When walking back with a group from a big WorldPride party at 3am after it had just finished, I saw a car come speeding past with the windows down. The driver yelled the f slur at us and honked his horn. In the moment I thought nothing of it because it’s happened to me before, until I spoke to others and realised I wasn’t the only one who experienced some form of homophobic harassment on one of the biggest nights of celebration for queer people.
For queer people, pride month (and this year, WorldPride) means so much. It’s a celebration of the protest efforts so many queers have made before us, and a continuation of their fight for freedom to love and express yourself.
Unfortunately, moments of light, family, and queer joy can be stripped away in an instant when an individual decides to bring their homophobic opinions forward.
I spoke to two individuals who experienced some form of harassment on the night (as many others did) to hear their stories. Hopefully, they can serve as a reminder that even on the most beautiful of days for queer people, hatred can rear its ugly head. The fight is not yet over.
Dom Thattil was with his partner Ben McMahon
