[Glenn.]

German football referee Pascal Kaiser was physically assaulted at his home in the early hours of Sunday morning (8 February), days after gaining international attention for a public marriage proposal during a Bundesliga match.

Kaiser proposed to his boyfriend, Moritz, at Cologne’s RheinEnergieStadion ahead of a league fixture between 1. FC Köln and VfL Wolfsburg, which ended in a 1-0 victory. The proposal took place in front of almost 50,000 spectators and was widely shared online.

According to French newspaper, L’Équipe, Kaiser received threats in the days following the proposal, including messages referencing his home address. Kaiser has said that he contacted police the day before the assault to report the threats and was advised there was no immediate danger.

“Terrible message, if you make yourself visible we’ll put you in the closet” – Spanish actress and LGBTQ+ activist Carla Antonelli

Kaiser has since stated that around 20 minutes after speaking with police, he went into his garden to smoke a cigarette, where three men were waiting. He was then attacked, suffering an injury to his right eye.

Kaiser has said that around 20 minutes after speaking to police, he went into his garden to smoke a cigarette, where three men were waiting. He was then attacked, suffering an injury to his right eye.




Spanish politician and LGBTQ+ activist Carla Antonelli later shared an image taken by Kaiser of his bruised face to Instagram.

Her caption translated to, “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.”

Kaiser came out as bisexual in 2021 and is one of the few openly LGBTQ+ referees in professional football, alongside Ryan Atkin and James Adcock in the UK.

During the proposal, Kaiser emphasised queer visibility in sport, saying he wanted people to see “a man loving a man in football.”

The moment was widely praised online, with the post prompting one of FC Köln’s most-liked Instagram Reels, captioning it as a “special moment”. The video was liked by over 161,000 viewers.

Kaiser has long been an advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in sport. Alongside posting photos and videos with his now-fiancé, he has spoken about how important it is to be visible as a bisexual player in football.

Speaking previously to Schwulissimo, a prominent German queer news outlet, during Pride Month, he said: “I see this as my mission: to create visibility. To be a voice. And to encourage people who aren’t yet brave enough to speak up.

“I know how lonely it can be to think you’re the only one. I want no one to have to feel that way again,” he added.

After publicly coming out to the German press, he said: “Since coming out, I’ve been much more open on the pitch. I don’t hide anything anymore, and that makes me stronger, not weaker. We have to dare to be fully present.”

This is why Pride is still necessary.