A man from East London was subject to vile homophobic abuse from a group of boys after they spotted a Pride flag flying outside his flat.
Gregory Gaige, 32, from Ilford was up in his flat which overlooks Ilford station when he heard screaming and shouting from below yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, June 8).
He went outside on his balcony to inspect the commotion and received hateful comments from the boys, Greg told My London.
“They were saying things like f*** LGBT, f*** the gays and you’re f****** gay – stupid, silly stuff really,” Greg said.
It is currently Pride Month in the UK and Greg was proudly flying his rainbow flag on his balcony.
“It was a hot day and I had my doors open whilst I was working from inside my flat. I was shocked at what I heard and decided to record them.”
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He felt deeply shocked and angered by the incident.
“I should be able to sit in my home without someone shouting abuse through my balcony doors so I’m shocked and angry from it.”
Greg went to the police straight away and reported the incident as a hate crime.
“Usually people say to ignore it but if you don’t report it, then at the end of the year when the police say hate crime is going down it’s because people aren’t reporting these instances.
“If they’re shouting out f*** LGBT then that’s a hate crime so I had to report it.”
He hopes the police can find them and wants them to be named and shamed.
“That will teach them a lesson,” he said.
Greg moved to Ilford in December 2019 from Chingford and described the area as “rough”.
“The community is not as accepting here compared to Chingford. There is also a lot of crime here in this area,” he said.
“You walk down the street and see pimps, prostitutes, professional beggars and the number of muggings is ridiculous.”
He added: “I don’t ever really feel unsafe here but that’s because I don’t pay too much attention to what’s around me but if I were to do so then I would.”
