Joe.My.God. LGBT News
The Associated Press reports:
Slovakia’s president joined a rally of thousands on Friday to honor two gay men who were shot dead in the capital earlier this week and demonstrate support for the LGBTQ community. People lit candles at the site of the shooting before marching to a central Bratislava square. Police said Friday they are investigating the killings as a hate crime.
In her address to the crowd, President Zuzana Caputova asked LGBTQ people for forgiveness “for not being able to feel safe in Slovakia.” “You belong here, you have a value for our society,” she said. Caputova and Prime Minister Eduard Heger called on other politicians Thursday to carefully choose their words when speaking about minorities.
The BBC reports:
Organisers estimated that 20,000 people took part in the vigil, mourning the men’s deaths and demanding action on LGBT rights. Slovakia’s National Crime Agency has classified the shootings as premeditated murder, motivated by hatred of a sexual minority.
It has sparked calls for more protection of LGBT people in Slovakia, a relatively conservative EU country where same-sex marriage is not legal. After a brief manhunt, police found the body of the 19-year-old gunman, who is believed to have shot himself, on Thursday morning.
He was identified as Juraj Krajcik, the son of a former far-right politician. Just before the killings, he had posted an anti-LGBT and anti-Semitic manifesto on Twitter, warning that he would carry them out. He later also claimed responsibility.
My first report on the murders is here. The president’s tearful speech can be seen in the final clip below.
20,000 people, demanding action on LGBT rights, gathered at a vigil in Slovakia to commemorate 2 men killed outside a gay bar in a suspected hate crime. Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, who has raised the rainbow flag over her office, spoke at the eventhttps://t.co/lWAaMK727P
— Alfons López Tena ? (@alfonslopeztena) October 15, 2022
Slovakia’s president joined a rally of thousands on Friday to honor two gay men who were fatally shot in the capital earlier this week and demonstrate support for the LGBTQ community. https://t.co/BYHlWwlZqX
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 15, 2022
Die Stimme des Redners bricht. Er fängt an, zu weinen. Die Menschen applaudieren in Solidarität.#Bratislava pic.twitter.com/DFCF63CniH
— Michael Bonvalot (@MichaelBonvalot) October 14, 2022
president of slovakia in front of the gay bar where 2 men were shot dead on wednesday, comforting the owner of the place?️???
a big gesture in a country where majority of politics and population cant even say the word gay bc it’s too taboo pic.twitter.com/bnhP66k1P8— R.? (@OhMySandra1) October 14, 2022
According to organizers, 20,000 people attended the vigil to mourn the men’s deaths and demand action on LGBT rights.
At the event, Slovak President Zuzana aputová (@ZuzanaCaputova), who has raised the rainbow flag over her office, spoke.
— Gurbaksh Singh Chahal (@gchahal) October 15, 2022
Twitter posts made by Juraj Krajčík two months prior to the sh00ting. One of the pictures is in front of the bar he targeted. pic.twitter.com/VFRAOmgcjm
— ♔ ???? (@JURYR00M) October 13, 2022