Gay Londoner ‘only feels comfortable in Soho because I’m so camp’ – My London
A gay man has labelled Soho as his only ‘safe space’ in London after feeling ‘uncomfortable’ when in other areas of the capital due to his sexuality.
The 57-year-old West Londoner recalled times he was beaten up in his youth and constantly bullied because of his ‘camp’ style.
Taziq Ramzan, a nurse, said that this trauma has stayed with him and now he feels like he is ‘asking to get beaten up’ when he goes out in the capital.
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Taziq said: “I’m still fearful about being gay in London almost 30 years after I actually came out. I find that Soho is the only place I feel safe as I am surrounded by other gay people in a sort of safe space.
“I’ve been targeted in the past because I am quite openly gay. I feel like I’m asking to be beaten up because I’m so camp. I have experienced abuse from strangers just because of my sexuality, so it makes me scared to be camp/gay in London.”
Taziq said that he immigrated from Turkey when he was 17 to live in London. It was here he got involved in the gay scene and faced backlash from stigma due to the HIV and Aids crisis.
The nurse added he was very lucky not to get the disease but people still treated him differently when he told them he was gay.
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He continued and said: “I was living in London when the HIV crisis was still going on. There was so much stigma around people like myself. As soon as you revealed you were gay people put you at arms length.
“I can clearly remember that during that time my only friends were those within the gay community. Even at work I was looked down on, treated like I had germs.”
Tariq recalls getting pushed to the floor and punched in London. He says he was beaten up about eight times during his life in London. All hate crimes.
(Image: Tariq Ramzan)
His attitude is positive about the future of LGBTQ+ rights but still believes a lot more needs to be done.
“Acceptance has come so far and I want that to continue. I want to be able to be myself all over London and feel just as safe as I do when I walk around Soho.”
If you share any of the same problems as Tariq and need some help, find support here.
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