Gaudet

You saw me covered in blood on a bus. But do you get outraged about all homophobia? The photo of me and my date went viral after our attack – but only as we’re white, feminine and cisgender. Sympathy and action must be for all Homophobic and transphobic hate crimes surge in England and Wales On 7 June, characters from distant chapters of my life decided that my sudden trajectory into the headlines was an opportune time to reintroduce themselves, sending a torrent of misguided good vibes alongside the picture, asking had I seen it. Had I seen it? Had I seen it? Of course I had, as soon as it was taken. I was weeping bitterly, head ringing in pain as I sat next to my lovely date, Dr Melania Geymonat, who was calmer than I but dripping blood down her shirt front. We photographed the trail of our blood down the bus, ending at our still-bleeding faces as we awaited the police. I watched in real time as our faces – white, feminine, draped in pretty hair – circulated on every continent. Melania protected my name and information because I am a private individual without an online presence. I guffawed the first time I read the not-quite-accurate, titillating headline: “Lesbians beaten for refusing to kiss.” For starters, I’m bisexual, but that’s besides the point. My memories of the fight are addled by adrenaline. Maddeningly, I don’t remember exactly how it started. My persisting anger is directed not towards the idiots on the bus but the reduction of my battered face to cheap clickbait. For several days, a graphic, triggering photo of our bloody faces satisfied voyeurs and enriched companies whose values counter my own, such as News Corps and Sinclair Broadcast Group. Many of the outlets publishing my face without permission endorse racist, misogynist and xenophobic platforms and politicians. One world leader on her last day in office concluded a long career voting in favour of anti-gay, racist, colonial policies by expressing her condolences to us. We were Instagrammed by celebrities, vacuously retweeted by politicians, itemised on a BuzzFeed listicle. Despite so much inane coverage, Melania energetically leveraged her platform to highlight the misogyny embedded in the violence and today’s hate crime rates. She has inspired queers everywhere to share their own stories of abuse. A refrain I’ve heard ad nauseum is “I can’t believe this happened – it’s 2019”. I disagree. This attack and the ensuing media circus are par for the course in 2019. In both my native United States and here in the United Kingdom, it always has been and still is open season on the bodies of (in no specific order) people of colour, indigenous people, transgender people, disabled people, queer people, poor people, women and migrants. I have evaded much of the violence and oppression imposed on so many others by our capitalist, white supremacist, patriarchal system because of the privileges I enjoy by dint of my race, health, education, and conventional gender presentation. That has nothing to do with the merit of my character. The press coverage, and timely law enforcement response, was not coincidental to our complexions. Neither was the disproportionate online reaction over the victimisation of a pretty brunette and blonde. The commodification and exploitation of my face came at the expense of other victims whose constant persecution apparently does not warrant similar moral outrage. Make the extraordinary reaction to our attack the norm. I beg you to amplify and channel this energy to hold accountable the intersecting web of elected politicians, government agencies and corporations who have reinforced a status quo of clearly delineated inequality long before this single attack in 2019. Redirect your money from rainbow capitalism to people-of-colour-led organisations striving for justice. I donated to the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Trans Women of Color Collective and Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. Question why the photo of two attractive, white cisgender women compelled you to post about Pride for the first time. Learn the names and stories of Muhlaysia Booker, Dana Martin, Chanel Scurlock. Elevate those who have been advocating for the basic rights and safety of communities marginalised by our existing political, economic and social structures long before I got punched in the face. Finding the right leaders takes some research and real-world activity. Their frequent absence from today’s headlines is not coincidental to their crusades. Stand up for yourselves and each other, and fight back. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/14/homophobic-attack-bus-outrage-media-white

EXACTLY! Something that homophobic misogynistic people will never want to understand.

Thank you @VogueMusic

Agree. If only he could stomach to devour the rat in leadership there...

I am glad too, needs to be seen and shame them. On the subject of Pride: some people are advocating the event not to be appropriated by straight people. In the face of all adversity, staggering rise of homophobic crimes, murders against the LGBT community, maybe that is not such a bad idea at this point...

Apparently they have arrested five shitheads over this horrible ordeal, not that is gonna change anything because they will be out in no time to do it all over again and worse.... London bus attack: Fifth arrest after gay couple who refused to kiss beaten https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48566800 5 arrested in London after attack on gay couple who says they were told to kiss https://abcnews.go.com/International/teenage-boys-arrested-london-alleged-attack-gay-women/story?id=63558641

Gay couple beaten up for refusing to kiss for men’s entertainment Friday 7 Jun 2019 7:36 am This horrifying picture* shows a flight attendant and her girlfriend covered in blood after a gang of men attacked them when they refused to kiss for them. The apparently homophobic attack happened on a London bus as the couple returned home from an evening out last month. Ryanair worker Melania Geymonat, 28, from Uruguay, was left with a suspected broken nose while girlfriend Chris, from the US, was also beaten up. Melania, who lives in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, said they were sat at the front on the top deck because they enjoyed the novelty of the double decker bus. However, during the journey she claims a gang of young men behind them saw they were a couple and started to demand they kiss while making crude sexual gestures. Melania said: ‘They wanted us to kiss so they could watch us. I tried to defuse the situation as I’m not a confrontational person, telling them to please leave us alone as Chris wasn’t feeling well.’ The men, who were in their 20s or 30s, began throwing things and the couple told them to stop during the attack on Thursday May 30. Melania added: ‘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 don’t even know if I was knocked unconscious. I felt blood, I was bleeding all over my clothes and all over the floor. ‘We went downstairs and the police were there.’ Melania said there were at least four of them and one spoke Spanish while the others had a British accent. The attackers also robbed the couple before fleeing the bus. Melania, who moved to the UK in February and is on a year’s sabbatical from her medical studies, says she felt safe as a gay woman in London and was stunned by the attack. She released the picture to raise awareness of violence against women and gay people. She is still waiting to find out if her nose was broken in the attack, which happened following a night out in Camden, north London. Melania said: ‘We were seen as entertainment, that’s what makes me so angry.’ She added: ‘What upsets me the most is that violence has become a common thing, that sometimes it’s necessary to see a woman bleeding after having been punched to feel some kind of impact. ‘I’m tired of being taken as a sexual object, of finding out that these situations are usual, of gay friends who were beaten up just because. ‘We have to endure verbal harassment and chauvinist, misogynistic and homophobic violence.’ Campaign group Stonewall pointed out that homophobic attacks were on the rise. They said that 16% of lesbian, gay and bisexual people had experienced a hate crime or incident in 2016. That compared to 9% in 2013 – a rise of 78%. Director of Campaigns, Policy and Research at Stonewall, Laura Russell, said: ‘This attack is an upsetting reminder of how much we still have to do for LGBT equality. ‘It’s tempting to think that in 2019, we are safe from attacks like these, and indeed we all should be. ‘But sadly, this isn’t the reality.’ They said government research showed two-thirds of LGBT people avoided holding hands with their partner for fear of attack. They added that everyone needed to support the LGBT community. Ms Russell added: ‘We need people who believe in equality to take action and to come out for LGBT people. ‘If you want a society where everyone feels safe, do something about it today and support LGBT charities, communities and your LGBT friends and family.’ The Metropolitan Police confirmed they had started an investigation into the homophobic attack against Melania and Chris. A spokesperson said: ‘Police are appealing for witnesses and information after two women were assaulted and robbed in a homophobic attack on a bus in Camden. ‘The incident happened at approximately 02:30hrs on Thursday, 30 May after the two women, both aged in their 20s, boarded a N31 bus in West Hampstead. ‘As they sat on the top deck they were approached by a group of four males who began to make lewd and homophobic comments to them. ‘The women were then attacked and punched several times before the males ran off the bus. A phone and bag were stolen during the assault. ‘Both women were taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries.’ Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information is asked to contact police on 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD737/30May. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111. Transport for London (TfL) said ‘this sickening attack is utterly unacceptable.’ Siwan Hayward, Director of Compliance, Policing and On-Street Services at TfL, said: ‘Homophobic behaviour and abuse is a hate crime and won’t be tolerated on our network. ‘All of our customers have the right to travel without fear of verbal or physical assault and we are working with the police to stamp out this behaviour on our transport network. ‘We will do all we can to support the police investigation of this incident.’ ------------------------------------------------------------------- Campaign group Stonewall pointed out that homophobic attacks were on the rise. They said that 16% of lesbian, gay and bisexual people had experienced a hate crime or incident in 2016. That compared to 9% in 2013 – a rise of 78%. Director of Campaigns, Policy and Research at Stonewall, Laura Russell, said: ‘This attack is an upsetting reminder of how much we still have to do for LGBT equality. ‘It’s tempting to think that in 2019, we are safe from attacks like these, and indeed we all should be. ‘But sadly, this isn’t the reality.’ They said government research showed two-thirds of LGBT people avoided holding hands with their partner for fear of attack. They added that everyone needed to support the LGBT community. Ms Russell added: ‘We need people who believe in equality to take action and to come out for LGBT people. ‘If you want a society where everyone feels safe, do something about it today and support LGBT charities, communities and your LGBT friends and family.’ The Metropolitan Police confirmed they had started an investigation into the homophobic attack against Melania and Chris. A spokesperson said: ‘Police are appealing for witnesses and information after two women were assaulted and robbed in a homophobic attack on a bus in Camden. ‘The incident happened at approximately 02:30hrs on Thursday, 30 May after the two women, both aged in their 20s, boarded a N31 bus in West Hampstead. ‘As they sat on the top deck they were approached by a group of four males who began to make lewd and homophobic comments to them. ‘The women were then attacked and punched several times before the males ran off the bus. A phone and bag were stolen during the assault. ‘Both women were taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries.’ Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has information is asked to contact police on 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD737/30May. Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111. Transport for London (TfL) said ‘this sickening attack is utterly unacceptable.’ Siwan Hayward, Director of Compliance, Policing and On-Street Services at TfL, said: ‘Homophobic behaviour and abuse is a hate crime and won’t be tolerated on our network. ‘All of our customers have the right to travel without fear of verbal or physical assault and we are working with the police to stamp out this behaviour on our transport network. ‘We will do all we can to support the police investigation of this incident.’ Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/07/gay-couple-beaten-refusing-kiss-mens-entertainment-9854367/?ito=article.desktop.share.top.twitter?ito=cbshare Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/ *have omitted the pic on the post as it may be shocking to some, however full link to article reveals the gory details... Link: https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/07/gay-couple-beaten-refusing-kiss-mens-entertainment-9854367/?ito=article.desktop.share.top.twitter ========================================== Wonderful society we live in, huh? And some assholes have the misogynistic audacity to lash out at women for calling out the patriarchy, for calling out certain men over the abuse they perpetrate against women. It is even an insult to men themselves to call waste of oxygen who beat women as "men". Real men don't abuse women. The weakest cowards of this world do that. Useless waste of space, oxygen and all. These kind of stories infuriate the fuck out of me. And the fact that the abuse has been perpetrated against a gay couple makes my blood boil even more. The Met Police will not find those four bastards. Even if they were to find them and shut them out of society for a while, the while time would be so limited and useless that once out they would do it all over again, if not do something even worse than the absolute awfulness they have already done against the two ladies. Yeah, four on two, how charmingly fucking brave of them. How proud their parents must be.

Unfortunately it is true, it has been over the past decade, and particularly over the last 3 years.

I am very sorry. Very sad. I feel powerless. There are a lot of humans who consider animals being inferior to them, which is the reason why animals go extinct, why animals are abused, why animals are exploited in every sense of the world in order to fulfill humans' gain.

It's a scandal, denying the right to vote to people who have every right to vote in local and European elections. May will be missed by very few morons people, in the end the country is rotting away with one PM worst than the previous one at each resigning, it's been like that for the past 10+ years - Raab, Gove, Leadson, Bozo Johnson... gosh what a cocktail of absolute degenerate bastards possible successors... YUK

Yeah. Fuck her and her Tories scums, and I am throwing useless Labors too in the mix - they denied our very right to vote, CUNTS: Britain under Bozo's power will be even more laughable than Evil Theresa, a scary laughter, really throwing the country down the gutter.

As it emerges, thousand of people were denied the right to vote yesterday on the European elections, half as much as others did not receive their ballot paper to vote. People I am referring to are continental Europe citizens who pay their taxes living, working in the UK. Charming democratic island.

I am really sorry Jan, as I said to you earlier, I fully understand the feeling big time! Fuck me if I know! And polls are always wrong, ALWAYS - as we have seen in recent years they cannot ever EVER be trusted.