UK: Two men injured after being stabbed in ‘homophobic attack’

Two men were taken to the hospital after being stabbed in a “homophobic attack” outside a south London nightclub, said the Metropolitan police on Monday (August 14). The police are treating the incident that took place on Sunday night as a homophobic attack.

What do we know about the incident?

The duo, one in their 20s and the other in their 30s, were on Clapham High Street outside Two Brewers Bar at about 10:15 pm (local time) when they were targeted, according to the Met police. The two men have since been treated in hospital and discharged.

The Met police said that they are searching for a suspect in the attack. Detective Inspector Gary Castle, in a statement, said, “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.”

He added, “We recently announced the reinstatement of LGBT+ community liaison officers for each of our 12 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.”

So far, no arrests have been made.

Condemning the incident and urging the witnesses to come forward, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan took toX, formerly known as Twitter, and said, "This is abhorrent. There is no place for hate in London. It’s a huge relief the victims are out of hospital – my thoughts remain with them and their loved ones."

In a statement, a spokesperson for theTwo Brewers said that they are "fully supporting the police in their investigation regarding this unprovoked attack and our thoughts are with the victims and their families."

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

Two Brewers praised for their response

The Two Brewers is said to be a popular LGBTQ+ venue and is a cabaret bar and dance club that hosts drag performances, karaoke and even live screenings of the popular TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race.

On Sunday night, the club was hosting a cabaret event as part of its Sunday Funday Cabaret, according to British media reports. After the incident, one of the drag performers at the club praised the staff at the venue for their response.

“The team at The Two Brewers were incredible in dealing with this and keeping us inside the venue safe,” said Mary Mac, on X. They added, “It’s shocking and disgusting that in 2023 this is becoming frighteningly more frequent.”

Another performer also present at the club called the incident “heartbreaking,” on X, adding that “I’m so glad the victims have been discharged”.

“Well done to the Two Brewers for handling it so professionally and not letting it escalate. This is in 2023 people…stay safe,” they added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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