"What are you proving by doing it?"
On tonight's episode of First Dates Ireland (20 February), one of the latest daters shares his experience of being "queer-bashed" multiple times.
Jamie, who appears on a date with Anthony, said that he was assaulted after coming out at the age of 16, although he described telling his assailants to hit him harder in order to make them look stupid.
"Just smile and laugh, always smile and laugh", he says. "Go, 'yeah, punch me again, hit me harder. What are you proving by doing it? It has taken seven of you to to punch me in the face and prove you are a bigger man than me.'"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T25uaxZaryM
Clip via - RTÉ2
The 35-year-old said these gangs were always trying to prove themselves "bigger", "harder" or "more of a man" because they were straight.
"It hurt the next morning, but on a principle level and a mindset level, they achieved nothing by doing that", Jamie said. "Actually I could stand there and say, 'You didn't really hurt me in the grand scheme of things. If anything it made me a lot stronger about who I am as a person.'"
First Dates Ireland is on RTÉ 2, Tuesday, 20 February at 9.30pm
