Londoner stands up to homophobic bigot who compares gays to terrorists (VIDEO)
A gay Londoner has shared a video of the moment he stood up to a homophobic bigot who compared homosexuality to terrorism and used anti-gay slurs.
The video was shared by Hanif Leylabi with the Evening Standard.
The resident of London said he was leaving Canning Town tube stop after an evening out with friends, when the man, drinking from a can of lager, called him a “batty boy” just yards from his front door.
Leylabi, who says he has been the subject of homophobic abuse a number of times, said he decided to turn and confront the man, rather than walking off.
The 29-year-old tells the publication that “nobody should give themselves the right” to harass others because they are gay.
“He called me a ‘batty boy’” he tells the standard, adding: “I turned around and challenged him and he started using more homophobic language, but cruder.
“He was speaking a lot of rubbish – about gay priests, all the major religions say it is wrong, saying it was a wrong as theft is.”
He said he decided to confront the man because he now feels that those kinds of attitudes are a minority.
“For the first few minutes I didn’t know if he was going to hit me. Initially he came to square up to me, but when I didn’t walk off or cower away he fell back a bit.”
The perpetrator in the homophobic incident then backed off, after at first defending his views “as though we were having a rational conversation”, he later claimed he was “having a thought”.
“It’s the responsibility or everyone” to challenge bigoted views, said Leylabi, who says he had seen other incidents where nobody challenged the perpetrator.
“If people challenge it it gives you that confidence that nobody should have to accept or take it anymore.”
Check out the video from Leylabi below:
