Two men, including a Filipino, were victims of a homophobic attack in Birmingham’s Gay Village in the United Kingdom on August 15.
Rob and Patrick, both in their 30s, were outside a bar in Birmingham’s Gay Village on Saturday night when four men on board a black SUV shouted homophobic remarks at them and attacked them, according to the Guardian report.
The two was left covered in blood after being hit with glass bottles. Patrick was knocked unconscious.
Rob, in a BBC interview, said it was shocking that such incident would still happen in 2021.
“ should be a safe area to be who you want and not have to tolerate people yelling homophobic remarks at you,” he told BBC.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Tuesday ordered the Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom to assist the victims.
"That's a Filipino. I expect our London Embassy to take them in and care for them. Make sure it happens. Right away. I want to see a photo of these victims inside our Embassy," he said in a Twitter post.
"Absolutely disgusted by this terrible attack.. please assist. He's one of us and his partner is family," Locsin added.
The West Midlands police, meanwhile, assured that they are now looking into the area and “are taking this appalling hate crime very seriously”.
“This was an absolutely appalling attack and robbery on people just trying to enjoy a night out in the city centre,” West Midlands police Inspector Steve Lloyd told the Guardian. “They’ve suffered homophobic abuse before being physically injured and we are working incredibly hard to find those responsible.”
The police described the attackers as being of Middle Eastern or Asian appearance.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, the first openly gay directly elected metro mayor, said "there is no place in our home for this disgusting, homophobic behaviour" and vowed that the attackers will be punished with the full force of the law as soon as the police catch them