German Gay Referee Pascal Kaiser Beaten After Proposing To His Boyfriend At Football Match (pic & video)

A German football referee who went viral after proposing to his boyfriend on the pitch has reportedly been assaulted outside his home, just days after the public moment drew global attention.

According to French publication L’Equipe, Pascal Kaiser was allegedly attacked by three men late at night following a wave of online threats that emerged after footage of his proposal circulated widely on social media.

Reports state that the incident occurred after his personal address was shared online. Kaiser is said to have suffered an eye injury during the assault, with images posted by supporters showing visible bruising.

Spanish politician and LGBTQIA+ advocate Carla Antonelli shared an update on social media following the incident, writing (translated to English): “Terrible message, if you make yourself visible, we’ll put you in the closet: Referee Pascal Kaiser, who proposed to his partner before the Cologne-Wolfsburg match, was assaulted at his home.”

“It is known that prior to the assault, the address of Pascal Kaiser’s house had leaked on social media and received direct threats. Police intervened after the attack and Pascal Kaiser is now in a safe place under police protection.

Antonelli said that Kaiser had received explicit threats that talked about the exact address of his home, and that local police told him that there was no “immediate danger.”

“Twenty minutes after this response, while smoking a cigarette in his garden, three men waited for him and violently attacked him in an assault Kaiser has called homophobic.”