Te Mete and Joseph One of the gay couples in ZM’s Fabulous Gay Wedding competition has pulled out over fears for their own safety, following a violent incident in an Auckland gay bar. Opotiki couple Te Mete Solomon Smith and Joseph Hayes have made the decision due to an "issue" over the weekend, when they were out with friends trying to rally for votes at a gay bar in Auckland. They claim they were confronted by someone who said they didn’t deserve to be in the competition, when things escalated into pushing and shoving and the situation became violent. Hayes told ZM: “some disgusting people felt quite negatively about our entry in the competition. Some bad stuff happened to us.” He said they were pulling out for their own safety. They have thanked their supporters and promised a wedding will still happen in the future, in front of their whanau and friends. “We are very disappointed, and have not taken this decision lightly, in fact we were both upset about it but now feel that for our own safety it’s the best decision for us both.” Voting is now open for the four remaining couples in the competition; Candice and Pamela from Hamilton, Tash and Melissa from Auckland, Samuel and David from Auckland, and Thomas and Jamie from Wellington. Vote here
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 8th July 2013 - 10:23am