A gay couple was robbed and one stabbed in a hate crime at EuroPride 2008 in Stockholm, Sweden:
A male gay couple were stabbed and robbed during Stockholm's EuroPride festival in what police described Monday as a hate crime.
"Two homosexual men were stopped by three men and were asked directions. The three asked them about their sexuality and then stole their mobile phones and money. One of them was then stabbed in the stomach," Stockholm police spokesperson Towe Haegg said.
The attack late on Sunday "is considered a hate crime", she said, adding police believed the perpetrators had targeted the couple, aged 25 to 30, because they were gay.
EuroPride organizers are expecting over 17,000 to join the week's festivities, culminating in the pride parade, which may bring over 100,000 revelers to Sweden's capital.
One of the festival organizers, Jonah Nylund, said:
There is a general threat scenario against homosexuals, bisexuals, and transsexuals. They are a vulnerable group and during the festival, there are a lot of them all around and they are visible in Stockholm.
Once again our community is being targeted, both here and abroad, as victims of violence and hate. With LGBT being targeted around the globe for violence, from the Middle East to Europe to right here in the US, we must demand out leaders step up to fight the rising tide of homophobia.
(h/t Queerty)
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4 Comments
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Waymon, I note that your source for the story is a South African newspaper. I wonder about this if it is not corroborated by a European news source. As has been shown in recent postings by others there is anti Gay violence, largely unreported or under reported, in South Africa. I just wonder about the source is all. Sometimes news editors choose to highlight a story of a foreign land to make domestic problems look small. Usually South Africa does not follow happenings in Sweden.
I am also trying to understand this situation. It does not ring true to me.
Robert Ganshorn | July 28, 2008 11:30 PM
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It was sourced in many places, including Pink News. The South African one was just the first site I grabbed. The deatils in all are the same and have been confirmed by Stokholm Police.
Waymon Hudson | July 28, 2008 11:44 PM
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So sad. Hate can happen in the most gay-friendly spaces. Hell, look at what's happened to Ft. Lauderdale lately!
Bil Browning | July 29, 2008 2:17 AM
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Hopefully things here in Lauderdale are turninr around as the LGBT community organizes more and pushes for more political change (including replacing Mayor Naugle with a strong LGBT ally).
Waymon Hudson | July 29, 2008 9:03 AM
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