Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Cafe owner reduced to tears after homophobic abuse from anti-vaxxer

By Whatitiri Te Wake
Whakaata Māori·
21 Dec, 2021 06:04 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Cathryn Baragwanath, owner of 39 Gillies Cafe in Kawakawa, makes an emotional plea for Government ministers to help businesses experiencing abuse because of traffic light system restrictions. Video / Cathryn Baragwanath

Originally published by Māori Television

Cathryn Baragwanath (Ngāti Hine) is the owner of Cafe 39 Gillies in Kawakawa and says she is representative of what's going on for hospitality workers across New Zealand - and it's getting out of hand.

"We've had small attacks daily and we can withstand those. But daily attacks when we ask for the vax pass is not on."

The 46-year-old, who came out as lesbian 30 years ago when she was 16, says she has never experienced homophobia previously, particularly in her own Far North community of Kawakawa.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In an interview with Te Ao Māori News, she said she and her wife, Olive Brown, have run the cafe for six years and on Sunday their sexuality was used in an attempt to kick them down.

"I felt ashamed, I felt like I was 16 and coming out again. I felt paru being gay - all over a vaccine pass," she said.

In an emotional video posted to the cafe's Instagram page, she outlined her frustration and is looking at ways in which she can protect herself and her staff.

She has lodged a complaint with the police and is hoping this process will offer some reprieve.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Cathryn Baragwanath outlined her frustration in an emotional video posted to her café's Instagram page. Screenshot / Cafe 39 Gillies, Instagram
Cathryn Baragwanath outlined her frustration in an emotional video posted to her café's Instagram page. Screenshot / Cafe 39 Gillies, Instagram

"If I had Jacinda [Ardern]'s number, I would have rung her and said, 'I'm going to give them a coffee - it's not worth the attack."

In Northland, 83 per cent of the eligible population has been vaccinated but, for Māori in Te Tai Tokerau, it's 73 per cent. Although Baragwanath says she supports the efforts to get people vaccinated, it comes at a cost.

"We support the kaupapa. We understand that we need to have safe communities. But on Sunday our lives were threatened, our livelihoods were threatened.

"We've been bombarded, even for our business on Google review. We didn't know how to report that to Google."

Café 39 Gillies in Kawakawa.
Café 39 Gillies in Kawakawa.

Although Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins didn't have advice to business owners experiencing these issues, he did have a message for patrons at his press conference today.

"We're heading into Christmas, relax, be kind and be understanding.

"Cut our hospo a bit of slack - they're doing their job. It's a tough job, it's been a tough couple of years for them, so embrace the festive season," he said.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood

Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

Northern Advocate

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood
Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood

Roddy Pihema saved a woman and her dog from rising floodwaters in Kawakawa.

16 Jul 06:00 AM
'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court
Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

16 Jul 04:04 AM
Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants
Northern Advocate

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants

16 Jul 04:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP