After losing their business to arsonists the couple believe it wouldn’t be safe to rebuild it there.

Juliet Leigh and Lindsay Curnow were the victims of an arson attack in January which caused $100,000 of damage in property and goods. To date, nobody has been arrested for the crime. After consideration, the couple have decided that while they will continue to live in the seaside resort of Mangawhai, they don’t feel they should build up their business there. The pair had initially decided to leave the town but were encouraged by the local community to stay. Supporters at the gay pride event, Big Gay Out, helped raise $5000 to assist the couple in February, while Auckland’s Gay and Lesbian Singers are holding a benefit concert later this month to raise more money for them.

Leigh suspects the arsonist was a visitor to the popular town, saying, “There are too many people moving in and out of Mangawhai in summer and during the holiday period that we don’t know.” Consequently, she believes the business would still be a target if rebuilt in the town.

She goes on to point out that, although they managed to save a computer with important business files, the business was more than that: ‘We lost more than just the bulbs. How do you value innovation and the work put into something like this?”

Curnow expressed the hope that the crime would highlight homophobia and persuade people to abandon it: “It’s so important that people understand that labelling and bigotry is really, really such a wasteful, stupid thing and stops you from seeing the potential of a person.”

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