Police investigating violent attack against gay couple on Sunshine Coast

Police investigating violent attack against gay couple on Sunshine Coast
Image: Joshua Dickson and Alexander Vlasits. Image via 9 News.

Queensland Police are investigating after an alleged violent attack against a gay couple last week, by a group of men shouting homophobic slurs.

Alex Vlasits and Joshua Dickson were leaving a club at Noosa shortly after midnight last Sunday 1 July, crossing the Bay Village car park to get into an Uber, when they were set upon by the group, according to accounts on Facebook by both victims.

Vlasits said that the men, who he estimated were aged in their late teens, yelled things including “stupid faggots”, “you all need to die”, and “you’re all disgusting”.

He wrote that the group of men ran towards the couple, pulling them away from each other.

“[One] came up from behind me and king hit me in the left side of my head, knocked me out and I hit the concrete,” Vlasits wrote.

“After they hit me they went after Josh hitting him in the left side of this face and then came back for me with another two punches to the head while I was still in the ground.

“After this my memory of the rest of the night is pretty hazy and not clear.”

Dickson said he had anticipated the attack after the group of men began yelling slurs, but he and Vlasits had been unable to get away from them in time.

“They targeted us once they realised we were gay,” he wrote.

“To be targeted for being the individual you are is the most degrading and disgusting thing I have ever experienced in my life!”

Vlasits said that while both men were left with concussions and other injuries, it could have been worse.

He warned others to be alert against such homophobic violence.

“I’m very lucky that I only left this with a bloody ear and head from the punches, because it definitely could have been a lot worse as one punches can kill someone,” he wrote on Facebook.

“One punches need to end and if this post can do anything I hope it makes everyone more aware that no matter your age, gender, race or sexual orientation, be safe when you’re out, because I always had the mentality that this would never happen to me and it did.”

Hate speech and crimes against LGBTI people increased during last year’s marriage equality postal survey, with hundreds of incidents recorded during that period.

A Mackay man was hospitalised in April after allegedly being bashed on a night out by an assailant who used similar homophobic slurs.

Queensland Police have called the homophobic attack in Noosa “unacceptable” and have called for any witnesses to come forward.

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One response to “Police investigating violent attack against gay couple on Sunshine Coast”

  1. So, was the Uber driver NOT a witness?

    I’d be willing to bet there are cameras around that area.

    Arrest the jerks that did this!