Two men stabbed outside LGBTQ+ bar in potential hate crime

Two men were stabbed outside a south London LGBTQ+ bar over the weekend in what police are investigating as a homophobic attack.

According to Sky News, the pair were outside the Two Brewers in London’s Clapham district around 10:15 p.m. on Sunday night when a man approached them and attacked them with a knife before running away. They were both taken to the hospital and later discharged.

Related:

The LGBTQ+ community mourns O’Shae Sibley in memorials across New York City

“My god. My god. They have to stop doing this,” said one speaker. “We Black, beautiful gorgeous jewels are the most important things in this world.”

London’s Metropolitan police are investigating the crime as a “homophobic attack.”

Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox

Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world.

Daily

Weekly

Good News

In a Monday Twitter post, London Mayor Sadiq Khan called the attack “abhorrent” and vowed to stand with the city’s LGBTQ+ community “to end homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime in the capital.”

“The horrific hate crime in Clapham last night is being robustly investigated by the Police. It’s also a tragic reminder of why we need Pride. My thoughts are with the victims and with the LGBTQ+ community who are undoubtedly feeling frightened and upset,” Khan wrote in a subsequent tweet thread. “For those who stoke up hate and vilify LGBTQ+ people for your own agenda, you’re part of the problem too. Your culture war has real-life consequences.”

“Let me be clear: I will never quieten down my allyship. I’ll never stop fighting for the safety, rights, and dignity of the LGBTQ+ community. I am committed to stamping out hate crime in our city,” Khan continued.

In a statement, Khan said that his office and police had scheduled an urgent meeting with London’s LGBTQ+ Venues Forum and urged anyone with information about the attack to come forward.

“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,” Detective Inspector Gary Castle said in a statement. He also noted that LGBTQ+ community liaison officers had recently been reinstated for all 12 of Scotland Yard’s basic command units in London “to support and advise 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.”

A spokesperson for Two Brewers told Sky News that the bar is cooperating with police as they investigate the “unprovoked attack.”

“We would like to reassure the LGBTQIA+ community that the safety and security of our guests remains our number one priority,” they said. “Our CCTV has been handed over to the police and enhanced security measures have now been put in place.”

As NBC News noted, data released by the British government last year showed that reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation increased by 49 percent in England and Wales in recent years, while reported hate crimes targeting trans people increased by 56 percent. In the wake of the Two Brewers attack, U.K. LGBTQ+ charity organization Stonewall called on lawmakers to set out a plan to deal with hate crimes.

“It is unacceptable for LGBTQ+ people to live in fear,” the organization said.

Stonewall’s head of policy Kieran Aldred blasted the U.K. government for not taking more decisive action to combat hate crimes, according to GayTimes. “Despite these alarming statistics and a string of violent, and in some unfortunate cases deadly, attacks, the U.K. Government has sat idle and there has been no hate crime strategy in place in England for over three years,” Aldred said.

While the names of the two victims have not been release to the media, PinkNews reported that one of them has spoken out in social media post.

“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…” he wrote on Instagram. “What today has strengthened in me… more than ever before… is that I could never, and have never [been] prouder, happier, or more comforted, by the community I am lucky enough to have as my LGBTQ+ family!! I would NEVER change it for the world.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝒜 (@aniello110)