Rotorua business owners fear for safety after homophobic abuse

Sulphur City Soapery owners Shannen (left) and Jackie Lunam. Photo / Andrew Warner

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A couple say people stood outside their store screaming homophobic "hate speech" at them, telling them they were "disgusting homosexuals" and were "going to hell".

The abuse happened this week - leaving the couple too scared to leave their shop.

A man was formally warned by police for his behaviour.

Shannen and Jackie Lunam own Sulphur City Soapery and are moving into their new premises on the corner of Tūtānekai and Hinemoa St, to open in a few weeks.

Shannen told the Rotorua Daily Post they have been married nine years. She said the "hate speech" directed at them on Monday and Tuesday was a "shock" and they have "never had anything like that before".

"It was disgusting and really offensive. The worst instance of homophobia that we have ever come across."

The women "feared for our safety".

Shannen said the problems started on Monday when a group of about 15 people stood near their soon-to-open store.

They were saying "yucky" and "intense" things - including anti-abortion and anti-Covid statements.

The couple were at the shop alone putting up signage when one person in the group pointed at them and said over the megaphone: "I know you're laughing ... you're going to hell."

She said the couple ignored them but this happened every time they went outside. None of these comments were homophobic.

Shannen and Jackie then saw two women walking down the street and told them passing the group would not be safe. However, the women decided to walk through the group, holding hands, saying they were gay.

"I cheered for them because they were so brave and I guess that's how [the group] worked out that [she and Jackie] were together. At some point, they worked out we were together," Shannen said.

Shannen said they spoke to some City Guardians, who came down on several occasions, and were told that police had been notified. The City Guardians' presence did not deter the group, they said.

Later, the owners approached a police officer at a nearby business but were told there was not much he could do and the comments being made were a matter of freedom of speech. Police were aware of the situation and monitoring it on CCTV.

Shannen said this made them feel that "we didn't matter".

The couple had to walk back past the group - and that was when a woman from the group started screaming at them.

"We were disgusting homosexuals and we were an abomination, God knows what we're doing ... we shouldn't be allowed to be here, we're going to hell," Shannen recalled.

"I started yelling back at her: 'Yes, I'm gay and there's nothing wrong with that'."

She told the group what they were saying was "disgusting" and "disrespectful" and they needed to stop and go away.

Then two men from the group approached them, got "right in our face" and started yelling that they were "disgusting'' and needed to be ''saved".

The next day, Tuesday, Jackie was at the shop alone when the group, now down to between six and eight people, started again. Shannen came down to be there with her.

A City Guardian spoke to the couple and then to the group. At this point, three members of the group moved outside their new store.

The trio included the woman who abused them on Monday, the man who got into their face and another man, they said.

Shannen rang the police and told them they were afraid to leave the building.

She said the person on the phone said they were sorry for what was happening but no one was coming down now and if they could leave safely they should, and not provoke the group.

"He was nice but was making it clear nothing was going to be done straight away."

When the group moved away from the door after about two hours, they left.

Jackie said they had had "overwhelming" community support about the incident after posting about it online.

"The braveness, strength and absolute support we have seen has been amazing. It shows, in our community, what is tolerated and what is not."

Some people had offered to walk them into the shop or stand in the shop and send their husbands down if needed.

"If the people come back, it won't be the police I'll ring, it will be the people of the community that have put their hands up to say they'll help.''

One of the group members told the Rotorua Daily Post when approached: "We care about people's souls".

Asked about the abuse, Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said: "It is overwhelmingly sad and not to be tolerated in our town."

Police were made aware of "verbal altercations" between groups of people outside a Tutanekai St address earlier this week, a spokesperson said.

Officers attended and asked the group to move on, reminding them "of the hurt their words can, and did, cause."

"Advice was also given to the callers to remove themselves from the situation if possible and to call back if it escalated.

"Police's first approach in such a situation is to encourage those involved to move on, because in a public place unless there is significant evidence of a criminal offence, there is little more police is able to do immediately.

"Should the behaviour continue, individuals could be subject to disorderly or offensive behaviour charges, if the criminal threshold is met."