NEWS: The Shocking Face Of Homophobia In France

<p>A gay couple in France were beaten unconscious in Paris on Saturday night in a shocking homophobic bashing.</p> <p>By Newsdesk | 9th April 2013</p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4590350554.jpg" width="460" height="460" alt="" title=""/></p> <p></p> <p>Posting this gruesome picture on Facebook, Wilfred de Brujin said on Facebook that he and his boyfriend Olivier were beaten so badly he lost a tooth, suffered broken bones and two black eyes. He was targeted on Saturday night because they were walking arm in arm.</p> <p></p> <p>The picture was posted on Mr. De Brujin’s Facebook.</p> <p></p> <p>He said: ‘Sorry to show you this,</p> <p></p> <p>‘It’s the face of homophobia. Last night 19th arrondissement, Paris, Olivier and I were badly beaten just for walking arm in arm. </p> <p></p> <p>‘I woke up in an ambulance covered in blood, missing tooth and broken bones around the eye. </p> <p></p> <p>I’m home now. Very sad.’</p> <p></p> <p>The President of gay rights group SOS Homophobie, Elizabeth Ronzier, told <a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/null">The Local</a>: ‘This was a shocking and incredibly violent incident. We have seen a 30% rise in the number of homophobic incidents since October.</p> <p></p> <p>‘This is a result of the opposition towards the gay marriage bill,’ she added. ‘These people say they are not homophobic but they are. Homophobia has become trivialized [sic], which is proved by the number of verbal assaults on gay people, which often to lead to physical assaults.’ </p> <p></p> <p>Representatives from La Manif Pour Tous condemned the attack and groups like SOS Homophobie saying: ‘Groups like SOS Homophobia should be ashamed for trying to blame us for these acts,” </p> <p>Xavier Bongibault, one of the movement’s leaders told The Local on Monday.</p> <p></p> <p>‘We strongly condemn this act of violence but there is no link whatsoever to the Manif pour Tous. We have said since the beginning that we are not against homosexuals, we are simply against the government’s legislation.’said Bongibault, who himself is gay.</p> <p></p> <p>The savage beaten comes just over fortnight after the anti-gay marriage campaigning group, La Manif Pour Tous held a demonstration in France’s capital city protesting the rights of gay people to marry.</p> <p></p> <p>The Local states that gay-rights groups are set to hold a protest on 10th April 2013 in response to the attack against Mr De Brujin</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Related stories:</p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/#/magazine/4574334751/NEWS-SUBWAY-RESTAURANT-IN-FRANCE-EXCLUDES-GAYS-FROM-SANDWICH-PROMOTION/4931575">NEWS: SUBWAY RESTAURANT IN FRANCE EXCLUDES GAYS FROM SANDWICH PROMOTION</a></p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/#/magazine/4574334751/NEWS-La-Manif-Pour-Tous-London-Protest/5243307">NEWS: La Manif Pour Tous London Protest</a></p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/#/magazine/4574334751/NEWS-PREDATOR-WHO-TARGETED-GAY-MEN-BARRED-FROM-SOHO/4876306">NEWS: PREDATOR WHO TARGETED GAY MEN BARRED FROM SOHO</a></p> <p></p> <p> </p>