Sophie is one of Christchurch's favourite fag-hags Popular gay Christchurch hangout Sophie’s Café has been cordoned off, after concerns about the structural integrity of its building were raised by the Canterbury Earthquake Authority (CERA). It’s one of four tenants impacted by the cordoning of the Carlton building on the corner of Papanui Rd and Bealey Ave. CERA’s General Manager of Operations Warwick Isaacs says the four tenants were spoken to by the building owner and CERA engineers yesterday and understand that their safety, and that of the public, is paramount. “They continue to have restricted access to their businesses inside the building but are unable to trade or allow access to the general public,” he says. Isaacs says the building owner has been asked to provide CERA with a Detailed Engineering Evaluation (DEE) as quickly as possible so the future of the building can be assessed. Sophie's Café first opened in 1994, and has been a popular lgbt community meeting spot and celebrity hangout ever since. Owner Sophie Baldwin has been a “girlfriend” to Christchurch's gay scene for well over a decade, and won an audience vote to become the inaugural Southern Fag-Hag in 2008. You can discuss this New Zealand gay community news story in the GayNZ.com Forum.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 21st February 2012 - 2:17pm