Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts says a claim that Surrey residents are heading to Vancouver’s West End gay village to stir up trouble was “reckless.”

Speaking to Vancouver radio Tuesday morning in the wake of a weekend attack on Surrey native Jordan Smith on Davie Street, West End Business Improvement Association executive director Lyn Hellyar said:

“I know there’s a lot of people coming from the Surrey area to the West End and they’re not particularly friendly towards the gay population but it’s mostly, I would say, that they’re ignorant, they don’t understand it.”

Watts was furious.

“I think it just clearly shows a level of ignorance,” she told The Leader. “And I’m quite surprised that (Hellyar) would make reckless comments like that, knowing full well that the individual that was arrested was from Vancouver.”

“Here’s one of our residents being beaten up by Vancouver people,” Watts added.

One Vancouver gay activist said it was “ridiculous” to single out Surrey over other municipalities.

However, John Boychuk, president of the Vancouver Pride Society, said anecdotal evidence from police and West End residents he’s spoken with suggests there has been a rise in the number of gay-bashing incidents involving South Asians in the West End, and some are from Surrey.

Local gay activist Amar Sangha, who grew up in Surrey, said polls show many Indo-Canadians have difficulty accepting homosexuals, but that doesn’t make them more likely to pick fights with them.

“Just because the four men involved in this incident were Indo-Canadian doesn’t mean all Indo-Canadians are homophobes,” Sangha said.

Sangha said it’s unfair to “scapegoat” his hometown when people from other suburban centres are also going to the West End to pick fights.

Jennifer Breakspear, executive director of The Centre (for gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered people) in Vancouver, said there simply isn’t enough reporting of gay-bashing incidents to accurately say where the offenders originate from.

“This happens a lot more than any one of us want to admit” Breakspear said.

What makes the Jordan Smith case unique is that it was reported, Breakspear said.

At 5 a.m. Saturday, Smith, 27, and a male friend were walking in the 900 block of Davie Street holding hands when they were approached by a group of four men.

Smith said the quartet screamed obscenities and derogatory remarks and then one punched him, knocking him to the ground.

“All I remember was seeing a light at the side of my face,” Smith told CTV News. “The guy sucker-punched me in the jaw, cracked it in three places.”

Passers-by said they were calling the police and the group fled the scene.

The assailant was arrested a few blocks away in the 100 block of Hornby Street.

Michael Kandola, 20, of Vancouver, has been charged with assault and Vancouver Police are recommending a charge of aggravated assault.

Kandola was released from custody Saturday evening.

Smith was scheduled to undergo surgery Monday to have his broken jaw wired shut.

“It is a repulsive crime when people are attacked because of their colour, religion, or sexual preference,” VPD Const. Tim Fanning said in a news release.

“We hope anyone caught committing such a crime is reported to us immediately, so they can be caught, brought before the courts and punished appropriately. It is a crime committed out of ignorance and will never be tolerated.”

Hate crime charges can be recommended by police and Crown prosecutors, but ultimately the decision is left to the sentencing judge if he or she feels the evidence supports it.

In the meantime, Smith is warning other gay people to be vigilant.

“I would say watch what you do,” he told CTV News. “It’s not safe right now.”

- with files from Dan Ferguson and Kevin Diakiw

rstarr@surreyleader.com