Persecuted lesbians forced from home

Juliet Leigh (left) and Lindsay Curnow have put up with a lot of damage. Photo / APN

A lesbian couple targeted by arson and homophobic graffiti say they are now too afraid to stay in their Northland home.

Juliet Leigh and Lindsay Curnow have lived in Mangawhai Heads for seven years but will move back to Auckland after they were targeted by another hate message on Tuesday.

"It's really creepy and it's frightening," Ms Leigh said. "At night, when the security lights come on, we always wake, and any little noise always wakes us - it's really spooked us."

Ms Leigh, 64, told the Herald she was furious when she saw "God hates dikes + qeers" sprayed across the couple's back fence in black paint.

"I had this absolute rage. How dare someone? How dare they do that? They don't know us. They've got no idea. I was so upset."

In January, a week after the couple found seven abusive messages scrawled on their house, shed and cars, the shed was burned to the ground, causing about $100,000 worth of damage. In it was an office and equipment they used for their floral business, Blooming Bulbs.

"We thought it might have gone away - that people had proved their point after they burned down the shed - but obviously they're still out there with a hatred towards us. We'd really only just gotten over the first attack," Ms Leigh said.

"This person, whoever it is, is a coward, a bigot and absolutely brazen."

The couple, who have been together for eight years and entered a civil union four years ago, have sold their bulb business and hope to move to Auckland as soon as they can.

"It's sad, because the magic has really gone out of Mangawhai for us."

Ms Leigh said they had already planned to move back to Auckland, but the recent attack has accelerated their desire to do so.

She said the police had no leads as to who attacked her and Ms Curnow.

"We have absolutely no idea who might have done this to us.

"In this day and age, it's hard to believe this sort of thing still happens. Where's the humanity? Who can show this much hatred?"

Following the January attack, they said, they were inundated with offers of support from locals, including flowers and comments in the street.