This bisexual YouTuber and her trans girlfriend were allegedly subjected to anti-LGBT abuse by Uber driver
(Photo by neonfiona/Twitter)
A bisexual YouTube and her transgender girlfriend have said that they were abused by an Uber driver who used anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
Video creator NeonFiona took to Twitter to recount the alleged ordeal in which an Uber driver went on a “transphobic” rant.
Fiona was in the car with her trans girlfriend and mother friend.
“Hoooooly shit we just had the most openly transphobic uber driver ever i am sO UNCOMFORTABLE,” she wrote on Twitter.
The YouTuber explained that the driver was not seemingly aware that her girlfriend was trans, but reportedly launched into the tirade after a segment on a radio station.
“He didn’t even know we had A Trans™ in the car, it was just kindly prompted by the tragically racist and transphobic radio station he had on,” she said.
(Photo by neonfiona/Twitter)
Related: Gay couple allegedly kicked out of Uber for kissing
Speaking to GSN, she explained that they were going to get lunch in Seattle.
She said: “It started with just a lot of conversation (dude, chill, we’re all on our phones).
“Things got really bad when the radio station he had chosen stopped playing music… and began talking about trans people and race issues, with a LOT of damaging language such as ‘a man can live his life for fifty years as a man then suddenly say he’s a woman?! That’s crazy!’.”
Fiona, who has around 20,000 subscribers to her channel where she speaks about LGBTQ issues and other political matters, said that the radio segment then tried to argue that if it was ok to be trans, it was ok to use “blackface”.
She added: “The driver just kept trying to bring us into a conversation about it like “wow, yeah y’all agree right”. We were all just on our phones like “get us out of here”.
“My girlfriend (who is trans) was obviously crazy uncomfortable, although it was my cis friend and I kicking up the biggest fuss because unfortunately my girlfriend is just used to hearing transphobic trash.”
The group of friend immediately reported the driver following the ride.
As well as the anti-LGBT comments he was making, he did not end their trip meaning that they got overcharged.
Uber has reportedly responded to their complaints and given them a full refund with the promise to not match them to that driver again.
Fiona added that she could not understand why the driver thought it would be appropriate to have the problematic radio show playing.
“It’s just wild that anybody would even consider having something like that playing during a ride.
“Just chuck on some Top 40 hits,” she quipped.
