Police close file on Craig and Shane bashing
The final chapter of the homophobic bashing of Craig Gee and Shane Brennen came to a close last week, exactly one year after the assault that outraged and reignited the community’s fighting spirit.
I Killed Your Faggot Son, the documentary that followed Gee and Brennen throughout three operations, recovery, and celebration, screened on 3 December to an audience of around 100 financial supporters.
It revealed Surry Hills Police have shut down efforts to bring the attackers to court. But that hasn’t deterred the filmmakers or the strong supporters who stood with them last week raising money to complete the documentary so it can screen on television and film festivals to a wider audience.
Gay communities around the world know about them now. It’s not just to educate the mainstream that this is going on, it’s also to bond the LGBT community because so many people know someone who’s been bashed or themselves been bashed. It’s to show how strong people can be out of something so negative, filmmaker Katherine Wilkinson said.
Gee said he struggled with the fact his attackers were still on the street.
After 12 months I’ve learned I don’t want revenge, he said. We made this film and I know that will help future generations of gay people, and that’s good enough for me to get closure.
Craig and Shane answered questions from community supporters after the documentary screening last week.