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Summary: Woman Douses Preacher (Press, 8 August 1985)
On 7 August 1985, the Rev. Louis Sheldon, an American preacher visiting New Zealand to advocate against the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, became the target of a juice dousing at a news conference in Auckland. This incident occurred during a heated exchange with a woman who confronted Sheldon regarding his fundamentalist views on homosexuality, which he characterised as a “disorder.” During the confrontation, Sheldon asserted that a petition against the bill, which had garnered a million signatures, was still a significant concern despite the woman's protests. Frustrated, the woman responded by throwing orange juice at him and subsequently left the scene.
Following this event, about 150 demonstrators were escorted by police from a meeting in Glenfield attended by Sheldon, which had to be moved behind locked doors due to the intense situation. In the aftermath, Sheldon expressed that he would not pursue any legal action against the woman who splashed him, suggesting he felt sympathy for her and claimed she was a "lost soul." He remarked that the altercation was surprising, especially in a news conference setting.
Sandi Hall, representing the Lesbian and Gay Coalitions in Auckland, later clarified the context of the woman's actions, asserting that she had endured significant verbal abuse prior to the incident. Hall indicated that protests would accompany Sheldon during his 10-day tour, reflecting the community’s refusal to tolerate what they viewed as bigotry. Sheldon, 51, who leads the California Coalition of Traditional Values, previously described homosexuality negatively, labelling it a natural perversion, which further inflamed tensions during his campaign against the legislation aimed at reforming homosexual rights in New Zealand.
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