Influencer targeted in homophobic train attack explains why Pride matters more than ever

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Earlier this month, Tobias Cordes was travelling on the Elizabeth Line with his partner, as the pair travelled home from the airport following a holiday.

Recounting the incident, he explained that a man he did not know boarded the train at London's Farringdon station and kicked his suitcase while muttering about them under his breath. The man then walked off.

Mr Cordes said the man then returned, only to kick his partner’s suitcase, without targeting anyone else in the carriage.

“It was obviously a homophobic attack,” he said. “He didn’t say anything at all to anyone else on the train and he specifically targeted us. He could have left at the doors he was stood by, but he purposefully came to where we were sitting and did it again.”

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Reflecting on the incident, he told LBC: “What really sucks about this is that it goes without saying that it’s Pride month.

“We could be sat here right now with black eyes and bleeding if we’d said anything, but we just had to sit there and take it.

“Just look at the floor because we’re trying to protect ourselves from getting hurt, while inside we’re so angry and hurting.

He added: “Worse than feeling scared is feeling helpless, that you can’t do anything.”

Tobias said he was in “two minds” about reporting the incident, but was left frustrated by the police’s response.

“From my own past experience of dealing with them, I almost convinced myself that I was just being silly and that I needed to get on with my life,” he said.

“But then my sense of justice kicked in. I thought: no, it’s not fair with this stuff that people get away with it.”

“My kind of suspicions were unfortunately confirmed because it was a guy, a policeman, the same age as me actually, who basically said to me that, I'm paraphrasing here, but I think he said something like, unless like he said something that was clearly like a slur, then it's hard for them to record it as a hate crime.”

He explained: “I was quite angry about that because I said to him: I’m telling you that it was a hate crime because I’m literally sat with my partner, we were clearly a couple, and it was clearly a targeted attack.”

Tobias added: “Why do I need to be sat there making that video with a black eye for people, including the police, to actually be shocked by it and take it seriously?”

He added the police response had left him feeling “completely frustrated”.

“I think there’s nothing worse than already expecting a negative response from someone that’s meant to help you,” he said.

“When your suspicions are then confirmed, it makes you feel even more angry, because you’ve given them the benefit of the doubt by making the call in the first place, hoping they’re going to help you, and then immediately feeling deflated. And almost like they don’t believe you.”

Despite that, he said he felt reporting the incident still mattered.

“I think I’m quite resilient and I can get on with my life and put things past me,” he said. “But on the other hand, why should I have to do that?

“That’s what spurred me on to try and make a report about it.

“I know I can get on with my life and not let someone’s evil behaviour and ignorance ruin it. But I also shouldn’t just let people get away with behaviour like that.”

Earlier this month, Reform’s flagship London council stopped flying the Pride flag, saying the move was “in line with party’s national policy”.

When asked by LBC reporter Liam Gotting about Reform-led councils scrapping Pride events, Nigel Farage said he had “no objection” to it.

He said gay and trans voters have “got everything they campaigned for” and claimed many “simply can’t see the point” of Pride Month.

Tobias has said that in recent years, he has felt a distinct “shift to the right” politically, alongside a less-than-warm reception when it comes to Pride.

“I think it’s hard for me to experience a situation like this and not have that in my mind,” he said. “Seeing that things like Pride and similar events be cancelled is worrying.”

Mr Cordes said he understands that some people hold different views about Pride, but insisted it remains important.

“From where I’m standing, at the very least, it’s for myself and other queer people as a way to celebrate and feel good in our identity and who we are,” he said.

“But I think to people who aren’t part of the queer community, it’s a way for them to see that it’s something that should be celebrated, that it is normal, and that it is a big part of society.

“Even though Pride is primarily for queer people, you see a great deal of allyship from people outside of it as well when it’s on. So I think that’s really important.

“For example, this guy that attacked us, who knows, maybe if he was more clued in about how generally accepted queer people are in society, and in Pride events, perhaps he would think twice before singling us out like that.

“So it does worry me a little bit, because if things like that begin to be erased, it doesn’t raise as much awareness for people outside of the queer community and maybe makes them more entrenched in their negative beliefs.”

Whilst Tobias said the overall reaction to his video was very supportive and many people sympathised, he also said some of the reaction had been upsetting, including criticism even from within the LGBTQ+ community.

“A lot of the feedback I’ve gotten, even to this day, is tonnes of comments from other gay men and people in the queer community saying, ‘Why didn’t you stand up for yourself?’

“Basically saying that I was almost setting a poor example by not defending myself. That’s been quite upsetting as well.”

British Transport Police officers are investigating following a report of a homophobic hate incident on the Elizabeth Line at around 9.30pm on Tuesday 9 June.

Enquiries are ongoing