Over $50,000 has been raised for a radio host who had his leg snapped after confronting some homophobic street preachers.
Radio host Justin Morissette has had over $50,000 raised for him after his leg was snapped by a couple of homophobic street preachers in Vancouver. Justin was attacked after he confronted the preachers about their homophobia.
In a tweet, he wrote: “I stood up to anti-gay evangelical bullies in the West End this evening, and they purposefully broke my leg for the trouble. I don’t know why I did this. It felt like the right thing to do and no one else would. I’m going to have metal plates in my leg for the rest of my life.”
About his injury, he added: “My leg is super fucked up, and that sucks. But the violent man who did this to me would have done it, or possibly much worse to someone else down the line had he not been arrested tonight. I have prevented harm to someone I will never know, and they won’t know I did it either.”
I stood up to anti-gay evangelical bullies in the West End this evening, and they purposefully broke my leg for the trouble. I don’t know why I did this. It felt like the right thing to do and no one else would. I’m going to have metal plates in my leg for the rest of my life.
— Justin Morissette 👊🏻 (@JustinMoris) August 23, 2020
The attack happened at the Davie and Thurlow streets in the city, which is home to Vancouver’s gay village. The preachers were using a megaphone to shout “anti-gay chants” according to police.
Justin went to confront them, and tried getting them to turn the volume down from their megaphones. When this failed, he went to try and turn the sound off himself before attempting to grab a megaphone.
Justin says at this point, someone jumped on his back, explaining: “He put his right leg behind my left leg and then with me still locked in a Full Nelson, wrenched my body against his leg until my leg snapped. He broke my leg on purpose and threw me to the ground and took his microphone back.”
Two of the preachers in the group who threw him to the ground were arrested, and police are recommending that they be charged with aggravated assault and mischief. The city’s hate crime unit is also investigating the attack.
Both of those who were arrested have since been released and told to stay away from the area and have no contact with Justin or each other.
The homophobic group have become a mainstay in the area over the summer, with many writing to Justin about the nuisance that the group caused. One wrote: “West End residents have called @VancouverPD all summer to report an aggressive anti-gay group — and nothing has been done. This group scares and intimidates citizens in their own community.”
Toronto Pride | Christopher Amrich via Flickr
Dorre Love, one of those arrested for the attack, later took to his own social media to claim that he’d been arrested for “preaching the gospel” and wanted his own assault charges against Justin to be filed.
Justin has been flooded with support since the attack, and speaking about the reaction to CBC, he said: “A stranger on Twitter reaching out to my DMs to tell me that they have a gay or trans or closeted son or daughter and that what I did means the world to them. That always reaffirms to me that I did the right thing.”
A GoFundMe page was set up to cover his medical costs, as well as loss of income, legal fees, rent and living costs. At the time of writing, over $51,000 has been donated. Justin has said that excess funds will be donated to Qmunity, a non-profit organization in Vancouver that “works to improve queer, trans, and Two-Spirit lives.”
The GoFundMe also encourages people to donate to the Vancouver Black Therapy & Advocacy Fund and The Trans Resiliency Fund.
Related: Canada’s Drag Race star Ilona Verley and friend ‘attacked by transphobic a**holes’
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