Homophobic verbal assault in Vancouver caught on video; advocates call for more action
Posted February 1, 2023 3:28 pm.
Last Updated February 1, 2023 4:24 pm.
A 2SLGBTQ+ advocate says a recent homophobic verbal tirade at a Vancouver SkyTrain station is just another indicator that more work is needed to ensure community members are safe and welcome in the city.
A video capturing the confrontation at Burrard Station was posted to social media this week. It has since gone viral and also prompted an investigation by police.
In the footage, the poster, Jamie, shares that they and their boyfriend were confronted by a man while on transit.
“This guy followed my boyfriend and I on the SkyTrain for the entire journey, just standing over us,” Jamie says in the video, noting the man “was staring at us the entire way.”
“He chased us down the platform, up the escalator, up to the bus.”
Once outside, the video captures the confrontation heating up.
“That’s not f***ing normal,” the man starts yelling at the couple. Using homophobic slurs, he is then heard telling the pair to “get the f**** out of Canada.”
“This is the person I love, this is my boyfriend,” Jamie can be heard saying, adding they weren’t touching each other, as the man claimed.
2SLGBTQ+ advocate calls for increased safety for all on transit
This is a situation Anoop Gill, co-executive director of program and services at Qmunity, says is unfortunately not anything new for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
“Hearing the story on our social media has reminded us that there’s still so much work that needs to be done by the city to ensure that public safety includes our 2SLGBTQAI+ community,” Gill said.
“You know, the city is beautiful in times of Pride season. We come together to celebrate different identities, different intersectionalities. But what happens to the remaining months of the year?”
Gill tells CityNews while there have been plenty of examples of “hate speech and verbal violence” levelled at members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, she’s also noticed more reports of physical violence.
“And that, to me, is so difficult to hear coming into our organization, because I often don’t have too many measures for support. We have, you know, a counseling program at Qmunity, we offer peer support, but we really do need to leverage the city’s power and infrastructure to be able to create safety, especially on transit,” she explained.
Gill worries that comments targeting 2SLGBTQ+ people are starting to “materialize in our city” more often.
“I think it is all of our responsibility to ensure that every Vancouverite is safe.”
The Vancouver Pride Society says it too has noticed a “steady increase in this hateful rhetoric against our community for a long time.”
“This was a painful video to watch. Vancouver Pride stands vehemently against these human rights violations, and stands firmly against all actions that embolden this behaviour,” it says in an email to CityNews.
“It is as vital as ever for our 2SLGBTQAI+ allies to show up for our basic human rights. This is why we march, this is why we risk our lives for each other. There is still so much work to be done and we all deserve better than this. We must all reprehend these violent acts, and this courageous and beautiful couple deserves justice.”
The Vancouver Police Department has confirmed to CityNews that “it is aware of the incident” and is investigating. However, it did not provide details.
In an updated video posted Wednesday, Jamie thanked the community for its support.
“It means the world. Everyone has been so welcoming. The community here in Vancouver, it’s beautiful. It really just goes to show that this guy is the one that’s out of place and what we have here is just love. Thank you to everybody, it honestly means the world,” Jamie adds.
Meanwhile, Premier David Eby also took some time to address the incident.
“Jamie, I’m sorry this happened to you and your boyfriend. This is disgusting behaviour,” he wrote in a tweet Wednesday.
“If two people in love makes someone this angry – they’re the problem, not you. We must always stand up against racism, homophobia and all other forms of hate.”
-With files from Greg Bowman
