When you’re a minority, fame is rarely a shield from discrimination and that fact was made brutally clear recently when former “Big Brother UK” cast mate Mark Byron was beaten in a homophobic attack last week.
According to Liverpool Echo, Byron and his friend Paul were leaving the Black Rabbit in Liverpool city centre when a man grabbed Byron by his hair and began punching him to the ground as he shouted homophobic slurs.
Paul tried to intervene to defend Byron but he was beaten even more severely and was left unconscious on the street with a broken shoulder and fractured skull.
Byron’s friend, Denise Fergus, begged nearby doorstaff to help but they refused and passersby proceeded to record the fight and take selfies.
“It was disgusting. While we were waiting for an ambulance to arrive, drinkers were trying to take selfies with Paul who was covered in blood,” Byron said. “Drinkers were standing by and laughing at the appalling scene before them.”
Byron added, “I feel so guilty about what happened to my friend who stepped in for me. I’m proud to be from Liverpool, but disgusted this happened to us in our home city.”
Byron’s friend Paul is currently in stable condition in a hospital and police are investigating to find the suspect. However, Byron says he’s disappointed in how things played out.
“How someone can be hurt by stepping in to protect me against a hate crime in 2015 is unbelievable,” Byron said.
“I am so proud of Liverpool and its acceptance of all cultures and way of life, this really has saddened me that people who may have had no legal responsibility to step in and help, but certainly a moral one, turned a blind eye and even laughed while such a disgusting and ferocious attack took place,” he added.
