By Jemmy Freitas Soares
A Lesbian couple was having a fun night out in a Wetherspoons down Holloway Road. They were just behaving like a real couple should, but unfortunately, that was too much for the other guests. Even one of the staff members yelled at them to “tone it down”.
The staff got a few complaints from the guests while the two young women were drinking. When they decided to leave, another customer made sexual gestures at them. The couple told the Daily Mail: “The men started making sexual gestures and blew kisses at us and called after us, shouting ‘bye darlings’.
“I had my arm around Leoni and had given her a cuddle and a kiss when we arrived because we hadn’t seen each other all day. But it was nothing raunchy because we were in public.”
It’s a hate crime
London is a city with many different and diverse people, and everyone should feel safe. It does not matter who you are or what your sexual preference is; you still should be able to enjoy your night out as a couple.
Sadly, the LGBTQIA+ charity Stonewall has some shocking statistics. It says:
“One in five LGBTQIA+ people (21 per cent) have experienced a hate crime or incident due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the last 12 months…risen by 78 per cent from nine per cent in 2013 to 16 per cent in 2017.
“Three in 10 LGBT people (29 per cent) avoid certain streets because they do not feel safe there as an LGBT person.
“One in six LGBT people (17 per cent) who visited a café, restaurant, bar, or nightclub in the last 12 months have been discriminated against based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
“More than a third of LGBT people (36 per cent) say they don’t feel comfortable walking down the street while holding their partner’s hand. This increases to three in five gay men (58 per cent).”
Hiding affection for your partner
David Pasia, a 23-year-old student at London Metropolitan University, said: ‘’I tend not to show general public affection, including holding hands or kissing. This is because I am very hyper-aware of people looking and passing judgement on something they do not understand or want to understand. The only time I would feel comfortable enough to show PDA is when it is Pride’’.
He added: ‘’I have not been personally harassed when I have been out with my boyfriend. We probably do not tend to look like we are in a relationship when we are out in the public eye. But throughout my time in secondary school, I was made fun of a lot due to my feminine mannerisms. I guess this forms part of why I am so uncomfortable showing PDA’.’
This is just one reason why many in the LBGTQ+ community do not go out in straight pubs or bars. Because many of them cannot be themselves as a couple, as it makes them feel unsafe. You never know how much hate a person has towards you, and if they will hurt you.
This is also why the LBGTQ+ community has its own parties and Pride events. As Pasia said, this is the one time every year when people in the community can be themselves, when they can touch or kiss their partners respectfully in public.
Changing attitudes
If you read all the statistics, you can understand that hate crimes still exist, which is why we should support the community. Let’s make sure that places that allow hate crimes will be investigated, so that all of us can enjoy a drink or two no matter what sexual preferences we have.
Hate crimes often happen when it is close by, like the favourite bar/pub we are going to or the area where you live. In a big city like London gay people should not be afraid of going somewhere.
Gay bars should not be the only place where the community can feel safe. Everyone should feel welcomed and safe everywhere in London.
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