We are just sexual objects to men: Lesbian couple speak out

A lesbian couple who were subjected to a horrific attack have hit out at Tory frontrunner Boris Johnson and criticised how they are seen as ‘sexual objects’. 

Melania Geymonat, 28, and her American partner Chris, 29, said they were punched and robbed following an evening in West Hampstead, north west London, in the early hours of May 30. 

Ms Geymonat, a doctor from Uruguay and a Ryanair flight attendant, said that the incident was primarily ‘an attack towards women, and then after homosexual women’.

Melania Geymonat (left), 28, and her American partner Chris (right), 29, said they were punched and robbed following an evening in West Hampstead, north west London

In an interview with Channel 4 News she said the attackers firstly saw them as ‘sexual objects’ who were ‘there to entertain them’. Her partner Chris said that a gang of young men saw they were a couple – as they were holding hands – and demanded they kiss before attacking the pair. 

When asked if she still feels safe in public, Chris said: ‘If anything I’m more confident in myself because I know I will stand up for myself.’

Chris also said the reason their attack had caught so much attention was that the picture was ‘very striking’, depicting ‘two white women who were tidily packaged into sympathetic victims’.  

When the interviewer brought up that Boris Johnson seemed to be the most likely person to be the next Prime Minister, and referenced comments he had previously made comparing homosexual marriage to ‘bestiality’, Chris said that the Tory frontrunner was not ‘fit to lead anything, much less the United Kingdom’.

Melania Geymonat (right), 28, has released this image of her with her girlfriend Chris (left) covered in blood, after she claims she was attacked by a group of young men on a London bus

Melania Geymonat (right), 28, has released this image of her with her girlfriend Chris (left) covered in blood, after she claims she was attacked by a group of young men on a London bus 

She said that Johnson was not the only person ascending to power ‘with his views and his ideology’, and he was just ‘one person in a growing climate.’ 

Five teenagers aged between 15 and 18 have been charged with robbery and aggravated grievous bodily harm. All five have been bailed until early July.

Ms Geymonat said that she simply does not know if she will feel confident holding her partner’s hand on the bus in the early hours of the morning anymore, revealing to The Times that her friends had told her to ‘get the hell out of the country’ following the incident.  

Speaking to the paper, Ms Geymonat said: ‘In the first place they came towards us because we were seen as sexual objects. 

‘It’s not the first time this happens to me that I’m with a girlfriend or on a date and men tend to be excited by watching. 

Ms Geymonat is pictured before the attack, in which she appears to have sustained images to her face

Melania Geymonat (pictured) is now waiting to find out if her nose was broken in the vile attack

Miss Geymonat is pictured left before the incident, and right afterwards. She appears to have sustained a bruised eye

‘That’s one of the things that really annoyed me. I’m 28 so it has been ten years that I’ve seen this. We are not performing. It feels really humiliating to be treated [like that].’ 

When asked if she thought the portrayal of lesbians as a male fantasy in pornography had an effect on some young men’s views of gay women in real life, Ms Geymonat said she did think porn ‘plays its own part’ in contributing to the treatment of homosexual women as objects who exist for the sake of the male gaze.

Both women were taken to hospital for treatment for facial injuries. Miss Geymonat said one of the men spoke Spanish and the others had British accents.

Miss Geymonat, who moved to the UK in February and is on a year’s sabbatical from her medical studies, previously said she had felt safe as a gay woman in London. 

She said the police had been ‘extremely good’ in dealing with the incident.   

Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn both condemned the attack.

Mrs May said: ‘This was a sickening attack and my thoughts are with the couple affected.

‘Nobody should ever have to hide who they are or who they love and we must work together to eradicate unacceptable violence towards the LGBT community.’

Mr Corbyn labelled the attack ‘absolutely shocking, saying: ‘We must not, and will not, accept this homophobic and misogynist violence in our society.

The attack happened on a N31 bus (pictured) travelling towards Camden Town

The pair had been travelling home through Camden Town (pictured) when the attack took place

The attack happened on a N31 bus (left) travelling towards Camden Town (right). The pair had been on a date night, and were holding hands while on the bus

‘Solidarity to Melania and Chris, and to all in the LGBT+ community for everything they endure for simply being who they are.’

London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted: ‘This was a disgusting, misogynistic attack. Hate crimes against the LGBT+ community will not be tolerated in London.’  

Constituency MP Tulip Siddiq added: ‘Horrified to see this homophobic attack against two women simply trying to enjoy a night out in West Hampstead.

‘There can be no excuses, no space, for such obscene behaviour. My full solidarity is with these women and the UK’s LGBT community.’

And Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘This is appalling. Everyone has the right to love and I was proud to support equal marriage.’ 

The full Facebook post by Melania Geymonat after the bus attack

English & Español, against CHAUVINIST, MISOGYNISTIC AND HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENCE

Last Wednesday, I had a date with Chris. We got on the Night Bus, heading for her place in Camden Town, climbed upstairs and took the front seats. We must have kissed or something because these guys came after us. I don’t remember if they were already there or if they got on after us. There were at least four of them. They started behaving like hooligans, demanding that we kissed so they could enjoy watching, calling us ‘lesbians’ and describing sexual positions. I don’t remember the whole episode, but the word ‘scissors’ stuck in my mind. It was only them and us there. In an attempt to calm things down, I started making jokes. I thought this might make them go away. Chris even pretended she was sick, but they kept on harassing us, throwing us coins and becoming more enthusiastic about it. The next thing I know is that Chris is in the middle of the bus fighting with them. On an impulse, I went over there only to find her face bleeding and three of them beating her up. The next thing I know is I’m being punched. I got dizzy at the sight of my blood and fell back. I don’t remember whether or not I lost consciousness. Suddenly the bus had stopped, the police were there and I was bleeding all over. Our stuff was stolen as well. I don’t know yet if my nose is broken, and I haven’t been able to go back to work, but what upsets me the most is that VIOLENCE HAS BECOME A COMMON THING, that sometimes it’s necessary to see a woman bleeding after having been punched to feel some kind of impact. I’m tired of being taken as a SEXUAL OBJECT, of finding out that these situations are usual, of gay friends who were beaten up JUST BECAUSE. We have to endure verbal harassment AND CHAUVINIST, MISOGYNISTIC AND HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENCE because when you stand up for yourself s*** like this happens. By the way, I am thankful to all the women and men in my life that understand that HAVING BALLS MEANS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I just hope that in June, Pride Month, stuff like this can be spoken out loudly so they STOP HAPPENING!

Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk