Peter Dinklage Wins Golden Globe, Spotlights Crime
"Game of Thrones" actor Peter Dinklage has shed light on violence against dwarfs during his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes on Sunday.
The 39th Annual Golden Globes saw Dinklage receive Best Supporting Actor for his role on HBO's fantasy series. The actor, also a dwarf, took the stage and mentioned the name of Martin Henderson, urging audience members to "Google him."
Henderson is a 37-year-old dwarf and aspiring actor from the U.K. who fell victim to "dwarf-tossing" after being picked up and thrown to the ground by members of England's national rugby team.
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The incident was part of a then-popular "dwarf-tossing" event that took place Oct. 7 outside of a pub in southwest England, where Henderson suffered severe injuries. Henderson is still facing mobility problems, and is forced to use a wheelchair. Police have not identified the attacker.
"Dwarf-tossing" is a bar contest where a little person wears padding or a suit of Velcro and is thrown against mattresses or a Velcro-covered wall, with the winner being who ever can throw the person the farthest. The stunt was popular in the U.S. during the 80s, but in New York and Florida it has been illegal since 1989. It has not been outlawed in other states, though.
Following Sunday's Golden Globes ceremony, many people sought the story behind Dinklage's reference and read the heartbreaking news, and "Martin Henderson" became a trending topic on Twitter following the awards show.
Speaking to BBC, Henderson revealed that not only does he have a form of dwarfism, but he suffers from a spinal condition called spinal stenosis.
Referring to the New Zealand bar that features a dwarf-throwing contest, Henderson said of his attack: "With the rugby [bar] the dwarf-throwing… the guy might have thought, 'Let's try it out on him.'"
