Amsterdam taxi driver who hit drag queen with his car sentenced to community service

A taxi driver who struck a drag queen with his car last year was convicted in the case this week. He was issued a community service order of 60 hours, and a one-month suspended prison sentence by the judge in Amsterdam presiding over the case.

The 27-year-old man was also given a six-month driving ban which was also suspended pending his adherence to several conditions, the Public Prosecution Service announced on Tuesday.

The driver then called her a “kankerhomo,” and the victim responded by hitting the car with her bag. The taxi then drove backward toward the victim, who was just about able to jump out of the way, but was still grazed by the vehicle. The driver then sped off from the scene.

The slur which sparked the incident translates directly as “cancer gay.” It can be considered especially offensive in the Dutch language due to its use of a disease as part of the profanity.

The prosecutor judged, based on the camera footage, that the driver purposely drove to hit the victim. “By driving a car into someone at high speed, you can seriously injure someone,” said the prosecutor, who believed it was “full intent” on the part of the driver.

As the insult was not heard by any witnesses and was denied by the taxi driver, prosecutors could not prove that the comment was discriminatory in nature. The taxi driver said that he decided to cancel the trip and not pick up the drag queen because she had an aggressive and intimidating look.

There were many incidents during Pride concerning drag queens who said that they were abused or threatened. Well known drag artist Diva Mayday was one of the victims who pressed charges last year.