Manchester police are searching for a man (pictured above) in connection with a homophobic attack on Canal Street over the weekend that left a gay ruby player with a broken jaw.

Tom, 24, whose last name is being withheld, was promoting his LGBT rugby team, the Manchester Village Spartans, when the attack took place, Manchester Evening News reports:

Gareth Longley, spokesman for the Village Spartans, said: “We had been out on a recruitment drive that Saturday, and most of us were wearing Halloween outfits and had painted faces. We were just telling people what the club is about and trying to get new players and more support.

“When they walked into the Village a group of guys were making homophobic remarks at passers by. Our players walked up to them and everything calmed down and (the player) started chatting to them about the Spartans. One of the other group took offence and punched him in the face.”

Det Con Louise Kelly, of GMP’s North Manchester division, said: “We believe this to be a homophobic attack and I want to make it clear that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated on our streets.

Tom, who had to have a metal plate inserted into his face to repair his jaw, says the attack has left him shaken:

“It’s affected how I feel about going out in the Village and the gay scene in general. I was attacked on Canal Street, which is supposed to be a safe environment. I’m also not able to play rugby for three months while the plates in my jaw heal.”

I think it’s great that people are relating to Connor and other characters on the show on a lot of different levels. And the fact that there are members of the LGBT community, and friends of the community, that are feeling just pleased and happy to see a character on TV that is depicted in maybe a positive light, I think that’s great. I don’t know that I feel a responsibility necessarily. I think for me at the end of the day, it’s a job and I just go in and I’m glad that Pete [Nowalk]’s written a real honest character. I try to do my best each day to take it and run with it.

I am glad that people are talking about it and that it’s sparked the conversation. I think that that’s the aim of entertainment. And if we can have a dialogue about it, it can become more accepted. TV is sort of catching up and it’s been very black and white what we’ve seen on the screen and very paranormative and patriarchal and I think that now that we’re exploring it, it’s something that’s being talked about which is great. And even now, there’s a lot of content being made that is shedding an honest light on who people are and real people and at the end of the day that’s what Pete [Nowalk] has created. Real people. And that’s fantastic.”

A skillfully edited highlight reel of hate, from Cameron’s appearance on some wacky Christian channel called The Way of the Master Television. 

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP…

In related news Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas opened in theaters last week and is sitting high and mighty atop an abysmal 10% approval rating over at Rotten Tomatoes. This hasn’t deterred Cameron from trying to ramp up his audience score though…

[jmg via Christian Nightmares]