Homophobic Graffiti on The Laird: Police Release Photos Of Persons of Interest
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Victoria Police have released images of individuals believed to be “persons of interest” following homophobic graffiti spray painted on Melbourne gay bar, The Laird.
The pub, which was officially heritage listed聽in May, was one of two LGBTQIA+ venues vandalised with homophobic graffiti earlier this month, alongside neighbouring retail store Eagle Leather.
Police said they are are investigating the circumstances surrounding the offensive graffiti, which was removed by the City of Yarra before the pub opened that afternoon.
“It is believed the male offenders attended a commercial premises along Gipps St, and a retail outlet along Hoddle St in the early hours of Sunday 6 July, marking offensive graffiti depicting 鈥楴ed Kelly鈥� and the 鈥楽onnenrad’ logo,” a Victoria Police spokesperson told Star Observer.
The “Sonnenrad” logo, also known as the ““, is an ancient Nordic symbol that was appropriated by the Nazi party in the 1940s, and is used by neo-Nazis today as a symbol of white supremacy.
Police believe both incidents are related.
Victorian Commissioner for LGBTQIA+ Communities Joe Ball condemned the incident at the time, saying the graffiti represented a new wave of attacks on LGBTQIA+ spaces.
鈥淧laces meant to be safe havens are being defaced,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his culture of hate is growing, and we need to stop it at the roots.
鈥淚t is all connected: violence, abuse, hate speech. We must stand up for drag storytime, for safe schools and for respectful relationships programmes. These shape how the next generation treats us.
鈥淭he same hate appears in fires lit at synagogues, violence against women and anti-migrant rallies.”
Crimes condemned as “abhorrent and unacceptable”
The graffiti comes shortly after Victoria Police announced they had arrested 35 people over a period of eight months following a wave of violent robberies and assaults allegedly targeting men through gay dating apps.
Victoria’s Equality Minister, Vicki Ward, about the rise of homophobic hate crimes in the state over the weekend, following in The Age.
“Any violence targeting LGBTIQA+ communities is abhorrent and unacceptable,” she told the masthead.
鈥淲e鈥檝e passed stronger anti-vilification laws, including specifically protecting the LGBTIQA+ community.
鈥淲e鈥檝e banned the public display of the Nazi symbol and introduced new 鈥榩ost and boast鈥� laws to criminalise violent, hate-driven crimes being glorified online.鈥�
Commissioner Ball said that combatting the homophobic incidents required a “multi-pronged government response”.
鈥淲e know already there are far more instances where gay men have been bashed than have been reported, and that鈥檚 because people are quite afraid [to report to police],鈥� Ball said.
Victoria Police urge anyone with information these hate crimes to contact Collingwood Police Station on (03) 8413 1700, Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or submit a confidential report at .
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