An Icelandic man's Facebook description of a homophobic assault in Reykjavík last Saturday night has gone viral.
Úlfar Viktor Björnsson said that on his way home he was approached by a man who asked Björnsson is he is gay.
When Björnsson said yes, the man hit him in the face and walked away.
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Speaking to Gay Iceland, Björnsson said:
“it's not uncommon to experience verbal abuse and harassment for being gay. I have been subjected to all kinds of nasty comments and challenges. It's mostly been in the form of unpleasant and degrading comments, but I have never before been physically assaulted.”
He added that homophobia in Iceland is often subtle and not overtly visible.
“That's why so many people seem to believe that such things don't occur in Iceland in the year 2018. We are supposed to be more advanced in these matters than for it to happen that people are struck down for being who they are. We have come a very long way but equality is still not a fact, and I'm sorry to say that we still have a long way to go to achieve that. People are still being assaulted and we are still acting as bystanders that let prejudice blossom in silence.”
Of the man who assaulted him and those who have defended the assailant, Björnsson said that while it's okay to have opinions, “nobody should have to suffer for being who he is.”
It's time for us to regard being gay or queer as something that people are,” he added, “not something that people do.”
He told Gay Iceland that the support he found on Facebook has helped him to feel better.
Björnsson has yet to decide if he will report the assault to police.
(Image via Facebook)
