Severed pig heads dumped at Kyiv beauty salon G.Bar over its public support for LGBTQ+ people

Severed pig heads and entrails were dumped at the entrance of the G.Bar beauty salon on Lesi Ukrainky Boulevard in Kyiv, and the building’s steps were doused with blood, the salon’s management reported on Instagram. The attack took place on July 21.

G.Bar representatives said the chain’s salons in Ukraine had “been under sustained pressure for the past month because we openly support human values and every person’s right to love freely and live without fear or hatred.” As Suspilne notes, the pressure stems from the chain’s public support for LGBTQ+ people.

G.Bar said salon employees have received threats, their personal data has been posted publicly, the chain has been targeted with attacks on Google Maps, and unidentified individuals posing as customers have damaged property at its salons. In response, the chain has stepped up security at its Kyiv locations and brought in guards.

“We are not going to respond to aggression with aggression. Nor are we going to abandon our values out of fear. We simply want to live and work in a country where businesses aren’t afraid to open their doors each morning,” G.Bar added.

G.Bar said it has contacted law enforcement and documented violations after each incident. Following the most recent attack, the chain publicly appealed to the National Police of Ukraine. On the evening of July 21, Kyiv police opened a criminal case on hooliganism.

G.Bar is an international beauty salon franchise based in Ukraine. The chain has more than 71 locations in 14 countries, including countries where Ukrainian civilians and Russians opposed to the war were forced to relocate after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.