Will Young has appealed to Mayor Sadiq Khan for help after a London bus driver directed homophobic abuse at him.
Writing on Twitter, the singer said he reported the incident to Transport for London (TfL) after a male bus driver called him a "poofter." Young praised TfL for its "amazing" response, but told followers they're having trouble finding video footage so the driver can be identified.
Young then tweeted at the Mayor directly to help him find the driver.
Homosphobic abuse from a tfl bus driver calling me a poofter. Reported it ten minutes after it happened and TfL been amazing. However bus companies on route say video footage gone as too late - quite how someone complains and actually GETS footage I am unsure
— Will Young (@willyoung) January 5, 2018
TfL doing everything they can but I am appealing to @TfL @SadiqKhan to help me find the driver to ensure he doesn't abuse others . PLEASE DM me
— Will Young (@willyoung) January 5, 2018
Tfl's Steve Burton has issued a response to the singer's allegation, saying: "We're very sorry to hear of Will Young's experience, and are looking into it urgently. Any form of hate crime is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Everyone has the right to travel without fear of abuse or intimidation and if anyone witnesses or is victim to hate crime they should report it immediately."
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Young has since tweeted again, explaining why he reported the incident and also tweeted about it. "To be called a porter isn't the nicest thing and it reminds me what a vile thing prejudicial language is to try and shame others," he wrote. "I can take action, many young people can't."
TfL been great at reacting to my tweet . All I need is an apology - no witch hunt . To be called a poofter isn't the nicest thing and it reminds me what a vile thing prejudicial language is to try and shame others. I can take action, many young people can't
— Will Young (@willyoung) January 5, 2018
A report by LGBT charity Stonewall published in September revealed that one in five LGBT people had experienced a hate crime because of their sexuality or gender identity in the last 12 months. That figure doubled to two in five among trans people.
By writing about his own experience of homophobic abuse on Twitter, Young will surely have reminded many LGBT people that they too can come forward if they experience homophobic or transphobic abuse.
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