Gay couple says they were beaten up after refusing to kiss for onlookers

Kerry Justich
·Health and Wellness Staff Writer
Updated

A woman and her girlfriend say that they were the subjects of a homophobic attack in London after they refused to kiss for a group of men egging them on while riding the bus.

According to a Facebook post by Melania Geymonat, she and her girlfriend, identified only as Chris, were on a 2:30 a.m. bus returning back to Chris’s house after a date on May 30 when they were approached by four men who demanded that the women kiss in front of them.

“They started behaving like hooligans, demanding that we kissed so they could enjoy watching, calling us ‘lesbians’ and describing sexual positions,” the post read. “I don’t remember the whole episode, but the word ‘scissors’ stuck in my mind. It was only them and us there. In an attempt to calm things down, I started making jokes. I thought this might make them go away.”

The couple used other tactics to avoid kissing and even claimed that Chris was sick. However, the men allegedly continued to harass the women and even throw coins at them, until Chris was eventually standing in the middle of the bus and fighting with the men.

“I went over there only to find her face bleeding and three of them beating her up. The next thing I know is I'm being punched,” Geymonat wrote. “I got dizzy at the sight of my blood and fell back. I don’t remember whether or not I lost consciousness. Suddenly the bus had stopped, the police were there and I was bleeding all over.”

London Metropolitan Police released a press release on Friday, asking for witnesses and more information on the attack.

“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,” the statement reads. “Both women were taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries.”

In the days since Geymonat wrote about the incident on Wednesday, her post has received thousands of reactions — most of which are in support of the women and their journey to find justice.

“I am so sorry to hear that this happened to you and shocked, appalled and greatly saddened that this is [the] type of horrible violence happens in the world,” one person wrote. Another said, “It is completely unacceptable and incredibly sad that you had to experience this in Camden Town of all places in Pride month.”

Others have taken to Twitter to share their views on the display of homophobia.

Geymonat expressed her own disappointment about the violence that she and the LGBTQ community continues to face, saying that it has “become a common thing.”

“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 because when you stand up for yourself shit like this happens,” she wrote. “I just hope that in June, Pride Month, stuff like this can be spoken out loudly so they STOP HAPPENING!”

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