Two gay men in London have been left shaken after they were the victims of verbal abuse on public transport on two consecutive nights.
Chris Chapman and his partner Jonathan Carter said they were left “shaken and upset” after they were attacked on London transport last Thursday and Friday.
Chapman said that he and Carter were branded “disgusting” last Friday night as they shared a kiss on a Tube train. They allege that they were told “people do not want to see that here” and that they should get off the train if they wanted to have physical contact.
Gay couple subjected to vile homophobic attacks on consecutive nights say 'it just doesn't make sense' https://t.co/WPtWPQDaHm
— Evening Standard (@standardnews) December 17, 2016
The Evening Standard reports:
The pair said they were left “shaken and upset” as the thugs left the train at North Greenwich.
However, as they comforted each other in the street, the couple were subjected to further abuse as a woman walked past and said: “Go and get a room, [that’s] disgusting.”
The horrific incident came just a day after the couple suffered abuse on a DLR train travelling between Bank and Woolwich Arsenal.
Cllr Chapman explained how they were threatened with a “torrent of homophobic slurs” from two young women.
He said: “We became aware that two girls were discussing the fact that I had my arm around him.
“One expressed disgust for this whilst the other pointed out that living in London she was used to ‘having to see it’.”
As the women left the train at Westferry they were said to have laughed and hurled more abuse at the couple.
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Chapman added:
“As we approached holding hands we heard a group of rowdy men ahead of us. We both flinched and hesitated before letting go of one another’s hand. It dawned on us that the abuse we had suffered has altered the way in which we behave, the way in which two people demonstrate their love for one another. Of all the elements of the two nights, this was the one that hurt us the most. Neither of us were at fault but knowing the other was feeling the same way, we couldn’t help but say sorry. This is not to be interpreted as being apologists for the fact that we are gay, but rather an expression of real sorrow that being gay is still something that elicits such hatred.”
Both incidents have been reported to the Metropolitan Police and the British Transport Police and are under investigation.
(Image via Twitter)
