Adam Eli was minding his own business when he was chased out of a New York City subway station by an angry homophobe telling him to “stay in the closet!”
The man was angry that Eli, a gay Jewish man, was wearing a pink kippah. He stormed after him, following up up the stairs and out onto the street, and accusing him of desecrating the name of God.
“Any man that lies with another man, it’s an abomination!” he ranted. “You’ll be murdered for it! Take the kippah off!”
Eli caught the confrontation on video and uploaded it to Twitter, along with the caption: “Trigger Warning: violent speech, harassment. I got harassed, followed and threatened on the street today. Someone was upset that I was wearing a pink kippah, carrying a purse and had a pride patch sewn onto my jeans. I am sharing the encounter for three reasons.”
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THREAD: Trigger Warning: violent speech, harassment. I got harassed, followed and threatened on the street today. Someone was upset that I was wearing a pink kippah, carrying a purse and had a pride patch sewn onto my jeans. I am sharing the encounter for three reasons. pic.twitter.com/Y9HWiX2nSs
— Adam Eli (@aewerner) September 9, 2019
Eli said he wanted to share the video to illustrate the harassment that many LGBTQ people still face, even those in cities like New York, which are often thought of as liberal safe havens.
“I spent the first 18 years of my life listening to people tell me I couldn’t be gay and Jewish,” he tweeted. “Today I love my queer jewish identity and nobody is taking that away from me.”
“This is a fraction of what our trans + GNC family get every single day. In this moment I was able to stand up to my attacker NOT bc I’m brave but bc I’m a white resourced man in a heavily trafficked place. We know what happens when a white man attacks a black trans women.”
2. This is a fraction of what our trans + GNC family get every single day. In this moment I was able to stand up to my attacker NOT bc I'm brave but bc I'm a white resourced man in a heavily trafficked place. We know what happens when a white man attacks a black trans women.
— Adam Eli (@aewerner) September 9, 2019
Eli followed that up with a call to his “fellow cis white gays who generally ‘pass’ for being hetro in public.”
“This is whats out there,” he tweeted. “Most of the time we can get on the subway, go for a run or go on a date in peace. That does not mean our struggle for queer liberation is over.”
“Racism, transphobia, xenophobia, islamophobia, anti semitism and ableism hold hands. Our ancestors taught us none of us are safe until all of us are safe. Queer culture is not going to Equinox and getting brunch. Queer culture is about fighting for ur community.”
3. cont Racism, transphobia, xenophobia, islamophobia, anti semitism and ableism hold hands. Our ancestors taught us none of us are safe until all of us are safe. Queer culture is not going to Equinox and getting brunch. Queer culture is about fighting for ur community
— Adam Eli (@aewerner) September 9, 2019
Related: WATCH: Drunk woman slaps gay man & calls him a ‘fat f*ggot’ in disturbing video
Speaking to Queerty, Eli added:
“It was a very odd attack, because it wasn’t only homophobia, he was clearly a religious Jew who was upset I was being overtly queer in public and overtly Jewish.
“I was being overtly queer because I was wearing my denim jacket which says ‘Never Again is Now’ with a big, pink triangle, and I was carrying a purse from a fashion show that I’d done the day before, where I actually played a queer Jewish rabbi in the fashion show. And I was wearing my kippah and my nails were painted.”
He says he does not intend to report the incident to authorities.
“I can’t think of anything the police would do that would be helpful.”
“It was pretty clearly an intense attack that could have escalated had it been in a less trafficked place, and it made me think that if an attack like that can happen to me, it really shows how vulnerable so much of the queer community is.
“I have to be one of the most privileged members of the queer community … if that’s the kind of violence that I can get, it’s such a wake-up call to the violence that the less privileged members of our community, particularly trans and gender non-conforming and people of color, are subject to every single day.”
Paco
“Closet case chases open and proud gay man out of subway and through the streets of New York in shocking video”.
Did you see her shoes?
Bob LaBlah
“It was a very odd attack, because it wasn’t only homophobia, he was clearly a religious Jew who was upset I was being overtly queer in public and overtly Jewish.”
Now if memory serves me right his branch of them were flown over to Israel from self inflicted famine stricken Ethiopia back in the 1980’s. It looks a few of them have learned to read and have just got plum on beside themselves. The most dangerous person in the world is the lost soul he believes what he read are words quoted from the mouth of a man in the sky instead of the beliefs of the men on earth whom decided that will be the law over their flock. Either way I wish them and all other believers who can’t believe in themselves whether gay or strait the best.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Especially when these pukes quote that reprehensive closet case Leviticus…
Chrisk
There’s a good movie called the Red Sea Diving Resort. It’s on Netflix and it’s about an Operation to save the Ethiopian Jews. Liked the movie. However, I’m sure most Ethiopians wanted out during their war and famine. I’m sure plenty pretended to be Jewish to get out of that hell hole country.
That said Africans do seem to have a child like view of Religion. That’s why Christian Missionaries love them.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
I am 1/4 Jewish, so am thinking will don a pink kippah visit that station and let that abhorrent noxious puke attempt the same thing with me.
It will be left with a vile mouth of bloody chicklets, sipping thru a straw for a few months…
Jeton Ademaj
Adam Eli is, ironically, a proud member of Gays Against Guns. if the Supreme Court ignores the recent threatening letter from 5 Democrat Senators, they will hear an NYC gun case this term that could result in lawful Concealed Carry being recognized nationally. Then Eli can choose to remain fully defenseless and other LGBTQ can choose for themselves whether they want to hope for the best, or be prepared to handle the worst that comes at them and their loved ones.
incidentally, Eli’s decision to not report this to NYPD looks like a political posture, since the Mayor of NYC appears intent on finding this guy anyway… thanks to the video shared.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
There was no justification to draw a weapon in this situation. Am guessing how if he had stood up to that vile sub human puke it would have ran away with it’s tail ber it’s legs…
Cam
Or the crazy guy could have pulled out a gun and shot him on the subway as well as many other people.
But it’s adorable you troll accounts keep trying to deflect any story of anti-LGBTQ bigotry so you can push a Republican agenda.
Chrisk
I’d say total closet case. You could visible see the pent up rage. He just used the religion angle to attack him.
Paco
The part where the attacker says “stay in the closet! Make sure your closet is in another closet!” seemed like jealousy to me.
JaredMacBride
Looks to me like two gay guys staged this.
Donston
The problem with that is that the attacker is so visible throughout the video. Family, friends, co-workers could easily ID him. If it was staged then it’s even more poorly planned than with Smollet.
Erma Ferkingerd
Good that he was able to get his cellphone out, but that’s not enough to protect you. Get some mace. It’s about $10 at Target. I think people forget about that. Everybody should be carrying it. If he gets too close——ZAP! Being out and open still needs precautions, even in NY. The agressor didn’t seem concerned anybody was around.
russdog
I always find it interesting that virulent homophobes interpret heterosexuality as a religious duty/obligation for which lack of compliance requires severe punishment, instead of simply an attraction to the opposite sex. Do these screaming guys and the “straight pride” folks even like women?
Wicked Dickie
“..Eli, a gay Jewish man..”. He must not be from NY originally, cause there’s no way a native NY’er is gonna run away from a fight.