"Games of Thrones" Kristian Nairn witnessed the gay club shooting in Belfast, and the president of Turkey attacked the LGBT community during a speech.

‘Games of Thrones’ Actor Kristian Nairn Witnessed Gay Club Shooting

Kristian Nairn, best known for his role as Hodor in HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” revealed that he was present at the 1997 gay club shooting in Belfast.  

Nairn spoke about the shooting for the first time on BBC's Blood on the Dance Floor Podcast. The victim, 24-year-old police officer Darren Bradshaw, was shot and killed at the club, which was the city’s only LGBT venue at the time. To this day, the case remains unsolved.

Nairn said he and his friends had just arrived at the club when the shooting happened.

"It happened so fast. It was just like stunned silence, just like a bomb had gone off," he said.  

President Attacks Queer Community During Speech

SFGN file photo.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, targeted the LGBT community during a speech in the Aegean city of Izmir.

“In this nation the foundations of the family are stable. LGBT will not emerge in this country. Stand up straight, like a man: that is how our families are,” said Erdogan.

Currently, LGBT people in Turkey are not protected from discrimination, the country does not have marriage equality, gay people are not allowed to adopt, and Istanbul Pride events have been banned since 2015. In recent years, Erdogan and his cabinet have become increasingly more hostile towards the LGBT community and their rights, leading several organizations like the LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey, to organize and work towards implementing protections.