Dutchman goes viral for defending fellow tram passenger from homophobic hate speech

Last Thursday, a Dutch vlogger started harassing a fellow tram passenger, filming him and using homophobic slurs. Things could have gotten uglier, but a brave passenger intervened.

The incident happened in The Hague, but the resulting footage has since gone viral across the Netherlands.

What happened

The hero of this story, Bart, was travelling home from an appointment.

The young man sitting beside Bart on the tram was also just minding his business, listening to music while peacefully riding the tram. 

That is until their peace was ruined by a homophobe. The man started shouting homophobic abuse while pointing his camera at the young man’s feet.

READ NEXT | From the Stonewall riots to Roze Zaterdag: the origins of Amsterdam Pride

The trigger of his anger? Some nail polish.

Apparently, the young man’s painted toenails amounted to a mortal offence for the vlogger, who just couldn’t keep himself from saying something nasty about it. 

The man used slurs such as “kanker homo”, which, as anyone living in the Netherlands would know, is incredibly offensive.

“Doe normaal!”

Luckily, Bart couldn’t keep himself from speaking up either.

While the young man quietly left, probably scared that the situation would escalate, Bart confronted the vlogger.

In the brief exchange that ensued, the two went back and forth about who has a right to say what, with Bart repeatedly telling the homophobe to “doe normaal” — in other words, to stop acting up. 

READ MORE | Doe normaal: behind the Dutch concept and mentality

Eventually, the vlogger got off the tram, and other passengers congratulated Bart on his prompt reaction. 

“He did the right thing”

Bart “did the right thing,” LGBT organisation COC’s Freek Janssens tells RTL.

At a time when anti-LGBT discrimination is rising in the Netherlands, Janssens says it’s crucial that people speak up when witnessing a homophobic incident. 

Indeed, many internet users seem to agree, with much of the online conversation about the viral video praising Bart’s intervention.

Have you ever stood up for a stranger being harassed or had someone stand up for you? Tell us about your experience in the comments.