Homophobia in Córdoba: He was beaten for defending a gay couple
In the early hours of Sunday, he was attacked by security personnel at the Porto Club nightclub in the Güemes neighborhood of Córdoba province, when he was defending a gay couple.
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By Lucas Gutiérrez
Mateo Fabbris, a 19-year-old medical student, reported that he was assaulted early Sunday morning by security personnel at the Porto Club nightclub in the Güemes neighborhood of Córdoba province. He was defending a gay couple when he posted about the incident on social media, showing his bruised face, and the post quickly went viral. His complaint was filed with Judicial Unit No. 5 under the charge of "minor injuries" and with the Córdoba Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.
In an interview with Presentes, Mateo recounted that a friend of his was kissing another man at the Porto nightclub when a bouncer violently separated them and escorted them out. “I approached the entrance of the club to ask why he was kicking them out, and the bouncer didn't give me an explanation, he just told me to leave. I asked him if it was because they were the same sex, why they didn't do the same with girls who were also kissing, and he said: 'There's no problem with the girls, but the guys have to go somewhere else.'”
[READ ALSO: Salta: She's trans, she was brutally beaten outside a nightclub and is in serious condition]
Mateo explains that the situation became tense, that this employee started pushing him: “I asked him not to push me and that's when he hit me. When I tried to defend myself, another bouncer grabbed me from behind, grabbed me by the neck and took me to the area where the ticket booths are, where they threw me to the ground and beat me.”
“Out of anger and helplessness, I started throwing things at them that were there, and they started chasing me towards the center,” explains the young man who was attacked, who says that he didn't manage to go more than three blocks before being intercepted again by security personnel “and they kicked me on the ground,” he says.
The complaints
With a black eye, bruising, and a swollen face, Mateo shared what happened on his personal Instagram account. The story went viral, and Mateo told Presentes that he was contacted by the Porto Club nightclub's social media accounts: "They told me not to make a fuss, that it wouldn't be in my best interest."
Franco Bonino, a member of Putos Peronistas and a collaborator with Centro Trans Córdoba, is one of the activists who contacted Mateo and is supporting him in this situation: “The complaint has already been filed at Judicial Unit No. 5 under the charge of minor injuries.” Bonino adds that a complaint has also been filed with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of Córdoba. The Deputy Director of Human Rights for Minorities and the Fight Against Discrimination, Alejandro Escudero Salama, has pledged to support the case.
[READ ALSO: Homophobia in Buenos Aires: pizzeria employees beat up a gay couple]
Upper-class and discriminatory neighborhood
“It’s a neighborhood where many discriminatory acts occur, especially against the LGBTQ+ community,” Bonino explains, adding that the Güemes neighborhood has an upper-class profile. The activist also confirms that Gabriela Estévez, a national deputy for Córdoba, will file a formal complaint in the Chamber of Deputies regarding the incident at the Porto Club.
Porto Club shared a statement on their Instagram account in the 'stories' section (a format that is only accessible for 24 hours) in which they commented that the security staff acted diligently when removing Fabbris.
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