Town fills local square with rainbow flags in support of allegedly battered gay couple
A gay couple has allegedly been beaten up by a group of six men outside a club – because they kissed.
Andy and Jorge, who did not reveal their last names, were dancing in a Spanish club around 4am when they decided to go outside for a smoke, according to the Mirror.
They were soon approached by a man, who told them their behaviour was bad and that some people would find it “disgusting.”
When they failed to take heed of this homophobic sentiment and kissed again, he allegedly threw a punch and was quickly backed up by about half a dozen people.
Andy told the Mirror: “A man approached us in order to tell us that we should go to another place because what we were doing (kissing) was bad behaviour.
“I told him that if he did not like it, then he could go to another place and he answered me that there are people that see this kind of behaviour as disgusting.”
A fight then broke out, and Andy said: “We tried to defend ourselves and then I cannot remember what happened until the ambulance and the police arrived.”
He explained: “We want this to be visible in order to make people aware that these kinds of things happen, unfortunately.
“We are still scared.”
The bruised faces of the couple, which have been posted online, make it clear that they have suffered.
Police have arrested an unnamed 19-year-old Spanish man in connection with the incident, which happened in Berga, in northeastern Spain.
What followed was an outpouring of support from locals.
First, the club which Andy and Jorge were at, La General, wrote in support of the couple.
The post on Facebook read: “We want to add to the messages of support to Andy and Jorge after, this morning, they were subject to a homophobic assault after kissing in front of La General.
“We condemn the aggression and pledge our total rejection of acts of homophobia and intolerance. To the perpetrator: you will be denied entry to the living room indefinitely.”
Adding “Zero tolerance to LGBTphobia. Not in Berga, nor anywhere,” the club urged people to come to a rally against homophobia in St Peter’s Square.
The response was overwhelming, and the square was filled yesterday with rainbow flags and supportive residents.
Catalonia passed the first anti-homophobia law in 2014, but the issue has not disappeared.
LGBT groups in Catalonia have called for harsher laws to protect LGBT citizens, especially as there has been a recorded rise in violence in each of the last three years.
