Scott Jones was stabbed in the back and had his throat slashed after leaving a bar in October, and he thinks it was because he is openly homosexual. Paralyzed and in a wheel chair, Jones is thankful for an outpouring of support he has received and a campaign that was launched encouraging people to speak up against homophobia.
Jones is from a small town called New Glasgow in the eastern province of Nova Scotia and says he is the only openly gay man there. He recalls a man looking at him in the bar and describes a glare that was a look of judgement, a look that he has experienced many times before.
After he left the bar he describes the man making a beeline toward him and attacking. Police arrested 19 year-old Shane Matheson and charged him with attempted murder, aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon.
There is a chance that Jones will be able to walk again with extensive therapy and he remains optimistic. A Facebook-based campaign to help him raised more than $113,000 and sparked a movement called Don’t Be Afraid.
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