New Zealand's largest gay business association has reacted positively to the rapid removal from supermarket shelves last week of a stationery product illustrated with a homophobic poem. The product, laminating pouches distributed by Progressive Enterprises' national supermarket chains, contained the poem in fine but readable print on a package cover illustration. Progressive quickly acknowledged the problem, describing the wording as "offensive" and "out of place in our society," and announced a withdrawal of stock from shelves and distribution chains within hours. "It is re-assuring to see Progressive enterprising taking immediate action," says Gavin Hyde, President of the Gay Auckland Business Association," though he fears the company may have lost some goodwill by allowing the product, which Progressive says was sourced through its Hong Kong office, to reach the retail shelves. Hyde's concerns are borne out by a quick informal poll of a dozen gay men and lesbians on the town in Auckland at the weekend. Shown the product all were critical of Progressive, owner of the Foodtown, Woolworths and Countdown chains, for allowing the product to be sold. "If this was someone's idea of a joke it's a bloody poor one," said a 42 year old Ponsonby man. His partner at first laughed at the poem, then said he felt a young gay person reading it might find it hurtful. Two lesbians said it was "sick" and "tasteless." "They take our money and then let this kind of insult through," despaired a 32-year old Grey Lynn resident. An older man from Mt Albert said it was "unbelievable" that Progressive had been "so slack" as to miss the wording. A volunteer for a number of gay community groups said "this kind of stuff just feeds homophobia and then our community has to try to pick up the pieces when it gets out of control." The poem, printed on the notepaper part of the package illustration, reads: It's a beautiful day And it's good to play Then I met a gay Suddenly the clouds turn grey.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 1st September 2009 - 12:11am