'Not Adam and Steve': UK Police investigating homophobic attack on Pride

A woman veiled in a niqab caused outrage across the UK after she spewed homophobic abuse at Pride-goers in London.

2 min read

28 July, 2019

The attack went viral on Twitter [Twitter/@YusufJP]

British police are looking for a woman spewing homophobic slurs at a Pride march in London.

The woman, dressed in a black veil, was filmed shouting abuse at a participant at the Waltham Forest Pride march on Sunday.

"Shame on you, you despicable people", she was caught repeatedly screaming at the participants of the march.

She was captured targeting a person draped in an LGBTQ+ flag as she pursued with her discriminatory rant, with a man in a yellow vest in between them shielding the pride marcher.

"God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve", she continued in her spur of abuse.

The homophobic attack was filmed and uploaded on Twitter by a witness, which prompted many to alert the police.

"Disgusting homophobic abuse at those on Waltham Forest Pride today." Yusuf Patel wrote in the tweet he used to upload the video evidence.

"No matter what form hate comes in, we must stamp it out and say no to all forms of hate! Also, very importantly we cannot call out one form of hate but be silent/complicit on others", he added.

Twitter Post

National outcry

The Metropolitan Police in a statement confirmed being aware of the attack and said an investigation is underway.

"We are aware of footage circulating on social media of abuse directed at those taking part in the Waltham Forest Pride event and enquiries are underway", the police said.

"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."

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, known for her anti-Islamophobia advocacy in the British Conservative party condemned the attack, saying the woman must be held to account.

"This woman needs to be found, the facts established and if a criminal act has been committed she must be charged", she said.

Other British Muslims have condemned the woman's homophobia, calling her an embarrassment.

"As a Muslim, for me, this woman is an embarrassment and watching it makes me turn all right wing. Fortunately I am able to regain my senses when I remember she is in fact the right wing, just masquerading as a Muslim", one Twitter user said.