A gay man from Australia is recovering in the hospital after he and his sister were viciously attacked by a random stranger off the street.
On Sunday April 15, 25-year-old Bradley Skinner and his sister Amanda were enjoying a night out. Together, they had enjoyed dinner and drinks at a bowling club in Mackay Region, Northern Queensland, Australia.
“I was two bites into my pizza around when this young man I had never seen before slowly walked past us glaring at me,’ Skinner told Daily Mail Australia.
“Then he called me a f****t as I looked up at him”
Skinner took the insult in stride as he’s used to such treatment from his job as a miner, but his sister was not so accepting.
“My sister doesn't take too kindly to it so she got up and said 'what the hell'.
"He ended up hitting her in the face… and it all went on from there and he got out this chain and started whacking me with it."
As reported by Daily Mercury, Skinner was hit by the bicycle chain several times including on his head, his arm, and on his leg.
"When he hit me on the head, that's when I blacked out," Skinner continued.
"I remember trying to vomit, and I think someone tried to put me on my side… I remember the ambos shining a light in my eyes, that's when I started coming to.
"I couldn't open my eyes but I could hear everything that was going on."
Meanwhile, his sister Amanda was hysterical. She says that the tried to pull the 20-something-year-old man away from her brother to no avail. At the time, she thought her brother was dead or quickly dying, as he was unconscious and blood was pouring out of his head.
After the man left, Skinner was rushed to Mackay Base Hospital to get treatment. Doctors were able to treat Skinner and figure out that he had a case of vertigo and not brain damage.
Again, Skinner is used to working in an extremely masculine environment due to his job working in the mines near Moranbah. He says he’s been based twice, so he’s often on guard.
“I love who I am but I have been intimidated, I'm embarrassed going into the dining hall at work…It's a very manly environment," he said.
"It's just sad that someone would try to wreck someone else's night, me being gay in this town I get it a lot, so I'm used to getting name called."
Bradley Skinner lives in Mackay to be close to family, but he’s been considering moving for some time now. This incident will only push further his thoughts of leaving town and switching careers to real estate in order to find a “safer environment.”
In the meantime, police are still investigating the incident.
Instinct Magazine has reached out ot the Skinners for comment, and will update you all should they respond.
