07/28/2008
Gay Couple Robbed and Stabbed at Stockholm Europride
A gay couple was robbed and assaulted over the weekend while attending Stockholm's Europride festivities:
"'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. No arrests had been made by midday on Monday, she said. The three men, believed to be in their 20s, were suspected of attempted murder, aggravated robbery and duress. One of the festival organisers, Jonah Nylund, told Swedish news agency TT the attack was 'serious'. '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,' he said."
Organizers expect 17,000 participants in activities surrounding the festival and 100,000 at the annual parade on August 2.
Last December, Swedish politician Fredrick Federley was assaulted in a similar confrontation with young men in central Stockholm.
Posted 4:05 PM EST by Andy Towle in Crime, News, Sweden | Permalink
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I find it interesting how quickly the Stockholm police were to respond with the hate crime designation - here in the US, there's no telling how long it would take them to "examine all the possible reasons for the crime"
Posted by: Michael | Jul 28, 2008 4:51:45 PM
I would bet a fair wager that the perps are Muslim immigrants and not native Swedes. You can take them out of Baghdad but you can't take Baghdad out of them.
Posted by: BRETT | Jul 28, 2008 10:33:11 PM
First off, Brett, thanks for starting the conversation with your lovely racist thoughts.
And secondly, I'm getting tired of all the assaults, seriously, us queens need to start taking some karate lessons or something, learn to throw a fucking punch, my god.
Posted by: Pekemo | Jul 29, 2008 12:55:35 AM
I am shocked at Brett's racist conjecture that Muslim immigrants are probably the perpetrators. Swedes are as barbarically homophobic as any other nation, and some of the most enlightened, non-homophobic people in Europe come from immigrant, Middle Eastern stock.
I encourage everyone who feels the same way to walk hand-in-hand with their partner in a show of solidarity through the immigrant neighborhoods of Stockholm, or Oslo and other European metropolises. (Metropolii? Metropolipities?)
Posted by: mint_tea | Jul 29, 2008 1:11:34 AM
"some of the most enlightened, non-homophobic people in Europe come from immigrant, Middle Eastern stock."
Yes, all 3 of them!
Posted by: Jimbo | Jul 29, 2008 6:50:12 AM
It ain't MINT_TEA you are sniffing, but it sure is a powerful hallucinogenic.
Posted by: rudy | Jul 29, 2008 7:13:02 AM
I live in Copenhagen, and gay-bashings are a far bigger problem here than the rest of the world realizes. The majority of my gay friends have been physically assaulted in some way, from being beaten up at the main train station to being punched at a nightclub to being kicked in the face (!) on a busy street. A good friend of mine has been bashed twice now, and the scar is still healing on his face from the last one.
Brett's twattery aside, some of these assaults do come from people with traditional religious upbringings, both catholic and muslim (ethnic minorities being beaten up on the streets is also a major problem here, incidentally). Others are just small-towners who aren't used to seeing two guys dance with each other at a nightclub. Regardless, can we wait til we have more information on this Swedish incident before we draw our prejudices out of their holsters?
Posted by: Rottin' in Denmark | Jul 29, 2008 10:54:29 AM
I live in Copenhagen, and gay-bashings are a far bigger problem here than the rest of the world realizes. The majority of my gay friends have been physically assaulted in some way, from being beaten up at the main train station to being punched at a nightclub to being kicked in the face (!) on a busy street. A good friend of mine has been bashed twice now, and the scar is still healing on his face from the last one.
Brett's twattery aside, some of these assaults do come from people with traditional religious upbringings, both catholic and muslim (ethnic minorities being beaten up on the streets is also a major problem here, incidentally). Others are just small-towners who aren't used to seeing two guys dance with each other at a nightclub. Regardless, can we wait til we have more information on this Swedish incident before we draw our prejudices out of their holsters?
Posted by: Rottin' in Denmark | Jul 29, 2008 10:55:34 AM
Shoud be quick to arrest those murder. Really feel anger to read the news online from SeekBi.com . And have also discuss about it with those like-minded LGBT. It makes us doubtful when asked questions about senxuality by others.
Posted by: kyraone86 | Jul 29, 2008 10:48:37 PM
I am always amazed at how 'brave' and 'tough' these straight gay-bashers are making firstly sure they outnumber their gay victims, picking smaller guys, then using deadly weapons - ultimate cowards. I have never heard of a one-on-one gay-bashing, where the victim is larger and more muscular then the basher. They should be proud about how 'tough' they are...In a weird way, as a gay man, it feels kind of powerful that they fear us that much, to have to go to those lengths to attack us. Sometimes when I read such stories, I dream of such a one-on-one where I can kick the shit out of one of them, but that will make me the same as them.
Posted by: BCBoy | Jul 30, 2008 3:28:26 AM