Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — An LGBT activist was attacked and insulted inside an Oxxo convenience store in Playa del Carmen, sparking outrage after a video of the incident circulated on social media.
The victim, Joe Zavala, posted the video showing a man punching him and yelling homophobic slurs. In the footage, the attacker can be heard saying, “How much can you be worth, son of a bitch?” Zavala responds, “I’m used to people like you insulting me for my preferences, but you’re insane.”
Zavala said he was not provoking the attacker and warned he would defend himself if necessary. Following the attack, he recorded another video describing his state of shock. “I’m very upset and nervous, very shaken. Today I spoke about why we defend our rights and why we make ourselves visible,” he said, adding that such incidents of discrimination need to be reported.
The Specialized Group for Attention to Family and Gender Violence (Geavig), part of the Playa del Carmen Public Security Secretariat, condemned the attack and said it had contacted Zavala. “In the government of Playa del Carmen, we do not leave anyone alone whose rights have been violated,” the agency stated.
As of now, it is unclear whether Zavala has filed a formal complaint with the authorities. The identity of the attacker remains unknown, but officials hope the video will help identify him.
