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"What a sad human": Homophobic rant in Calgary draws outrage (VIDEO)

Laine Mitchell
Laine Mitchell
|
Aug 2 2023, 4:24 pm
"What a sad human": Homophobic rant in Calgary draws outrage (VIDEO)

Editor’s note: This article includes a video that contains homophobic slurs and may be upsetting to some readers.

A video taken in Calgary of a man hurling homophobic slurs has gone viral, with many people expressing support for the victim.

The incident reportedly took place Tuesday afternoon in downtown Calgary close to a Pride crosswalk painted near Central Memorial Park.

“I was excited to hear of a Pride Walk that was being painted so went to take a look and the verbal attack ensued,” wrote Twitter user @immrfabulous, also known as Ryan Massel, on Tuesday afternoon.

The video starts with the Pride crosswalk and the man walking by saying “f*g,” with Massel saying “You don’t like it, what did you just say to me?” The man responded, “You’re a f*cking f*g, f*ck off, you’re not human. There’s only two genders.”

The man goes on to repeat the slurs at the end of the video as he walks away from the camera.

Calgary Police Service (CPS) confirmed to Daily Hive that they are investigating the incident that took place downtown at Central Memorial Park. The Hate Crime Prevention Team has been in contact with the victim and has offered support as the investigation continues.

CPS added that hate-motivated crimes are recognizable crimes, like assault, theft, vandalism, or any other crime, where the offender was motivated by bias, prejudice, or hate that is based on the personal characteristics of the victim.

The video, which has amassed more than 560,000 views in less than 24 hours, has attracted more than 1,500 comments, with many expressing support for Massel.

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