This is the moment a brave gay man confronted a ‘homophobic’ couple who spat on him
Thomas Johnson (L) was allegedly mocked, hit and then spat on at a London train station by a homophobic couple. (Screen capture vis Facebook/Metro.co.uk)
Spat on, mocked and hit by a homophobic couple on a train, a gay man bravely confronted his attackers last week in London, all captured in a shocking video.
Thomas Johnson was on his way home from a friend’s wedding when he was assaulted at Bruce Grove station, north London, on the night of October 17.
In the clip, as the 29-year-old faced up to the couple, they simply respond to his threats of police action with mocking laughter and pulling their tongues out, according to the Metro.co.uk.
Law enforcement confirmed it is investigating the alleged incident and treating it as a hate crime.
Couple allegedly knocks the glasses off gay man and spits in his face.
On his way from his best friend’s birthday at around 10pm, Johnson, who works in Cardiff, was on the phone to his dad when a couple nearby started to imitate his voice.
“He was kissing his lips at me and she was making noises,” Johnson told the online outlet.
“It was like something on a school playground when someone imitates your voice in a girly way.
“I felt like it was homophobic.
“She was saying something about sex and ‘look at you’. It all happened so fast.
“He hit me in the face and knocked my glasses off.
The two suspects in the alleged incident. (Screen capture from Facebook/Metro.co.uk)
“I picked them up and could hear the sound of the train doors. Then the girl just looked at me and spat in my face.
“The guy then spat at me too.”
“Shaking with fear,” Johnson, who was with his sister, followed his attackers to Seven Sisters station and phoned the police.
Following them onto an Overground Line train and flashing his mobile at them to record the exchange, he demanded an explanation.
“You were homophobically saying things to me […] it’s against the law,” he said in the video.
“You spat at me and now I have your DNA on my face.”
British Transport Police confirmed officers are investigating the incident as a hate crime and have asked for witnesses to come forward.
Homophobic attack left gay man ‘traumatised’ as anti-LGBT+ incidents rocket.
Moreover, Johnson said the incident left him “traumatised” and as anti-LGBT+ attacks continues to soar, according to Home Office data, he is terrified of attracting unwanted attention onto himself.
He explained: “I think hate crime has gotten worse recently. I don’t feel it is being taken seriously.
“‘I remember 10 years ago I would go to a gay club in baggy clothes and only change when I got there. I may have to start doing that again.
“Since that [London bus] attack I deliberately put more money on my Oyster card so I can get a train instead of the bus.
“We ended up missing the last train waiting for police and I got in at about 2.30am because we had to get night buses back home and walk.
“The night was just ruined. I was so upset and traumatised I decided to get a coach back to Cardiff at 4am because I just could not sleep.”
A spokeswoman for British Transport police told Metro.co.uk: “Officers received a report of a homophobic assault on a train between Bruce Grove and Seven Sisters shortly after 10pm on 17 October.
“It was reported a man and woman spat at the victim before boarding a service to Liverpool Street, where officers conducted a search of the area. No trace of the suspects were found.
“We take hate crimes extremely seriously and are making a number of enquiries into this incident.
“Any witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 576 of 17/10/19.”
Anti-LGBT+ hate crime is on the rise.
When a queer couple were attacked on a London night bus after refusing to kiss for men, left bloodied and beaten, this summer, it was an incident that has haunted the community since.
A same-sex couple who were beaten on a London bus for refusing to kiss was just one of the many examples of rising hate crime in the UK (Facebook)
It became the apex of a soaring spate of violence against LGBT+ citizens, with more than 11,500 reported hate crimes in England and Wales in 2017-18. This is a 27 percent increase on the previous year, which officials attribute to more people coming forward as victims of crime.
In London, homophobic hate crime has been on the rise since the start of the year.
There were 243 reported incidents in April 2019, the highest number since July 2018.
