Excerpt:
To the gang who attacked me in Shoreditch; to the man outside my local pub who yelled 'queer' when I walked past with my ex-boyfriend; to the man who followed me home from the tube station, called me 'battyman' and threatened to kick my face in; to the religious fundamentalists who preach that gay people are less than human and should be killed. I would just like to say: sorry.
Sorry for walking down the wrong street, at the wrong time. Sorry for refusing to hide my love in public. Sorry for not conforming to your narrow view of masculinity. Sorry for thinking that we live in a society where your religious beliefs are not law.
Now, can we please have a proper conversation about homophobic violence? Because, quite frankly, I'm sick of it. Sick of hearing that friends have been intimidated. Sick of being told that parts of London are a 'gay-free zone'. Sick of the right-wing columnists who fan the flames of homophobia. Sick of the left-wing apologists who make excuses on the basis of culture or religion.