A gay man was stopped at London's Gatwick airport by a Border Force officer because he was traveling with his boyfriend, had a camera, and "looked like a pedophile".
After stopping him and searching his bag, the officer then told another officer that the passenger was HIV positive, prompting his coworker to tell him he needed to use stronger hand gel.These comments could be heard by the passenger and others in the area.
This incident is part of a new report showing staff members making judgments based on harmful stereotypes. It also contributes to the 71% of unjustifiable searches at the airport in the past year.
Please tell the English Border Force to crack down on homophobic actions. This needs to be investigated and action needs to be taken to ensure that officers no longer discriminate against passengers!
Please address the homophobia prevalent within the English Border Force. A recent study showed that 71% of searches were not justified within the last year, with one including a gay man who was stopped because he "looked like a pedophile". This is wrong and it needs to stop!
