While on holiday a man and his husband were brutally attacked on the Greek Island of Mykonos. They appear to have been the target of a hate crime. Londoners Tristan and his husband Vestal were beaten up shortly after leaving a well-known local gay bar.
Tristan recalls having a wonderful day sightseeing around Mykonos. After a long day spent with family, the two men headed to the gay bar. He remembers feeling very happy that night and was impressed at how friendly the patrons were.
Leaving the bar the men, along with some others from the bar, walked up the street. Vestal was approached by an unknown man who appeared to be speaking aggressively to him. Tristan was quite concerned, but Vestal assured him everything was okay.
That was the last thing that Tristan remembers. The couple was stricken from behind and both lay unconscious. Tristan came to first, realizing he was missing two front teeth. Vestal still had not woken up.
When Vestal became conscious in the hospital, neither man could understand why this had happened. They did not know the men and are convinced this was a homophobic attack. The police were called, but no one has been arrested for the crime.
Luckily, the Tristan and Vestal had taken out holiday insurance which has helped to pay for the hospital costs. However, they are still figuring out how to pay for the expensive dental surgery to repair Tristan’s teeth. Both men required extra time off from work due to their injuries, causing more hardship.
A special friend, Daniel Wednesday Hillman, stepped up to help and started a GoFundMe account to raise money to cover their mounting bills. The outpouring of support has been quite overwhelming for the couple. The attack had left them feeling that the world was all about hate. Now they can see that it is all about love.
Tristan believes that one day the men who did this will feel remorse and wish to find forgiveness. By that time, Tristan and Vestal will have moved on and forgotten all about this tragedy, living their life full of happiness and love. But, he feels that these men will never be able to forget and will have to live their lives with that regret.