Two men were stabbed outside of a popular London LGBTQ+ nightclub, Two Brewers, on Sunday night. The Met Police have confirmed that the stabbing is being treated as a homophobic attack, but whether or not the perpetrator will be charged with a hate crime remains to be seen. As of Tuesday, no arrests have been made.
Luckily, the two victims, aged in their 20s and 30s, did not receive life-threatening injuries. They were taken to a local hospital to be treated for minor stab wounds and were then discharged. They are reported to be “at home resting.”
Florence Eshalomi, MP for the area said that although the men are mostly physically unharmed, “they will sadly face long term trauma from this incident.”
Many community members, bar patrons, and London officials have spoken out about the abhorrent attack, but now one of the victims has released a first-person statement via Instagram.
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“I’ve not been left feeling sad, nor angry, or confused… I’ve just been left so many questions… to think what can lead to changing a person’s mind that much that they can feel it’s OK to attack anyone… whatever their reasons… and how we change that…” @aniello110 wrote.
Despite the terrifying incident, @aniello110 acknowledged that he wouldn’t change being a part of his LGBTQ+ family for the world, and he has never felt “prouder, happier, or more comforted” by the LGBTQ+ community.
Support flooded the comments section with one user commenting, “I am so proud of you for writing this statement. I will be right there by your side the next time you are ready to hit the dance floor! Our community will not be intimidated into hiding. Visibility is essential and I know you will be living with pride! ❤️🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ You legend and I’m so glad you are ok! X”. Another wrote, Your strength of character is a true testament to your wonderfulness! Sending you so much love”.
According to The Standard, Met Detective Inspector Gary Castle said: “We are acutely aware of the shock this attack will cause members of the LGBT+ community and want to reassure people that an urgent investigation is ongoing to locate the person responsible. We recently announced the reinstatement of LGBT+ community liaison officers for each of our 12 BCUs in London to support and advice on investigations where homophobia is a motive, and to ensure the community has a dedicated point of contact to address any concerns they may have.”
Anyone with information is being asked to contact London police or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD7198/13Aug.
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