Police in Ireland are investigating after a man and his husband were brutalised by a group of four men.
A gay couple were savagely beaten in Ireland as they walked back from a barbecue the Irish Times is reporting. Collie McQuillan (30) and his husband Gui Aquino Teixeira McQuillan (24) were set upon by a group of four men.
McQuillan alleges that the attack happened after the four men starting shouting abuse at the couple from across the road. The men then attacked his husband and he stepped in to protect him, which is when he sustained multiple injuries.
McQuillan has released a bloodied photo of himself following the attack and has been appealing for donations via a crowdfunding site to pay for dental work he’ll need following the attack.
He has fractures in two places, two missing teeth and two that are split. His jaw has been wired.
He wrote on his gofundme page, “I was savagely attacked by a group of people which cause extensive damages to my face and jaw and teeth which resulted in myself being transferred from Portlaoise Hospital to St James’s Hospital Dublin.”
Gui posted a note on Facebook saying, “My husband and I were savagely attacked by 4 men carrying hurls and pieces of wood, without a reason. He’s got the most severe injuries. His jaw is all fractured and he lost 4 of his front teeth. So with the physical pain, came the depression.
“We still can’t believe that this happened, what kinda of people does that? We just don’t understand.”
The attack took place in Portlaoise in County Laois on the 10th June at 2:30 AM. Portlaoise is just over 50 miles from the country’s capital, Dublin.
Police are investigating, a spokesperson said, “Gardai in Laois are investigating an alleged assault in the Harpurs Lane part of Portlaoise on Sunday the 10th of June 2018 at approx. 2.30am. One male was taken to St James Street Hospital with serious facial injuries.
Investigators are seeking this man in connection to a homophobic verbal assault on two men on a train in Southend.
The British Transport Police are looking for a man in connection to an alleged homophobic hate crime against two men aboard a train in Southend, Essex, on the 7th May.
British Transport Police report that at around 7.40pm, a man approached two men and verbally assaulted them with homophobic comments as he sat next to them. He then continued to mock them by rubbing one of the victim’s thighs and making offensive remarks about gay people.
The victims then left their seats and got off the train at Chalkwell because they felt unsafe.
Detective Sergeant Hayley Whyte said, “Everyone has the right to travel without fear or intimidation and nobody should be subjected to offensive or homophobic language. I am keen to speak to anyone who was on the service and saw this incident.”
Officers would like to speak to the men in these images as they believe they may be able to help them with their enquiries.
Text 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40, quoting 380 of 1 June, if they look familiar or you have any information that could help our investigation. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Investigators from British Transport Police are looking for this man in connection to a homophobic hate crime at London’s Bank station.
On April 13th a man starting to shout homophobic abuse at two men waiting for a Northern Line train at Bank station in central London.
The two victims moved to a different part of the platform and boarded the next train. However, the man continued to verbally abuse them, according to British Transport Police.
Officers believe the man shown in this CCTV image may have information which could help them investigate.
If you know who he is, get in touch by sending a text to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 187 of 14/04/2018. Alternatively, ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Police are calling on witnesses after three people assault on London bus in Lambeth
(C) MET POLICE
Investigators have released a picture of a person they’d like to talk with in connection to an alleged assault on three passengers on board a London bus.
The assault happened in March, but police are now looking for information on a suspect, who was asked to stop making homophobic remarks by fellow passengers.
The assault happened at around 04:15hrs on Sunday, 25 March on board a N87 bus on Wandsworth Road, SW8.
Members of the public were seated on the top deck of the bus when they overheard the suspect sitting in front of them swearing and making homophobic remarks.
When asked to refrain from making such remarks, the suspect then proceeded to assault three passengers on the bus.
The suspect is described as a black man with a shaved head and goatee beard wearing a smart blue suit, black shoes and grey scarf.
Detective Constable Sarah Bunting of the Met’s Road & Transport Policing Command said, “This man is sought in connection with a homophobic assault on a bus.
“If you know who this man is, or may be able to assist us in our investigation, please call 101 and quote CAD 1045/25Mar18.
“The Met will not tolerate any form of hate crime and we strongly urge anyone who has been a victim of this sort of situation to call police and report it.”
Millions of anti-gay slurs are issued on Twitter every year – so is Twitter up to the task of weeding out and stamping out homophobia?
Granted there’s been a massive fall from the homophobia seen at its peak in 2013, but millions of slurs are still being published on Twitter every year. NoHomophobe.com has been tracking four commonly used slurs, “faggot”, “No Homo”, “So Gay” and “Dyke” since 2012.
Today the website has tracked over 38 million instances of the word “faggot”, 13 million uses of the words “No Homo”, 12 million uses of the term “So Gay” and over 6 million uses of the word “Dyke”.
Although there has been a decrease, there are spikes in the usage of these harmful words. For instance, just before Donald Trump’s win as President in the 2016 US Election, Twitter saw a surge in the word “faggot”.
In recent months, however, the word “Dyke” has seen a dramatic increase in usage.
What is Twitter doing about it?
LoboStudioHamburg / Pixabay What is Twitter doing about the trans, bi and homophobia on its platform?
Twitter does have policies in place to protect its community, but does it go far enough?
Twitter says, “We will review and take enforcement action against accounts that target an individual, group of people, or a protected category with any of the following behavior [sic] in their profile information, i.e., usernames, display names, or profile bios”.
Abusive slurs, racism and misogyny are explicitly cited, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are not.
Twitter also, however, notes that it will not act upon insults in its policy.
So does Twitter really have a handle on hate directed towards the LGBT+ community?
One of Australia’s biggest sports stars has sparked outrage, stating gay people will go to hell unless they repent their sins. Israel Folau, who plays for the New South Wales Warathas and is one of the linchpins of the national team, made the controversial comment while responding to a question on his Instagram and Twitter profiles. (more…)
The 2015 winner of X Factor, Louisa, has had dozens of homophobic tweets exposed.
The singer, who says she was just 14 at the time of the tweets, repeatedly used the anti-gay slur “faggot” on her Twitter from 2013, just two years before she rose to fame on X Factor.
The singer was exposed after Birmingham Pride announced that she would be headlining this year’s event.
The singer, who has failed to release an album since X Factor victory, the only winner not to do so, issued an apology saying she was “young” and “foolish”.
In a statement, she wrote: “When I was a school girl I made some inappropriate remarks on Twitter.
“I was young and foolish, and hanging around with the wrong crowd & didn’t know any better.
“That’s not an excuse, it’s an explanation.
“I’m sorry for some of the comments I made at that time on social media.
“I think it’s important for me to speak out about this and say that I don’t think it is right or appropriate for anyone to use derogatory language at any time or at any age no matter what the circumstances.”
After Birmingham Pride announced Louisa’s headline, a Twitter user published screenshots of some of the slurs.
Bit awkward for these homophobic tweets to come out on the day you announce her for your Gay Pride Festival ? pic.twitter.com/Oh097okxWY
“LGBT people have to work harder to be listened to, have to work harder to get anything done and that is a sad fact of life as it stands”
An old Stonewall campaign (C) STONEWALL
I have not been the greatest member of the LGBT community.
When I was in my teens and early 20s, I was privileged to be in very liberal environments. I went to a high school where I was the only out gay person and my degree was in the creative field. I was surrounded by like-minded and open-minded people. This led me to believe that talks of microaggressions and homophobia were exaggerated. I even wrote articles against allowing gay marriage in churches, questioning Pride parades and deriding camp men. I look back on that time with great regret and shame as, now I am older, I have actually studied LGBT history. I understand the plight of LGBT people around the World. And, on an increasing scale, I have myself felt the effects of subtle homophobia and microaggressions.
It is difficult sometimes to try and decipher if how you are being treated is because of how you are acting or because of who you are. I often wonder if becoming more “woke” has made me hyper-alert, like I am deliberately seeking it out. I have experienced frequently in my work life, moments where I have felt dismissed. I have been told I am “emotional”, told to stop being “a diva” or called “sensitive”. Yet, I have seen straight male colleagues be treated completely different. I have never once seen two straight male colleagues have a heated debate and either of them be called “emotional” or a “diva”. I remember having a heated discussion with a senior manager at one company I worked at and I was providing him with perfectly logical information. He was having none of it, kept telling me I needed to “chill” and stop being so “sensitive”. I eventually phoned a colleague and explained what had gone on and then, when he arrived back to the office, I stood and watched him explain the exact same points to the senior manager that I had raised, who then wholeheartedly agreed and went ahead as I had advised!
But here lies the problem; is it my approach or my sexuality? Nobody I’ve ever worked with in my entire work life has ever outwardly expressed homophobia. I have never been made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Yet, I have frequently found myself turned down for promotion, talked down to, dismissed and patronised. I am a very passionate person and, when I care about an issue, I express that strongly but I have seen other straight colleagues behave in a similar manner and they don’t receive the admonishment I do. I remember once having a conversation with a friend who said they felt LGBT people have a ‘chip on their shoulder’. It was a point, many years ago, I would’ve agreed with but now I completely disagree. You just need to look at what is happening in the world. Gay men are still beat up and abused regularly in the UK.
In 2016/2017 there was a 27% increase in reported hate crimes based on sexuality from the previous year. That’s just what gets reported. I have had friends experience situations such as not being allowed in a bar because he was “too gay” or be yelled at when they held hands with their boyfriends. These situations are still very real. You have the President of the United States banning transgender people from serving in the Army. You have gay men in Chechnya being rounded up to be tortured and murdered. You even have people like Jacob Rees-Mogg being glorified on Twitter and lauded as a next potential leader because of how “quirky” he is when, in truth, he doesn’t believe in gay marriage. Is it any surprise we’re so vigilant? It is important to learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure that history is not repeated.
I will never truly know if how I am treated is because of my approach or my sexuality. It is something I refer to as “gay paranoia”. The problem here is that I even have to wonder. It is 2018 and I have to actively be aware of microaggressions or potentially dangerous situations. LGBT people have to work harder to be listened to, have to work harder to get anything done and that is a sad fact of life as it stands. But how can we change that? The way I see it is that we must try and stand up to homophobia, we must celebrate our Pride and more importantly, we must vote and encourage our friends to vote. We must support pro-LGBT candidates in local and general elections.
My dream is that the future generation never has to worry that they won’t even have a chance and that their ideas and ideals will be judged on merit and on nothing else. But right now, I am going to just keep learning and keep hoping. I am also going to do my best to check my own privilege especially in comparison to other LGBT people, particularly Trans and BME LGB people, and just hope to see change in my lifetime.
I am inspired by LGBT youth and LGBT activists of today who heroically stand up for what is right. Yes, I have been a poor advocate in the past but I plan on making up for it for the rest of my life.
The stall which attracted so much homophobic criticism in Stratford Upon Avon
Conservative MP, Nadhim Zahawi has condemned comments reportedly made at Warwickshire Pride volunteers over the weekend calling the incident “shocking and outrageous”.
In a statement to THEGAYUK.com, Mr Zahawi said, “What happened in Stratford on Saturday was shocking and outrageous and I pay tribute to the volunteers from Warwickshire Pride who are understandably shaken by the incident but remain committed to their good work regardless. The people responsible for this abuse do not represent the town or area in any way and I reiterate my pledge to support Warwickshire Pride as they work with the police to bring the perpetrators to justice”.
Over the weekend, volunteers were reportedly told by members of the public that their sexuality was “disgusting” as well as being told that an LGBT+ market stall “had no place in Stratford”.
The team were there to raised awareness and funds for 2018’s Pride event in August.
The incidents began at 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM when the pride team’s decided to pack up and leave. The incidents have been reported to Warwickshire Police.
Speaking on behalf of Warwickshire Pride, Daniel Browne said, “Although what happened that day has been deeply upsetting and distressing, it has not deterred us from continuing to work for LGBT+ people in Stratford. If anything, we are more determined to ensure that LGBT+ people in Stratford feel safe and able to be who they are. For years, LGBT+ people in Stratford have told us that they do not feel safe there due to hate comments and looks they receive from people. We now fully understand why LGBT+ people in Stratford feel that way and will be doing all we can to ensure this trend does not continue.
“As for our next steps, we will be contacting Stratford’s MP, Nadhim Zahawi, who has pledged his support for Warwickshire Pride via Twitter. We will also be contacting Stratford District Council, Stratford Town Trust and the company that runs the market to discuss the incidents and what can be done to prevent this from happening in future.
“Furthermore, we are also organising an equality rally to take place in Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday 21st April. More details will be made available soon, but we encourage all LGBT+ people and allies to join us as we peacefully say no to hate and yes to equality in every way, as indeed these incidents show that while we have almost full equality in law there is still a long way to go until LGBT+ people are fully accepted socially.
Members of the Warwickshire Pride volunteer team were homophobically abused around 100 times at a Stratford Upon Avon market over the weekend.
The stall which attracted so much homophobic critcism.
A volunteer team from Warwickshire Pride reportedly sustained a prolonged homophobic, verbal attack by members of the public at a Stratford Upon Avon market on Saturday morning.
THEGAYUK.com has learned from volunteers that members of the team were told that their sexuality was “disgusting” as well as being told that an LGBT+ market stall “had no place in Stratford”.
The team were there to raised awareness and funds for 2018’s Pride event in August.
The incidents began at 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM when the pride team’s decided to pack up and leave. The incidents have been reported to Warwickshire Police.
“Upsetting and Distressing”
Speaking on behalf of Warwickshire Pride, Daniel Browne said, “Although what happened that day has been deeply upsetting and distressing, it has not deterred us from continuing to work for LGBT+ people in Stratford. If anything, we are more determined to ensure that LGBT+ people in Stratford feel safe and able to be who they are. For years, LGBT+ people in Stratford have told us that they do not feel safe there due to hate comments and looks they receive from people. We now fully understand why LGBT+ people in Stratford feel that way and will be doing all we can to ensure this trend does not continue.
“As for our next steps, we will be contacting Stratford’s MP, Nadhim Zahawi, who has pledged his support for Warwickshire Pride via Twitter. We will also be contacting Stratford District Council, Stratford Town Trust and the company that runs the market to discuss the incidents and what can be done to prevent this from happening in future.
“Furthermore, we are also organising an equality rally to take place in Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday 21st April. More details will be made available soon, but we encourage all LGBT+ people and allies to join us as we peacefully say no to hate and yes to equality in every way, as indeed these incidents show that while we have almost full equality in law there is still a long way to go until LGBT+ people are fully accepted socially.
MP calls out homophobia as “outrageous”
The MP for Stratford Upon Avon, Nadhim Zahawi took to Twitter reiterate that homophobia would not be tolerated, writing, “This is outrageous and should never happen anywhere. Please make sure your team documents what took place. Important that this abuse is never tolerated. I will work with you and @warkspolice to make sure perpetrators are found & brought to justice.”
This is outrageous and should never happen anywhere. Please make sure your team documents what took place. Important that this abuse is never tolerated. I will work with you and @warkspolice to make sure perpetrators are found & brought to justice.
Suspected Florida shooter, Nikolas Cruz repeatedly supported homophobic, racist and anti-Semitics views in a private Instagram group chat.
The 19-year-old, who opened fire at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in Florida killing 17 people “espoused racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic views” in a private Instagram group chat, CNN is reporting.
He used a legally purchased AR-15 in the 3rd most deadly school shooting in the US.
In the group, which was called Murica Great, CNN reports that racism was a “constant” theme. CNN found that there were hundreds of racist memes, messages and Instagram videos. CNN reports that Cruz wrote that gay people should shot in the back of the head. The statement came as a response to another user of the group, who expressed a hatred towards gay people. CNN was unable to confirm the identities of the group’s users.
Cruz joined the conversation in August 2017 and is believed to be between six people.
Cruz’s Instagram, Twitter, YouTube accounts have now been removed.
“There were problems with him last year”
According to reports teachers at the school were sent out an email by the administrators warning them about threats that Cruz is alleged to have made. Math teacher, Jim Gard told the Miami Herald, “There were problems with him last year threatening students, and I guess he was asked to leave campus.”
The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland is the third most deadly school shooting in the US, with Virginia Tech in 2007 remaining the deadliest with 32 fatalities. Sandy Hook comes second with 27 dead.
