St on Saturday organised by Destiny's Man Up programme to take a stand against domestic violence.

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CRAIG HOYLE/STUFF Bishop Brian Tamaki meets supporters on Destiny Church's march in central Auckland.

The event was billed as supporting White Ribbon Day, which also falls on Saturday.

Several thousand people gathered in Myers Park after marching up Queen St, and families mingled in what felt like a carnival atmosphere.

Helium balloons floated into the sky as Destiny members testified how their lives had been changed by Man Up.

CRAIG HOYLE/STUFF Members of the Destiny Church march up Queen St to protest domestic violence.

In his keynote speech, Tamaki threw down a challenge to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, reminding the crowd she had promised to be a prime minister for all New Zealanders.

"Destiny Church hasn't been treated like that," Tamaki said. "We've been left out, hated, and discriminated against.

"I say to you Jacinda, we want to work with the government. We don't want to be pushed aside. We have been pushed away and given cult status... and yet we are the most open church."

CRAIG HOYLE/STUFF Bikers led the way on Destiny Church's march up Queen Street.

Tamaki told the crowd he was not homophobic and loved his gay friends, but said he was also entitled to stand by his beliefs.

"I've never hated anybody who had a different sexual orientation," he said. "I love those people, but I don't have to agree with those people.

"Just because we disagree, doesn't make us haters."

FACEBOOK Destiny's Man Up programme encourages men to be better fathers and partners.

In a wide-ranging speech that ran for 25 minutes, Tamaki also said Māori were still paying the price for having their homeland "destroyed by colonisation".

"Justice is partly met by compensation to iwi, and an apology from government, but it's not enough to heal the hurting heart," he said.

"It's not enough to heal the generations who still suffer in prison, who still suffer socially with poverty, and abuses, and drug addictions."

CHRIS SKELTON/STUFF Caine Warren is the national director of Man Up, a Destiny programme that supports men in turning their lives around.

Tamaki said Destiny Church provided solutions the Government could not, and predicted New Zealand would see the rising of a Māori nation "who will be saved by the blood of Jesus".

Tamaki's speech came after White Ribbon withdrew its support after he refused to back down as a speaker.

White Ribbon campaign manager Rob McCann wrote to Man Up national director Caine Warren on Friday to express concerns with how the hikoi was promoted.

CHRIS SKELTON/STUFF The Man Up programme, which helps rehabilitate inmates, was shut out of prison earlier this year.

McCann said the event had been "organised without the proper involvement of White Ribbon and without our full knowledge".



He went on to say that "many of the widely expressed views of Brian Tamaki are not compatible with White Ribbon values".

"In light of these concerns, it is not possible for White Ribbon to support an event that aligns us with Man Up, Destiny's Church and Brian Tamaki," McCann said.



Tamaki hit back on Facebook a short time later, accusing the White Ribbon campaign of engaging in "nasty" behaviour.

"To criticise and talk like you and others do might suggest to me White Ribbon... may need some Man Up sessions themselves," Tamaki wrote.

McCann likewise did not back down, and compared Tamaki's Facebook response to the Twitter activity of US president Donald Trump.

McCann confirmed White Ribbon had subsequently withdrawn support for the event, and had also withdrawn White Ribbon ambassador Richie Hardcore as a speaker.

Te Ao Pritchard, spokesperson for activist group Pacific Panthers, earlier urged the community to take a stand at the march to show support for takatāpui people.

Takatāpui is an encompassing Māori term used to refer to those with diverse sexual orientation or gender identity.

"We object to the dominant role of a church with a hateful agenda in a march against violence. The march needs to be peaceful and inclusive," said Pritchard.

Pritchard herself was welcomed to the stage during the rally, where she spoke about the importance of supporting gay and transgender people.

Destiny members cheered and clapped once she had finished speaking.

On Friday, Pritchard released a Facebook post from a Man Up facilitator which discusses "sexual perversion", although it's not made clear whether the post refers to takatāpui people, or sexual sins more generally.

Warren acknowledged many people still associated Destiny with the "Enough is Enough" march on parliament in 2004 to protest against civil unions, but said times had changed.

"It's in some people's psyches now that when you see Destiny it's against gay people, and that is not true," Warren said.

"Many of our members have people in their families who are lesbian or gay, and I have never heard of anybody being ridiculed, put down or isolated in any shape or form at all.

"And if I ever came across it at all, to be honest, I would correct it."

Warren said it was wrong to suggest the march would exclude takatāpui Kiwis.

"We care about all people, whatever you want to sum up as all people," he said.

"Gay, lesbian, straight, Māori, Pacific, Chinese, Christian, Muslim, everybody's welcome to come along."