Stop The Gay Hate Crimes

The LGBTQ+ community was stunned last week when the media announced that several gay-hate bashings had occurred across Sydney. Gay men have been lured by teenage boys using dating apps such as Grindr, then savagely beaten and robbed. Many incidents were filmed and uploaded to social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, while the perpetrators gloated like heroes. The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that at least eleven attacks were reported to police in Sydney this year, but more victims could be scared to come forward. 

The shocking events have not been witnessed on this scale in Australia for years. However, for those of us in the LGBTQ+ community who grew up in previous decades, the violence is nothing new. We were often bashed and bullied for our sexual orientation, and there were no consequences for the perpetrators. In fact, many people thought we deserved it. I recall one man in the 1990s who described bashing gays as a ‘renowned Aussie sport.’ 

Many of us who identify as LGBTQ+ are now open about our sexuality with greater social freedom and the success of the marriage equality vote in 2016. We thought society had evolved, but perhaps we were wrong. There’s been a dramatic surge in prejudice and hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community in recent years..

Bashings “a wake up call”

The brutal attacks against gay men using dating apps are not confined to New South Wales. Several months ago in Victoria, the Star Observer reported that police had made thirteen arrests for similar offences where gay men were accosted by teenage boys, then robbed, taunted and bashed. 

Social media isn’t the only strategy perpetrators are using to target victims.

Some gay-hate bashings have occurred in public, in full view of bystanders and surveillance cameras. Recently in Melbourne, a gay man was attacked with a machete by a gang of youths near a busy shopping centre. It was a horrific attack that left him bloodied and hospitalised with serious injuries. 

Meanwhile in Adelaide, two young gay men were savagely beaten by teenage boys who confronted them in the city’s Rundle Mall. One victim had his jaw broken twice, while the other sustained severe bruising. Similar attacks have emerged in Queensland, the ACT and Western Australia.

While 2024 has been particularly bad, one of the most vicious gay-hate crimes occurred in 2020 when a man from Canberra drove to the south coast of New South Wales. In that case, the victim, Peter Keeley was lured to a remote location by three teenagers who created a fake profile on Grindr. The attack was planned and they bound, gagged and beat him senseless before fleeing the scene. Peter Keeley died, alone in bushland. 

The teenagers were acquitted of murder and charged with ‘aggravated kidnapping.’ They are now free and walking the streets. The LGBTQ+ community demanded justice for Peter Keeley and his family but the lack of it displayed by the legal system was an absolute disgrace.

The death of Peter Keeley should have been a wake-up call, and alerted authorities of what was to come. They were far too slow to respond, and now the bashings are more frequent and widespread. The LGBTQ+ community won’t be safe till the authorities do something to stop the violence. How long will it be before someone else dies? 

Action needed now

It’s disturbing that most of the crimes are being committed by teenage boys who don’t comprehend the gravity of their offences. Is it because they have no fear of our incompetent legal system, and think they can get away with it? Is it something to do with social media and hyper-masculine figures like Andrew Tate spewing misogynist, homophobic attitudes? 

Perhaps the rise in homophobic violence is a backlash against more tolerance for minorities in this country, including people who identify as LGBTQ+. This has certainly been the case with far-right commentators targeting our transgender friends at every opportunity. Others in the community have used violence and intimidation to shut down drag story-telling events at public libraries and sought to ban books which show the reality of modern families, including those with same-sex parents. 

It is incumbent on politicians and others with influence in society not to promote hatred and division by stoking culture wars that vilify groups such as the LGBTQ+ community. Their political gain often comes at our expense. 

The shocking rise in gay-hate crimes must be dealt with urgently. Anna Brown, CEO of Equality Australia was interviewed on ABC Radio National last week. She said, “all levels of government and justice agencies need to collect data and find out why these attacks are occurring. A proposed Hate Crimes Bill is before parliament but it’s far too narrow,” she said. “Young people are being radicalised online and we need a national response from our leaders. We need to stop hate speech with anti-vilification legislation before it escalates to violence.”

I firmly agree with her sentiments. The LGBTQ+ community needs everyone in positions of power to act without delay. We need more law reform to counter homophobia, prejudice and discrimination, and stronger regulations around social media. Many of us endured violence and intimidation in previous years. We thought the worst was over, but the surge in gay-hate crimes is deeply troubling. We must remain vigilant and demand more action to stop the bashings.