When bitterness endures, this is our church.

We believe a church, like the dance floor, should be an inclusive place for all people including those of us with diverse sexualities and genders. This is why we supported the legislation that will ban ‘conversion therapy’ and rid Aotearoa New of the harmful ethos instilled through its presence, which is to say nothing of the impact on those who directly suffered its effects.

More than a name for a dance floor filler, the name of our dance party - Anthem - has multiple connotations including ones which rouse the spirit. In fact, Anthem is a synonym for hymn - the songs we sang at church or during assembly like Amazing Grace or The Battle Hymn of the Republic. New Zealand's LGBTIQ+ communities have long imbued the dance floor with all the spiritual dimensions of church, not least because the church refused to have us.