Pattrick Blackburn, a gay man living in St. John's, Newfoundland, who was beaten last week, has taken to Facebook and YouTube to speak out about the unprovoked attack.
“It’s really scary when somebody tells you that if you weren’t found 10 minutes before you would’ve bled out and died,” he said in the video which has since been taken down, choking back tears.
Blackburn recounts that a group of men followed him and he could hear one of them uttering a gay slur before he was attacked, he recounts in the video.
Blackburn suffered damage to his left eye, needed 18 stitches for other injuries and is suffering from short-term memory loss. The attackers stole his personal items including his rent money and his phone. A friend found him and got him to a hospital.
UPDATE: The HuffPost Canada has spoken to St. John's Pride and to police in Newfoundland. Unfortunately, the video has been removed from YouTube.
Blackburn posted a number of dramatic posts on Facebook.
"I remember nothing about any weapon or anything," he told Canada.com in an e-mail interview.
"I never thought that something like this could happen in Newfoundland. But it’s still going on," Blackburn said in the video.
The Huffington Post Canada contacted the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary who said they were still investigating the incident and had no details to release.
The attack has shaken up Newfoundland's gay community. "I’ve never heard pray tell of anything happening like this happening in St. John’s," said Noah Davis-Power, president of St. John's Pride.
"It rattles everybody," he said.
"It makes you wonder; am I going to get beat up when I go downtown if I dress a bit more flamboyantly, or if I'm holding my partner’s hand," he added.
He also said that he wants to plan an event for Blackburn but is waiting for him to recover from his injuries and to see what the community wants.
The Huffington Post has reached out to Blackburn for more information.
Queer Ottawa is hosting a fundraiser for Blackburn on Friday. A fundraiser will also be held in Halifax.
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