Once more, we read about yet another homophobic attack in the Bristol Post and once more, I hope, we question what the hell is wrong with some people? Young Kydis Zellinger was returning to his home in Hartcliffe by bus when he was assaulted by person unknown and showered with vile abuse. To compound matters still further, the alleged attacker was accompanied by a woman who along with at least a dozen fellow passengers did nothing to prevent or stop the attack.
What, I wonder, compels someone to launch into an unprovoked attack against a fellow human being whom he perceives to be of a different sexuality? Did the alleged attacker feel threatened or, perhaps, he is a little insecure about his own sexuality and felt the need to show his credentials as a ‘real man’?
“You fucking gay boy, you don’t speak to me like that,” said the attacker after the victim had said nothing, adding repeatedly that Kydis was a “little gay queer”. Nice.
Inevitably, it appears that the attacker was much bigger than his victim. Of course, he was. That’s how bullies operate, picking on people who are smaller than them or attacking people in numbers. Bullies are cowards. They daren’t confront people of their own size, or people who are even bigger than them. That might involve them getting hurt and, well, we can’t have that, can we?
We must allow the p0lice to do their jobs and hopefully ensure the attacker is caught and death with by a court of law. Then, he can be given counselling to deal with his insecurities and some education to point 0ut what a cretin he is.
And I hope the people who bowed their heads on that bus or looked the other way have a think about what kind of world they want to live in. That boy could have been their son, their brother, their friend.
