LGBTQ activist told to ‘stay in closet’ by homophobe on a Manhattan subway
Adam Eli recorded the abuser and posted the video to Twitter
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
A gay, Jewish man was subjected to racist and homophobic abuse after the attacker told him to ‘stay in the closet’.
Adam Eli took to Twitter to post a video of the man hurling homophobic abuse towards him while he left a Manhattan subway.
In the video, the man tells him to take off his pink kippah to which Eli asked: “Why? Because I’m gay and wearing a kippah… is that why?”
The man then calls him a ‘Chillul Hashem’ – a Hebrew term for a Jewish person who desecrates the name of God by acting immorally in public.
The homophobe continued: “Any man that lays with another man is an abomination. You’ll be murdered for it. Take the kippah off.”
THREAD: Trigger Warning: violent speech, harassment. I got harassed, followed and threatened on the street today. Someone was upset that I was wearing a pink kippah, carrying a purse and had a pride patch sewn onto my jeans. I am sharing the encounter for three reasons. pic.twitter.com/Y9HWiX2nSs
— Adam Eli (@aewerner) September 9, 2019
Eli – who was wearing jeans with a pride patch sewn on – stood his ground and is heard saying: “No! This is my life and my city, I don’t have to take my kippah off.”
The man then follows him out of the subway and shouts: “Stay in the closet! Make sure your closet is in another closet!”
While posting the video onto Twitter, Eli wrote: “To my fellow cis white gays who generally ‘pass’ for being hetro in public: this is whats out there.
After being harassed yesterday I feel more proud and more committed to be openly queer and Jewish than ever pic.twitter.com/eNxXuuyPEo
— Adam Eli (@aewerner) September 9, 2019
“Most of the time we can get on the subway, go for a run or go on a date in peace. That does not mean our struggle for queer liberation is over.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio shared the video and tweeted: “It takes courage to confront homophobia and tell a story like this.
“I’m sorry you had to go through this, Adam. But we’re proud of how you responded.
“There’s no place for hate in this city.”
It takes courage to confront homophobia and tell a story like this.
I’m sorry you had to go through this, Adam. But we’re proud of how you responded.
There’s no place for hate in this city. https://t.co/9SqgfRQhJd
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) September 10, 2019