Zimbabwe: 35 Injured in Attack on LGBT Group's Holiday Party

A gathering of LGBT people in Zimbabwe's capital city of Harare was attacked by armed men over the weekend, sending many to the hospital.

A violent attack on a holiday party thrown by an LGBT advocacy organization in Zimbabwe has left 35 injured according to the group, reports news aggregator All Africa.

News reports said at least a dozen unidentified men attacked the event, which was described as a "gay party" by local media, and hosted by advocacy group Gays and Lesbians Zimbabwe.

"[The attackers] were in three vehicles when they arrived and one of them produced a pistol and threatened our security team that was manning the gate for denying them access," All Africa quoted the group's director, Chesterfield Samba, as saying. "Upon entering they started beating people using logs, iron bars, empty beer bottles and clenched fists."

The event was held at a private venue in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare.

"The men also demanded cash and gadgets from the members as they were attacking them," Samba told All Africa. "As a result of the attacks over 35 of our members suffered injuries."

According to Samba, many of the victims went to the hospital for treatment of their injuries and were later released. No arrests have been made.

RELATED: The State of Equality in Africa

While announcing news about the attack on its holiday party, Gays and Lesbians Zimbabwe denounced a recent attack in Harare on a woman at a public transit terminal in which presumably heterosexual men attempted to strip the female passenger of her clothing. Using a video of that assault, which went viral on social media, authorities say they have identified some of the attackers in that case.

Because Zimbabwe is among the 32 African countries which jail people for being gay, Gays and Lesbians Zimbabwe's status as an advocacy group that works to create better lives for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex Zimbabweans is tenuous at best.