The Catch-up: Gay couple beaten up on bus after refusing to kiss
What happened?
Four arrests have been made after a woman and her girlfriend were attacked on a London bus after refusing to kiss. Melania Geymonat, 28, and her girlfriend Chris were travelling home from a night out. A group of young men began harassing them when they discovered they were a couple, asking them to kiss while making sexual gestures. The gang threw money at the couple before punching them, leaving them covered in blood. Both women were taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries.
‘I was bleeding all over my clothes’
Melania, a doctor from Uruguay who now lives in Essex, said: “They wanted us to kiss so they could watch us. The next thing I remember was Chris in the middle of them and they were beating her. I didn't think about it and went in. I was pulling her back and trying to defend her so they started beating me up. I felt blood, I was bleeding all over my clothes and all over the floor.”
‘Hate crimes will not be tolerated’
The reaction has been one of outrage, with the attack a stark reminder that LGBT people are still at risk from violent assaults. A raft of people have condemned the attack. Jeremy Corbyn called it “absolutely shocking”. He said: “We must not, and will not, accept this homophobic and misogynist violence in our society."
David Isaac, Equality and Human Rights Commission chairman, said: “These two young women – or anyone else for that matter – should never be subjected to physical attacks for being true to themselves in public."
Read more:
Homophobic violence ‘more common than people realise’ (The Independent)
Survey finds 70% of LGBT people sexually harassed at work (The Guardian)
‘This bloody violence is just a glimpse of British homophobia’ (The Independent)
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