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Gay Aucklander kicked, punched and stomped on by men yelling homophobic slurs
Kendall Hutt14:31, Mar 03 2021
Ray Gardiner/Supplied
Ray Gardiner was left with a broken nose, concussion and bruising after an assault in the early hours of Saturday morning.
A gay Auckland man says he woke lying in a pool of his own blood after a homophobia-fuelled assault in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Ray Gardiner, who is also the drag queen Kourtney Khaos, said he went out to celebrate the last weekend of Pride Month with his partner when they were assaulted in the central city.
“We were dressed up in the most fabulous outfits and went out and enjoyed ourselves,” he said.
But when Gardiner and his partner were walking down a “dark” side street, a group of men in a vehicle started yelling homophobic comments out the window including “faggots” and “homos”.
READ MORE:
* Auckland Pride march: Joy and jubilation as thousands turn out to event
* Covid-19: New date confirmed for Auckland Rainbow Pride Parade
* Queer ethnic youth facing harassment and rejection from community – report
The 27-year-old said when his partner asked the men to leave them alone, they got out of their vehicle and one of them swung at his partner.
When Gardiner screamed at them to get away from his partner, they turned towards him, he said.
“One of them hit me in the face. I was in high heels, so I crumpled to the ground. All of them started kicking, punching and stomping on me and wouldn’t stop.”
He said blood ran into his eyes and he was unable to breathe properly.
“I could hear my partner begging them to stop.”
Ray Gardiner/Supplied
Ray Gardiner captured himself in a selfie before he went out on Friday with his partner and was later assaulted.
Gardiner said the assault only ended when people who lived in an apartment building nearby came out.
However, he had passed out before then and woke up “lying in a pool of my own blood”.
The assault had left Gardiner with a broken nose and a concussion.
He said he was apprehensive about venturing out again and wanted to raise awareness that homophobia was not OK.
RICKY WILSON/Stuff
Auckland Pride director Max Tweedie at the Pride March.
“I don’t really see why people get the right to punish someone for being who they are and happy with who they are,” he said.
Tyler Vodanovich-Trott, Gardiner's partner, said the assault had left him “disgusted”.
“To hurt us just because we are gay and in such a violent way is disgusting.”
He said the assault, coming at the end of Pride Month, showed that although the country had come a long way, there were still people who “have hatred and misunderstanding in their hearts and do horrible things like this”.
Max Tweedie, Auckland Pride director, said he found the news of the assault “really distressing”.
He said Pride Month, and especially the Pride March, was meant to be a time for LGBTQIA+ communities to “celebrate” who they were.
“My heart is absolutely breaking over this.
“We are just trying to be who we are and go about our days.”
Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Armstrong, of the Auckland city crime squad, said police were investigating the assault. They were called just after 4am on Saturday.
“Our inquiries remain ongoing at this point and part this involves analysing security camera footage from the area,” he said.
“Police would like to reassure the community that we are taking this incident seriously and we do not tolerate this sort of act.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who had not yet spoken with police was asked to call 105, quoting the file number 210227/7902.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Kendall Hutt14:31, Mar 03 2021
Ray Gardiner/Supplied
Ray Gardiner was left with a broken nose, concussion and bruising after an assault in the early hours of Saturday morning.
A gay Auckland man says he woke lying in a pool of his own blood after a homophobia-fuelled assault in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Ray Gardiner, who is also the drag queen Kourtney Khaos, said he went out to celebrate the last weekend of Pride Month with his partner when they were assaulted in the central city.
“We were dressed up in the most fabulous outfits and went out and enjoyed ourselves,” he said.
But when Gardiner and his partner were walking down a “dark” side street, a group of men in a vehicle started yelling homophobic comments out the window including “faggots” and “homos”.
READ MORE:
* Auckland Pride march: Joy and jubilation as thousands turn out to event
* Covid-19: New date confirmed for Auckland Rainbow Pride Parade
* Queer ethnic youth facing harassment and rejection from community – report
The 27-year-old said when his partner asked the men to leave them alone, they got out of their vehicle and one of them swung at his partner.
When Gardiner screamed at them to get away from his partner, they turned towards him, he said.
“One of them hit me in the face. I was in high heels, so I crumpled to the ground. All of them started kicking, punching and stomping on me and wouldn’t stop.”
He said blood ran into his eyes and he was unable to breathe properly.
“I could hear my partner begging them to stop.”
Ray Gardiner/Supplied
Ray Gardiner captured himself in a selfie before he went out on Friday with his partner and was later assaulted.
Gardiner said the assault only ended when people who lived in an apartment building nearby came out.
However, he had passed out before then and woke up “lying in a pool of my own blood”.
The assault had left Gardiner with a broken nose and a concussion.
He said he was apprehensive about venturing out again and wanted to raise awareness that homophobia was not OK.
RICKY WILSON/Stuff
Auckland Pride director Max Tweedie at the Pride March.
“I don’t really see why people get the right to punish someone for being who they are and happy with who they are,” he said.
Tyler Vodanovich-Trott, Gardiner's partner, said the assault had left him “disgusted”.
“To hurt us just because we are gay and in such a violent way is disgusting.”
He said the assault, coming at the end of Pride Month, showed that although the country had come a long way, there were still people who “have hatred and misunderstanding in their hearts and do horrible things like this”.
Max Tweedie, Auckland Pride director, said he found the news of the assault “really distressing”.
He said Pride Month, and especially the Pride March, was meant to be a time for LGBTQIA+ communities to “celebrate” who they were.
“My heart is absolutely breaking over this.
“We are just trying to be who we are and go about our days.”
Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Armstrong, of the Auckland city crime squad, said police were investigating the assault. They were called just after 4am on Saturday.
“Our inquiries remain ongoing at this point and part this involves analysing security camera footage from the area,” he said.
“Police would like to reassure the community that we are taking this incident seriously and we do not tolerate this sort of act.”
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who had not yet spoken with police was asked to call 105, quoting the file number 210227/7902.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
