Disclaimer: The video shown in this article contains language that some might find hard to hear.
A Vancouver couple stood their ground after a verbal attack by an angry man uttering homophobic and racist sentiments near Burrard SkyTrain Station this weekend.
Jamie Pine initially shared his story on TikTok before the platform removed his video, but it has since been shared on Twitter and reshared by others on social media.
We spoke to Pine about the incident and how he felt a couple of days after the incident.
My boyfriend and I were chased off the Skytrain in Vancouver yesterday by this guy. It was extremely scary and a reminder that hate against us is alive and well.. and a bit drunk. pic.twitter.com/KAerD0Wysp
— Jamie Pine (@jamiepine) January 31, 2023
According to Pine, the altercation began after a man saw him and his partner sitting close by on the SkyTrain. In the video, Pine says that the man was watching him and his boyfriend for the entire journey, “just standing over us.”
Pine was able to have a sense of humour about it on TikTok, saying he thought the man wanted to be intimate with his boyfriend. He indicated on Twitter that the man may have been drunk.
When Pine and his partner finally disembarked the train, he says the man followed them.
When the man started yelling homophobic slurs, Pine says, “My heart rate doubled instantly.”
“I was preparing to run or be physically assaulted. I actually apologized to him at first, not that I was in any way actually sorry. I just wanted to de-escalate and get away.”
We asked Pine if he had ever experienced anything like this, to which he responded, not in Vancouver. Pine added that the people of Vancouver have been great following the incident.
“It is heartwarming to feel the support from this community, specifically the people of Vancouver. A reminder that the majority are loving and accepting, and hate is not welcome here.”
As it’s 2023, we wondered if Pine had any thoughts about the fact that we still have people living in our society with these ignorant ideas.
“There will always be ignorant people, just as there will always be criminals. All we can do is make it known that we have absolutely zero tolerance for it in our public spaces and serve justice to those inciting fear and harm to innocent people.”
We also asked Pine what he would say to the man insulting him and his boyfriend if he had the chance.
“I have empathy for whatever struggles he is facing in his life to led him to this. I believe he should absolutely face legal consequences to send a message that this behaviour IS a crime, but that after this, he has a chance to recover and grow.”
Vancouver Police told Daily Hive that they are investigating the homophobic attack.
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