Homophobic Attack In Leeds Leaves Victim Unconscious In The Street

It may have seem like Leeds was all in support of it’s LGBT community with the fifth Leeds Pride taking place last weekend, but 21 year Dane Holdsworth found that quite the opposite was true after being knocked unconscious by two men who attacked him as he walked home from his bar job on Saturday morning.

Saying that the attackers had spotted his rainbow wristband and then asked to know if he was gay, Holdsworth said he responded by saying:

“‘yeah’ – I’m not going to lie about it. They looked as if they were just going to walk off, then as they walked past one of them grabbed me and pulled me down and they just started laying into me.

“I passed out while they were hitting me. One of them sat on top of me while the other was hitting me. And then I think one of them bit me and then they tried to strangle me.”

Saying that the attack had affected his confidence he also spoke of how it has made him see that society isn’t as gay friendly as you might think:

I didn’t choose to be gay, I can’t help how I feel about people,”

“I don’t flaunt it, I don’t push it in people’s faces, but when people are coming up to you and hitting you for being gay… I didn’t think it would happen now, I thought everything was gay-friendly. But it’s not at all.”

Telling the Yorkshire Evening Post that he had been attacked six times in all since the age of 15 Holdsworth made an appearance the next day at the main Pride event to talk about his attack.

The police have said they are investigating the incident.

(Via Pink News)