Posted on 05/09/2005 11:16:32 AM PDT by Pikamax
Gay capital risks losing reputation after bashing
9 May 2005
AMSTERDAM — The bashing of a prominent American gay has sparked international controversy and is threatening the 'pink' tourist industry in Amsterdam.
Merijn Henfling, editor-in-chief of gay youth magazine 'Expreszo', said the incident was lethal for the image of Amsterdam as a gay capital, newspaper 'Het Parool' reported on Monday.
Chris Crain, the chief editor of the influential gay magazine 'Washington Blade', was assaulted on Queen's Day in Amsterdam. He claims the people who assaulted him were Moroccans.
As he was walking to his hotel with a friend on 30 April, one of his attackers spat in Crain's face. "The man, in his 20s, had
Moroccan looks and spoke with a heavy accent as he mumbled about 'fucking fags'," he said.
According to the editor of the Dutch 'Gay Krant', Henk Krol, the story on the Blade's website has hit the US like a bomb, newspaper 'Parool' reported.
The 'Gay Advocate', one of the most important gay magazines in the US, has published Crain's story in full.
More than 40 reactions from shocked readers have since been sent to the Gay Krant in the Netherlands.
Krol has contacted Crain, who had earlier praised Amsterdam as the safest place for gays in the world. "I have explained to him that presently it is safer in the countryside for homosexuals than in the large Dutch cities," Krol said.
A survey by gay lobby group COC has found that one in three gays no longer dare to walk hand-in-hand in the city centre.
Gay Business Amsterdam spokesman Siep de Haan said the Dutch capital is losing its gay tourism edge in favour of Barcelona and Paris, due to issues of tolerance.
But Atef Salib, an official with the foundation Habibi Ana, a gay café for immigrants in the city centre, has not noticed rising aggression. "You have good and bad people, but it is known that homosexuality is difficult to harmonise with the Arab mentality."
Human rights organisation Human Rights Watch said the assault of Crain is the result of ethnic tension in the Netherlands. It said gays are the victim because immigrants take revenge for the injustice they encounter themselves.
Interesting. As demonstrated by Pim Fortuyn, it may very well be the gays who will be on the frontlines in combating the Islamo-Fascists in Europe.
Well, if the Roman Catholic Church didn't preach that homosexual behavior was a sin, this wouldn't have happened.
Let that be a lesson to all gay people; stay away from Moroccans in Amsterdam on Queen's day.
Welcome to the party, guys. You can pick up your rifle from the Quartermaster...
"Interesting. As demonstrated by Pim Fortuyn, it may very well be the gays who will be on the frontlines in combating the Islamo-Fascists in Europe."
very interesting that the "liberals" in the Netherlands are actually on the forefront against immigration and for increased retaliation against Islamo Fascists
Wow! That must be some kind of record! Six billion people in the world and a little over 40 cared to react.
All gays unite and move to Amsterdam so the city can save its title of "capital queer".
I also appreciate the writings of Bruce Bawer, a guy freelance writer, who is trying to sound the alarm bells in Europe.
err. a gay writer that is..
Losing its gay tourism edge? A city reduced to marketing itself to homosexuals is a place I'll skip visiting in the future. I think I'll survive missing the great Gerbil's of history display.
That's a ridiculous statement. Homosexuality is a mental disorder and is difficult to harmonize with ANY Mentality. The fact that Arabs oppose it only proves that they are sane.
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