Gay man faces homelessness after teenage thugs who spat and hurled homophobic slurs at him every time he left the house
Peter McCluskey says his kitchen window was smashed by the homophobic thugs (Gofundme)
A gay man faces homelessness after being forced to flee his home when a group of 20 youths targeted him with homophobic abuse every time he left the house.
Peter McCluskey, 25, says he was driven from his home in Rutherglen, Scotland by a gang of teenage thugs who routinely harassed him because of his sexuality.
Describing the alleged abuse, McCluskey said he was intimidated and spat on, and faced homophobic slurs including “gay boy” and “poofter” several times a day.
“I tried to not let them get to me but the situation made me super anxious,” he told the Daily Record. “Any noise I heard made me jump. They were constant and intimidating.
“Anytime I left my house to go for shopping or to walk my dog Mika they would be there. The only way out was to walk past them. They hurled homophobic slurs at me constantly and would spit in my direction.”
The final straw came on on August 28 when he was physically assaulted and had his kitchen window smashed.
“I was standing at my window on my phone when they walked past and hit me in the face with a lighter,” McCluskey said.
“I immediately phoned the police to report it. Whilst I was on the phone to them I heard a loud noise. They had smashed my kitchen window. One of them threw a traffic cone at it and cracked right in the centre.”
McCluskey called the police but was told there was nothing they could do as there were no witnesses or CCTV footage of the incident. After carrying out enquiries, officers came to the conclusion that there was “no evidence of criminality”.
McCluskey was homeless before moving into the South Lanarkshire Council property, but at this point he realised had no choice but to risk becoming homeless again.
“I knew I couldn’t stay there any longer. I’m an easy target for them and I don’t know what they’ll do next. Now they know I’ve went to the police they will call me a grass. It was only going to get worse,” he said.
With nowhere else to go, he was forced to move in with his mother 200 miles away in northern Scotland, but he knows he can’t stay permanently. He’s now set up a fundraising page to help him find a safe home for him and his dog.
McCluskey’s Jack Russell, Mika (Gofundme)
“In order for me to avoid becoming homeless for the second time at 25, I need to somehow get together the money to fund a move into a private let or a mid market rent,” he explained.
“I’m on the brink of having my life ruined again because of my sexuality. I just need a safe roof over my head for Mika and myself.”️️
