
Joe Morgan is the editor-at-large at Gay Star News. UK,…
A gay man was left with a concussion and severe bleeding on his head after being beaten with a hockey stick.
Juan Victor González, 33, had attended the Buenos Aires Pride march in Argentina on Saturday (18 November).
Pride-goer attacked with hockey stick
As the marchers went down Montevideo Street, three men left a house where they had been squatting.
One man charged at González and whacked him on the head with a hockey stick.
González woke up at hospital with a concussion, and received seven stitches for the heavy cut on his head.
‘A guy came up and beat him,’ Diego L, a witness and photographer told Agencia Presentes. ‘As soon as they saw me taking pictures, they tried to go after me.’
Pride-goers fight back
The three men were helpless against the Pride marchers.
Quickly, there were about 30 people there yelling at them and taking pictures to identify them to police.
One witness claimed on Twitter a man, fully dressed in leather, went up to the attacker and broke the hockey stick into pieces.
Police arrested one of the attackers, aged 24. His identity has not been disclosed to the public.
Esto esta pasando en Montevideo 39 un tipo que le pega con un palo de jockey a la gente quedescontra el #orgulloba AYUDA! pic.twitter.com/uzKkA4TN2q
— Chica • Lunar (@marourivero) 18 November 2017
Buenos Aires has seen an increase in homophobic assaults.
In 2016, 58 complaints were reported for anti-LGBTI assaults and 72 cases for rights violations. This was more than double of 2015, when 28 homophobic attacks were reported.