Nearly a thousand people attended a vigil staged to raise awareness over the recent spate of Oxford Street gay bashings. The Reclaim the Right vigil was held at Harmony Park in Sydney on Australia Day.
An assortment of Sydneysiders braved the high temperatures to show their support for Craig Gee, his boyfriend Shane Brennen and other recent Oxford Street victims of homophobic violence.
The crowd waved pink Australian flags and indigenous flags while City of Sydney safety whistles were handed out. The event, which featured the debut of Courtney Act’s new song, was attended by far more participants than organisers expected.
Solidarity among those attending was emphasised when, following the parade, 400 people joined hands to form a human chain and then proceeded to march along Oxford Street toward Taylor Square, much to the applause of café and restaurant patrons.
The vigil comes after a brutal homophobic assault and robbery on gay lovers Shane Brennen and Craig Gee, the latter of whom had his leg broken, his mobile phone and credit cards stolen and was bashed so severely that part of his skull was reduced to powder,.
It follows on from a series of other homophobic assaults, and in particular the disappearance of 20 year old gay youth Matthew Levenson, who was last seen leaving ARQ nightclub on the morning of September 23.
Sydney Star Observer have extensively criticised the NSW Police, particularly with regards to inadequate support for the Police Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officer Program.
