3 days ago
Moment Edinburgh man approaches group on train and makes 'shocking' comments
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An Edinburgh marketing director and LGBTQ+ activist was allegedly the subject of shocking homophobic abuse just hours after winning an inclusivity award.
Jamie Love, CEO of marketing agency Monumental and Pride Edinburgh's marketing director, was on the way home from Glasgow on Saturday night when an 'aggressive' passenger boarded.
According to Jamie, the individual immediately began touching his hair and irritating his colleagues on the train to Edinburgh.
Jamie says the man's behaviour soon escalated when he repeatedly called him a "fa**ot". One of his female then confronted the man and has since posted a clip of him on TikTok.
Jamie, while onboard, alerted police to the abuse as the man got off at Falkirk. British Transport Police officers were waiting at Edinburgh Waverley and spoke to Jamie and his colleagues about the incident.
The abuse has since been described as "quite shocking" by Jamie, who added how it was "quite sad" considering hours earlier he won the Impact Award at the Proud Scotland Awards in recognition of its contribution to the LGBTQ+ community.
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Jamie claims the attack was unprovoked and he was targeted for his perceived sexuality and presentation.
Jamie said: "The most jarring part is the irony - being recognised for creating safer spaces and driving inclusion, only to be targeted for who I am hours later. It's a sobering reminder of how far we still have to go. No one should have to experience hate for simply existing.
"I've never been in a position where I've had to call the police so it's quite sad. The guy got on as three of us were sat at a table but the train was packed.
"He got on and immediately went to touch my hair. I said please don't touch me and his friend was trying to push him away. He then started getting aggressive, it was chaos.
"That's when the slurs started and he started picking on a colleague of mine. It's weird going from a diversity awards night to that in a matter of hours. It's quite shocking."
British Transport Police were approached for comment.
