Last week, two male radio presenters in Luton conducted an experiment to see what reaction they would get while holding hands around the town.
BBC Three Counties DJ Iain Lee hit upon the idea after someone called his show to share his experience of homophobic abuse while holding his boyfriend’s hand. Shocked by his story, Lee, along with his colleague Justin Dealey, decided to walk around Luton, where their office is based, holding hands to see what kind of reaction they would get.
The resulting video shows the presenters discussing the varying reactions they got, from people staring to one father allegedly pulling his daughter out of their way. At one point, they confront a teenager who appeared to ridicule them as they passed.
In a comment piece for the Independent, Lee wrote:
A number of people have also responded by calling me brave for doing it. Brave? All I did was hold a fella’s hand.
It’s pretty nuts that two people can’t walk down the street holding hands for fear of reprisals. How do we stop it? I haven’t got a clue. Having argued with homophobes on and off air, there’s very little chance of the majority of them changing their minds. But, if we see someone being abused, in whatever form, isn’t it our duty to at least say something?
For many in the LGBT community, this is a daily occurrence, with stares and verbal abuse sometimes turning into something more physical and serious. We would like to hear from those of you who have experienced homophobic abuse – how did it start? Where did you experience it? And how did it make you feel?
We’d also like to know if you think this is a situation which is improving – or is it getting worse?
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