Australian Gay Journalist to Egg-Hurling Homophobes: Have a Good Life!

An out Australian journalist and his friends were targeted by a carload of homophobes as Sydney celebrated the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. He responded with a defiant message on social media, Australian newspaper Star Observer reports.

Mark Reddie, a crime reporter with the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) described the incident to the newspaper. "We were leaving a Mardi Gras party and there was a group of four of us. We were walking along Riley Street and a car screeched on its brakes and threw boxes of eggs at us. They sped off laughing," he said.

"As we walked up the road, there were eggshells everywhere," Reddie said. "Clearly they were targeting the LGBTQI community – gay hate crimes still exist."

Reddie let the perpetrators know via tweet just how little impression their malicious act had made.

Other Twitter users weighed in.

Reddie later confirmed that he had filed a report with the New South
Wales police, News.com/au reported.

Reddie told more of his story in an article he published at ABC. Reddie noted that others had reported being attacked with eggs hurled from cars; one man was hit with a thrown bottle.

Reddie pointed out the reason for celebrations like Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. "We had so much to celebrate. We're lucky enough to live as our true, authentic selves. It's something our community is still fighting for in many parts of the world."

Star Observer recalled in 2019, Reddie "had received hate mail on World Pride Day on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, while he was in New York City to march in the Pride Parade along with 200 other Australians representing Sydney."

Reddie took to Twitter on that occasion, as well.

The Star Observer noted that five men reportedly attacked and beat a drag performer and his partner in an alleged anti-LGBTQ hate crime in Auckland, New Zealand, during Pride celebrations there last week. That attack left its victims lying "in a pool of blood," according to drag artist Ray Gardiner, who performs under the name Kourtney Khaos.