January 2nd 2025.
A man has recently found himself in a courtroom after being accused of targeting beloved comedian Matt Lucas with verbal abuse. The alleged incident occurred while Lucas was on his way to watch a football match at the Emirates Stadium in Islington, north London, on October 27th of last year.
The accused, 32-year-old Ayub Dirie, is said to have used homophobic language towards Lucas, who was simply trying to enjoy the game. During a brief hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, Dirie, dressed in a black coat, only confirmed his name and address when prompted to do so.
In addition to the charge of using homophobic language towards Lucas, Dirie was also accused of racially aggravated harassment and using abusive words towards two police officers. Despite this, he was granted unconditional bail and the case was sent to Snaresbrook Crown Court for a case management hearing on January 30th.
This is not the first time Lucas has spoken out about being targeted with homophobic abuse while attending football matches. In a recent post, he shared that he has been verbally abused twice this season alone while simply minding his own business and making his way to the game.
The comedian revealed that on one occasion, he was called a “f***ing queer c**t” and on another, he was told that “our club doesn’t want disgusting gay fans.” In response, Lucas questioned why players seem to take more offense to wearing rainbow-colored armbands in support of the LGBTQ+ community than they do to blatant acts of homophobia.
After sharing his experiences, Lucas was met with an outpouring of support from fans and fellow celebrities, with many expressing that “nobody should have to face this kind of abuse.” The incident has sparked important conversations about homophobia and discrimination in sports, and it is clear that there is still much work to be done.
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