Religious vandalism of Tauranga pride celebration sign 'appalling'

A sign that encourages people to "Embrace, accept, celebrate" diversity has been vandalised with religious bigotry. Photo / Supplied

Vandalism of a Pride Picnic billboard has been labelled "appalling, disheartening and disappointing" by a former organiser of the diversity celebration movement.

Former co-organiser of Pride Week Tauranga Gordy Gray-Lockhart was alerted to the vandalised sign on Cameron Rd, outside the racecourse, today and was saddened to read what had been written.

Scrawled across the face of the billboard is pink paint stating: God resists the proud.

Gray-Lockhart said the message, and gesture was "appalling".

"I was lost for words at how thoughtless people could be.

"We are in 2021, where the pride movement is all about celebration, 'you be you'. It doesn't matter what you believe in, you should be celebrated. You believe what you want. That's fine.

"It's not about necessarily the LBGT community, it's about everybody."

The sign advertises the city's annual Pride Picnic that was scheduled to be held on Sunday but has since been cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The tag line for the event is "Embrace, accept, celebrate".

Gray- Lockhart said it was particularly hurtful the vandalism was done in the week specifically aimed to celebrate pride in diversity, especially when events such as the picnic had to be cancelled.

"It's appalling, disheartening and disappointing."

The sign was the only one Gray-Lockhart knew of to have been vandalised.