Homophobe of the Week: ‘That Guy’

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran. He is the…

The dishonor of being named Homophobe of the Week goes to “That Guy” — the figure on the left in the photo — an anonymous police officer in Ukraine who stood by passively when he and his squad should have been protecting an LGBTI rights panel discussion.

Kiev police did not act to protect LGBTI rights advocates on May 10, 2018. Instead, they waited outside the venue where an Amnesty International event was disrupted by members of radical groups. (Tanya Cooper photo courtesy of Human Rights Watch) — Kiev police, including the guy on the left, failed to protect LGBTI rights advocates on May 10. Instead, they waited outside the venue where an Amnesty International event was disrupted by members of radical groups. (Tanya Cooper photo courtesy of Human Rights Watch)

Members of radical nationalist groups violently disrupted a discussion in Kiev about LGBTI rights. Kiev police failed to intervene to stop intruders’ aggressive behavior and threats of violence. As a result, the owner of the site canceled the event.

For tolerating anti-LGBTI harassment so blatantly, that police officer (“That guy on the left”) is this blog’s Homophobe of the Week. It’s a dishonor he shares with his equally culpable colleagues.

Other contenders for the title of Homophobe of the Week were:

Simon Lokodo, Uganda ethics minister (Photo courtesy of Gayvasion.com)

SIMON LOKODO, Uganda’s minister of ethics, who ordered police to block May 17 celebrations of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT or IDAHOBIT). Taking the position that opposition to homophobia promotes homosexuality, he wouldn’t even allow the event to take place within the gated compound of Sexual Minorities Uganda. He gave attendees 20 minutes to flee or face prosecution.

THE GEORGIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, which protested IDAHOT by planning a mass wedding of 400 heterosexual couples. The vehemently anti-gay denomination had previously declared May 17 “Family Purity Day.”

BEIJING’s 798 ART ZONE, where security staff roughed up two female visitors for wearing rainbow badges.