Jamie was attacked after attending an LGBTI event in London | Photo: Supplied
A YouTube star assaulted in a suspected homophobic attack after leaving an ’empowering’ LGBTI event said people must report hate crimes to police.
London-based Jamie, was on a high after leaving an LGBTI Founders’ Day event hosted by Gay Star News on Monday (24 September). But before the YouTube star went home he decided to meet his housemate for at the G-A-Y bar in Soho.
‘I stayed there for a couple of drinks, because just over three weeks ago I got mugged so I vowed not to get drunk if I was going to be outside because I didn’t feel safe,’ Jamie told Gay Star News.
‘When I left I knew I was within my right mind.’
Jamie, 24, and his housemate started walking home at about 11:30pm. They entered a wide alleway near the other G-A-Y venue, Heaven. In that alleway a man with his hoodie pulled up and wearing a baseball cap veered into the direction of the men.
Without saying a word the man allegedly attacked Jamie by kicking his legs in a move clearly intended to ‘bowl me over’.
‘There were no words exchanged, he didn’t hurl any abuse,’ Jamie said.
‘He curled his leg across my legs. His leg came around mine, he cuffed my left leg and tried to pull it out from underneath me.
‘Had I been drunk it would’ve wiped me out.’
Homophobic attack
Jamie can’t say definitely that man attacked him because of homophobia. But the numbers add up.
‘I was walking towards Heaven and i was dressed quite “elegantly” and I’m not the most straight acting person, I’m quite camp, I gesticulate a lot when I talk and I’m quite effeminate in my voice,’ Jamie said.
‘It seemed he was just walking past us but then heard us talking and then he deliberately started walking towards me. It’s alleyway is quite wide and we were up by the wall, it didn’t seem like he randomly kicked someone.’
The homophobic attack disappointed Jamie. But he also saw the irony of an attack happening after attending a positive LGBTI event.
Just got assaulted on my way home from an LGBTQ+ event… the irony ✌🏻
— JamieTLD ⚡️ (@JamieTLD) September 24, 2018
Gay Star News hosted the Founders’ Day event Jamie had attended earlier that night celebrated older LGBTI leaders. It featured an emotional keynote address from The Great British Bake Off host, Sandi Toksvig.
‘I’m just a little disappointed (about the attack), and the irony is I’d just come from the event that was all about activism and standing up and expressing our LGBTI rights,’ he said.
Report hate crimes
Jamie hadn’t planned on reporting the assault to police because he only had some bruising on his legs. But the Founders’ Day event inspired him.
‘I felt so good and empowered after the event,’ he said.
‘That’s why I called it in, I’m not standing for this shit anymore.
‘This has made me feel there is so much to more that needs to be done if we are to live our normal lives.’
‘We need to take a stand and fight for it.’
The police said it might be hard to track down his alleged attacker because of the hoodie and baseball cap. But Jamie has learnt the importance of reporting all hate crimes.
‘If it happens to anyone else no matter how big or small, you have to report it whether the police can help or not,’ Jamie said.
‘It’ll go on record as a crime against LGBTI people, which be recorded on statistics to measure hate crimes, which if they have accurate numbers means anti-violence charities will get more funding.’
