During the same-sex marriage postal survey, there were numerous instances of anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and actions - graffiti scrawled across queer art, houses with 'Vote Yes' posters attacked with bricks, and rainbow flags ripped down and set on fire.
Kirk Muddle and his partner Andrew, however, did not have any rainbows flags or 'Vote Yes' imagery on their Maroochydore home, yet their letterbox has become a target for an unknown, homophobic neighbour.
The couple of nearly five years, who state that they "fly very much below the radar", have received four letters since the majority 'Yes' result of the postal survey, all containing horrific homophobic rhetoric and abuse.
Kirk tells SBS that three letters arrived on Monday the 20th, with a fourth arriving in their letterbox at the end of last week.
One letter reads, "Remember when you [and] he were illegal and sent to jail? I think castrate you all!" while the most recent letter states, "And, knowing your affinity with back passages, [you] shouldn't have dogs!"
He posted photos of the letters to Facebook, and the heartbreaking post has now gone viral across Australia:
Kirk spoke to SBS about the experience of receiving unprovoked hate from an anonymous person, explaining that the letters must be someone that knows of them, as it references things only a neighbour would know - for example, the fact that the couple own dogs.
"My initial thought was that I was p*ssed off that in 2017, at the age of 46, we still have to put up with this crap," he says, adding: "I was also annoyed that, y'know, the Sunshine Coast is where I've spent a good chunk of my life, it's been Andrew's home for 20-something years — this is not the [type of] place that it is."
However, Kirk says that since the Facebook post has gone viral, other neighbours have made contact to lend their support to the couple.
"[One of our neighbours] came over and said, 'I've seen this, this is unacceptable, and I just wanted to say I'm really sorry to see this is happening'," he says. "He brought his kids with him as well, and they told us about how they voted yes and why, and all that sort of stuff. They didn't need to [do that], but it made us feel comfortable."
If you voted no, you're entitled to your opinion and I'm not going to say you're wrong because you hold those beliefs. But there is no point in vilifying people...
Kirk and Andrew have lived in their Maroochydore home for just under five years, and Kirk is adamant that they'll be staying — the experience hasn't made them want to move. Kirk cited the fact that their electorate of Fairfax had a 64% 'Yes' result in the postal survey, explaining, "It hasn't made us go, 'crap, we need to put the house on the market'. We realise this is one incredibly small-minded person in what is a relatively peaceful and tolerant neighbourhood."
"Look, we're not going to let it get to us, but at the end of the day, this is unacceptable," Kirk says. "If somebody doesn't agree, that's fine. If you voted no, you're entitled to your opinion and I'm not going to say you're wrong because you hold those beliefs. But there is no point in vilifying people because they're going to benefit from the 'yes' vote."
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