LGBT+ History Month: "I was mugged coming out a nightclub for who I was"
Lee Johnston from Glasgow is opening up to us about being attacked at knifepoint.
As LGBT+ History Month continues, we are looking at what it is really like for an out gay man in Glasgow.
Lee Johnston was just 19 when he was mugged coming out a club.
He told Clyde 1: "I used to wear vibrant coloured clothing and people would laugh, but I would shrug it off.
"However, one time I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and someone came up to me with a knife.
"It was a really traumatic experience."
The incident left the now 29-year-old feeling embarrassed about himself.
He added: "For I while I felt I had to be careful about how open I was.
"I was quite a flamboyant character and I felt as though I had to calm that down and fade into the background.
"I tried to lower my voice, I tried to speak differently and changed the walk I walked.
"Other people, like my true friends, picked up on the fact I was behaving differently and they pointed out that I wasn't being true to myself."
There are times when Lee feels he needs to be aware of who is around him and what they might say.
"About a month ago I was walking under Glasgow Central Station bridge with my boyfriend and I tried to hold his hand and he got a bit nervous.
"We are very open about who we are as a couple, but we had a look around and decided it probably wasn't a good idea.
"Other people walking past us in straight relationships could show public affection without giving it a second thought, but in that moment we couldn't do the same."
Lee adds that Glasgow has made progress with the LGBT community and it is a more inclusive place than 10 or 15 years ago.
"Tolerance isn't a good thing because you are just acknowledging someone is there, but don't speak to them.
"That is a hate crime in my opinion because you aren't valuing them for who they are.
"If you see or hear something homophobic or transphobic then challenge that person, they clearly aren't educated and most of the time they don't understand it.
"Ask questions as you will learn something about the person you are speaking to and yourself."
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