London: Gay couple beaten and called ‘faggots’ by teens
The Metropolitan Police are investigating an assault on a gay couple in Whitechapel, east London, involving several teenagers.
Walter Adrian, 23, and his boyfriend, who asked not to be named, were attacked outside Barclays bank on Whitechapel Road after leaving a friend’s party just before midnight on Friday 13 June.
The London Evening Standard reports seven Bangladeshi teenagers on pushbikes approached as the couple withdrew cash.
Mr Adrian, a freelance journalist from Bow, said: “We weren’t even holding hands or kissing or anything, but all the comments were based on us being gay.
“One of them said ‘fucking faggots’ so we wanted to try and leave and my partner pushed one of them but then they got physical.
“They punched him and then there were six or seven of them just going at us while we were cornered against the wall.
“They were saying, ‘this is our street, this is our area, get out of here’, just because they thought we were gay. It happens a lot round this area and East London.
“We weren’t even acting gay and that’s what’s upsetting. Whether anyone is gay or not you just can’t feel safe. You’re scared of being attacked and afraid to go out by yourself.”
Mr Adrian was left unconscious after the attack and suffered bruising to his temple and stomach.
His partner, who suffered bruising to his jaw, said: “I feel like I have to ‘gay-down’ a bit, that I should wear trousers and not skinny ones. We are not very gay, we don’t wear pink or glitter, and they still picked on us.
“We are just scared and afraid it might happen again and it just shouldn’t be like that. You get these patrols that make you feel like you’re trespassing in their area. I think it’s a clash as people are starting to move into multicultural areas.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We were called at 1.40am on June 13 to reports of an assault in Whitechapel Road. Investigations continue.”
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