Around 29 pride flags have been cut down and removed or stolen in Queenstown the day before Winter Pride. The flags were installed around the Queenstown Bay and Village Green area as part of the festival celebrations, which runs for 11 days in the resort town. Winter Pride co-organiser Sam Coulthard said the act of vandalism was not just an attack on property, but sent a troubling message to the community and raised concerns about small-town homophobia.
“In a town known for its beauty and welcoming spirit, it’s disheartening to see acts like this that attempt to undermine efforts to create safe and inclusive spaces,” he said. “It’s not like someone’s just walked down the street and said ‘screw this flag’ and ripped it off, there’s been a lot of thought to process that’s gone into climbing up a lamppost, or 29 of them, to come and make a statement that they don’t want these flags in town.”.