• Domestic abuse agencies warn the Man Up course by Destiny Church is “downright dangerous” and promotes male dominance.
• Police and courts still refer perpetrators to Man Up, despite warnings from Women’s Refuge and others.
• Concerns intensified after Man Up members disrupted a Pride event, leading to police condemnation and investigation.

By Kirsty Johnston of RNZ

Domestic abuse agencies are again raising concerns about the Man Up course run by Destiny Church, saying it is “downright dangerous”.

The programme, which purports to offer anti-violence classes, has been criticised for promoting ideas such as male dominance and ultra-traditional family values, which agencies say can exacerbate domestic violence.

At least one police district is still using Man Up as a provider, despite continual warnings from Women’s Refuge and other agencies that the programme is unsafe. Individual courts also sometimes refer perpetrators to Man Up as part of bail conditions or sentencing.

The renewed concerns come after members of the Man Up group disrupted a Pride event at a West Auckland library, alarming families and requiring police intervention.

Witnesses reported that about 30 adults and young children were barricaded into a room in the library after men wearing “Man Up” T-shirts interrupted a drag performer’s show and began “yelling and banging” on doors.

“It was scary and doors had to be locked,” one woman told RNZ. “I really did feel like they were trying to get inside and it felt very violent.”

Later that day protesters broke through police barricades at the city’s Rainbow Parade, disrupting festivities with a haka on Ponsonby Rd.

Police condemned the group’s actions as “intimidating and unacceptable”. An investigation into the protest is ongoing.

Members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community gathered in Auckland’s Albert Park yesterday today to protest Tamaki’s demonstrations.

Drag queen Medulla Oblongata spoke at yesterday’s rally, saying rainbow readings mattered. “Stories don’t hurt children, hate does, silence does, shame does.”

Auckland Central MP and Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick, who also spoke at the rally, said the backlash to the previous demonstrations from Destiny Church was love.

“Look at how we’ve turned up in force and claimed our power,” she said.

Brian Tamaki (inset) has bragged he ordered his followers to storm the Te Atatū library.

Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki posted on Facebook that he was “proud of my people who are out in the community today, making a stand against the Woke Agenda plaguing our city”.

Domestic violence agencies have long warned that the Man Up programme is dangerous. They say it lacks transparency, oversight and any kind of evidence base.

Man Up describes itself as a 10-week programme that helps identify, expose and understand core root issues of why men experience “dysfunctions”. It encourages men to “open up, not harden up”.

Women’s Refuge chief Ang Jury said the programme bred the very entitlement and attitudes that lead to violence.

“Watching their behaviour at the weekend I was sickened. It was rabid. It was the opposite of anti-violence, it was inciting violence,” Jury said. “They’re teaching that stand over and intimidation tactics are okay.”

Refuge flagged its concerns about Man Up with police most recently last year, but was told the programme "has had a positive impact on some perpetrators' behaviour”.

At least one police district, Tasman, is still referring people to the programme, although a police spokesperson told RNZ the “ongoing inclusion” of the programme was under review.

Some courts also refer perpetrators to Man Up. In one recent instance, an offender assigned to a 22-week anti-violence course in Nelson requested to attend the 10-week Destiny programme instead, and the judge approved.

National Network of Family Violence Services national advocate Merran Lawler said that Man Up did not meet its criteria as a specialist service.

She expressed concern about the programme’s focus on restoring men to a “Christian way of being” centred on men being the head of the family.

“It’s just a very traditional approach that we know creates incredible danger for women and children… who are required to obey and to be silent and do what they are told,” Lawler said. “It increases the sense of entitlement, but it also increases the violence when that sense of entitlement isn’t met with complete obedience.”

Lawler said the programme was not based on evidence, but instead on books written by Tamaki.

It had never been evaluated, and the limited amount known about it suggested its teaching was more about men “managing their women” and becoming part of the Destiny community.

“Ultimately the importance of intervention with men who perpetrate family violence is far more than just creating a nice space and creating a brotherhood,” Lawler said. “It’s about holding them to account.”

Jury said there was no transparency or accountability for Man Up and therefore government agencies should not be using it.

“If you’re funded by the courts as a provider you have to go through accreditation and evaluation – but they’re not funded so slide under the radar. We don’t know who’s delivering the programme. It’s pretty much always a perpetrator who says they’ve cleaned up,” she said.

The Ministry of Justice said that organisations contracted by the ministry must meet “strict criteria”. However, the weight given to other programmes is up to a judge, who “would want to be satisfied about the integrity and effectiveness of any such programme”.

Man Up did not respond to RNZ’s request for comment.