Police are investigating after a video circulated on social media showing a woman wearing a niqab hurling homophobic abuse at a man wearing a rainbow flag at Waltham Forest Pride in the Walthamstow borough of northeast London over the weekend.
In the clip, a security person is seen protecting the man, as the woman verbally assaults him, yelling “God created Adam and Eve – not Adam and Steve. Shame on all of you, despicable people.”
The Waltham Forest Police released a statement: “We are aware of footage circulating on social media of abuse directed at those taking part in the Waltham Forest #Pride event #wearewalthamforestpride and enquiries are underway. Abusing someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity is a hate crime. If you have been verbally or physically abused, harassed or attacked in any way by someone because you are or they think you are LGBT+ please report these crimes to police or through a third party agency.”
Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy tweeted: “Gutted to see this and clear such hatred isn’t acceptable anywhere let alone in our home town- proud that many from all faiths and none today including Islam joined the Waltham Forest Pride march to show Walthamstow really does mean welcome #loveislove”.
