A young LGBTQ+ German referee was violently attacked at his home after surprising his boyfriend with a marriage proposal and passionate kiss on the field that went viral. He received threatening messages, had his address shared on social media, and reported this to police one day before the incident.
On 10 February 2026, a shocking incident highlighted the ongoing violence stemming from sexual discrimination when Pascal Keiser, a German football referee and LGBTQ+ rights activist, was assaulted at his private residence by a group of men, sustaining injuries around his right eye just days after his marriage proposal video went viral worldwide.
The events began the previous week at the home stadium of FC Cologne, when Keiser knelt to propose to his boyfriend Moritz amid cheers from over 50,000 fans before a Bundesliga match. He intended the moment to symbolize acceptance of diversity within men's football.
However, that happiness was short-lived as Keiser soon faced severe online harassment, including his home address being published and death threats sent to him. This prompted him to file a police report just one day before the attack took place.
In the early hours of Sunday, 8 February, as Keiser stepped into his backyard garden, three men lying in wait immediately assaulted him, targeting his face and right eye with brutal force. The assailants fled before authorities arrived.
Keiser is currently under police protection in a safe location while investigators work urgently to identify the perpetrators. Initial findings suggest the attack was a hate crime motivated by hostility toward his sexual orientation.