Homophobic abuse victim fears similar crimes are happening ‘more and more’ across London
By Will Stroude
A gay man subjected who captured a stranger’s tirade of homophobic abuse on camera over the weekend says the incident was not the first time he has been publicly targeted because of his sexuality.
Chris Withers, 28, and his boyfriend, 26, were subjected to what police described as a “shocking” tirade of homophobic abuse as they were heading home from a jazz night in Charing Cross in the early hours of Sunday morning (November 13).
While his partner asked to remain anonymous, Chris has come forward to voice his fears about what he feels is a growing trend of anti-LGBT harassment and violence in the capital.
Chris, a Lighting Designer who lives in New Cross, described the attacker as “puerile and childish,” according to the Evening Standard.
“I turned round and, rightly or wrongly, said it really wasn’t acceptable behaviour and at that point he started tailing us over the Jubilee footbridge and along the South Bank.
“I love London because it’s such a diverse city, it’s multi-cultural, it’s open and you just don’t expect that here”, he said.
“I could take the silly insults, but what upset me was when he said ‘get out of my city, disgusting people like you are not welcome here’.”
Chris said he filmed the culprit “in case things got nasty”.
Chris then went on to voice his fears over growing intolerance in the city. He said: “My boyfriend and I have both noticed discrimination happening more often, not just homophobic, racial, sexist. It’s not acceptable.
“We’ve been spat at in Vauxhall and had chips thrown at us by a group of teenagers in Waterloo.
“Normally we just brush it off and carry on but I want to encourage people to come forward, report it to the police. This guy was just a drunk idiot but these people need to be made responsible for their actions.”
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Police are still appealing for information about the man caught on camera, described as white and in his 30s.