Calgary man speaking out after homophobic and transphobic encounter – Calgary | 24CA News
A Calgary man is talking out after being a sufferer of a homophobic and transphobic hate incident on Tuesday afternoon.
Ryan Massel, also referred to as Mr. Fabulous on social media, tweeted earlier within the day that he was admiring the Pride crosswalk whereas on a stroll close to Central Memorial Park when he was verbally abused by a person.
In a video posted on Twitter, the person referred to as Massel a “f—-t” and yelled out transphobic slurs earlier than strolling away.
Global News has not but been in a position to confirm the identification of this particular person within the video.
“I felt really sad. I felt sad for everybody else that experiences this on a daily basis,” Massel advised Global News.
“What made me feel unsafe was when the script was turned back on me and he said I was being aggressive when I was just minding my own business.
“I decided it was important to share this with as many people as possible so they can see this is still happening. We are not asking much as LGBTQ+ people other than to live our lives and love who we want to love.”
Massel mentioned he’s urgent expenses and can pursue the incident below the Criminal Code of Canada. He mentioned he shared the incident on social media so LGBTQ+ individuals will see they aren’t alone.
“In the moment I didn’t realize it was awful … I was floating above my body for a million miles when it happened,” he mentioned.
“When I rewatched the video, I realized how hateful and hurtful and how scary the situation is and how scary it is when people attack you for no reason.”
“Am I safe here? Am I safe in this city? Am I safe in the world? The answer is no. Our community is not safe in this world. We don’t have equality, we don’t have the same rights as other people and we live in fear.”
Massel added the incident highlights why Calgary wants Pride parades, occasions and protests.
“We’re ramping up for Pride, and we will be attacked now more than ever. We are attacked throughout the year, and we will be attacked five times harder during Pride. It’s a reminder to our community to continue to celebrate, continue to come together, support each other and share who we are and love,” he mentioned.
Global News has reached out to the Calgary Police Service with a request for remark however didn’t obtain one in time for publication. An announcement can be added when one is acquired.
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