'The hate still exists': Saskatoon man says he was beaten for being gay
Jason Warick, Saskatoon Starphoenix
First posted: Sunday, September 11, 2016 08:20 PM EDT | Updated: Sunday, September 11, 2016 08:26 PM EDT
SASKATOON - “Are you hitting on me?” an enraged bar patron yelled at Eugene Grosh as the savage beating began.
Grosh, who is gay, recounted details of the terrifying Saturday morning incident after he was discharged from a hospital.
“It was a minor setback,” Grosh said with a half-laugh during an interview Sunday.
It’s unclear whether any arrests have been made. A Saskatoon Police Services official was not available late Sunday afternoon.
Saskatoon is making progress but still has a long way to go toward full acceptance of LGBTQ residents, Grosh said.
“Saskatoon is a welcoming place. I’m proud to live here, but the hate still exists,” he said.
Saskatoon Pride Festival chair Danny Papadatos agreed. He still gets people making angry comments and hand gestures when he drives around in his rainbow-coloured car.
“There is still a lot of work to be done. It’s sad. There’s still a lot of hate, ignorance,” Papadatos said.
Late Friday evening and early Saturday morning, Grosh and a group of female friends were dancing at an exhibition-area bar, he said. He went to use the bathroom. When he opened the stall, he said “hi” to a large, unfamiliar man with a shaved head.
The man accused Grosh of hitting on him, he said. Before Grosh could respond, the man punched him in the face. He connected with multiple blows before fleeing the bar.
“I walk into the bathroom and come out looking like this,” he said.
It’s unclear whether any arrests have been made. A Saskatoon Police Services official was not available late Sunday afternoon.
Grosh staggered out of the bar and attempted to walk home. En route, he called his husband, who came and picked him up. Soon after getting home, they realized the severity of his injuries and called 911. He was diagnosed with a concussion and severe bruising and cuts to his head and face.
Grosh, 35, said he has been beaten up several times since moving to Saskatoon. He went to high school in Nipawin and was beaten up there as well before moving to Saskatoon two decades ago.
“It’s not the first time. It takes a lot to break me.”
Eugene Grosh says he was beaten at a bar in Saskatoon on Friday. (Submitted photo)
'The hate still exists': Saskatoon man says he was beaten for being gay | Canada
Jason Warick, Saskatoon Starphoenix
First posted: Sunday, September 11, 2016 08:20 PM EDT | Updated: Sunday, September 11, 2016 08:26 PM EDT
SASKATOON - “Are you hitting on me?” an enraged bar patron yelled at Eugene Grosh as the savage beating began.
Grosh, who is gay, recounted details of the terrifying Saturday morning incident after he was discharged from a hospital.
“It was a minor setback,” Grosh said with a half-laugh during an interview Sunday.
It’s unclear whether any arrests have been made. A Saskatoon Police Services official was not available late Sunday afternoon.
Saskatoon is making progress but still has a long way to go toward full acceptance of LGBTQ residents, Grosh said.
“Saskatoon is a welcoming place. I’m proud to live here, but the hate still exists,” he said.
Saskatoon Pride Festival chair Danny Papadatos agreed. He still gets people making angry comments and hand gestures when he drives around in his rainbow-coloured car.
“There is still a lot of work to be done. It’s sad. There’s still a lot of hate, ignorance,” Papadatos said.
Late Friday evening and early Saturday morning, Grosh and a group of female friends were dancing at an exhibition-area bar, he said. He went to use the bathroom. When he opened the stall, he said “hi” to a large, unfamiliar man with a shaved head.
The man accused Grosh of hitting on him, he said. Before Grosh could respond, the man punched him in the face. He connected with multiple blows before fleeing the bar.
“I walk into the bathroom and come out looking like this,” he said.
It’s unclear whether any arrests have been made. A Saskatoon Police Services official was not available late Sunday afternoon.
Grosh staggered out of the bar and attempted to walk home. En route, he called his husband, who came and picked him up. Soon after getting home, they realized the severity of his injuries and called 911. He was diagnosed with a concussion and severe bruising and cuts to his head and face.
Grosh, 35, said he has been beaten up several times since moving to Saskatoon. He went to high school in Nipawin and was beaten up there as well before moving to Saskatoon two decades ago.
“It’s not the first time. It takes a lot to break me.”
Eugene Grosh says he was beaten at a bar in Saskatoon on Friday. (Submitted photo)
'The hate still exists': Saskatoon man says he was beaten for being gay | Canada
