Please note that most of this post is going to be a really long rant. Ok so today when I was on the city bus going home from a friends house, this one guy who normally rides my bus sat next to me. So then he got on the phone and started saying some of the worst homophobic and transphobic sh*t I heve ever heard. At this point I started eavesdropping on his conversation, and what I gathered was he was calling a friend from jail. Apperently his friend was arrested for sexually harrasing a transgender woman. And the rest is just the bus guy ranting about her saying things and I am wuoting here ahem... "He needs to stop acting like a gay little b*tch", and "you were right to do that". I don't know how I am supposed to avoid him though, this my normal bus and I have no other mode of transportation other than getting parents to drive me, and it's a year until I can get a driver lisence, and even then I don't have thr money to pay for gas. And also the bus is normally crowded by the time it gets to my street and the homophobic guy is normally already on by then, and he sits in the front which is where the open seats are normally. Do you have any suggestions?
Considering your "out to everyone" status, you could tell someone with authority about the situation, and - if need be - call him out on it. That's risky, though, and I don't want to see you get bullied, or anything. Is he the same age? Maybe you could try to inform (but not lecture) him on the subject... but don't be too sassy about it.
The thing is though he looks like he's in his late 20's to early 30's and he's HUGE. So yeah I'm kinda terrified of him.
Ahh, that's a problem. As WearyWanderer said, just put in/on your headphones and float away. Let someone else deal with him, unless you can afford a bodyguard XD
In this particular situation, my suggestion is: don't put yourself needlessly at risk by confronting him directly, we don't know for sure how he might react—he can overpower you and aggression is a big possibility. Even worse, if something happened, this being a common route for you, you'd have to see him often, or he could to know where you live, and we don't know for sure either if someone on the bus would support you, or him, or ignore both of you if something happened. Sadly, there will be homophobic people everywhere, of all sizes and ages, and sometimes we don't have many options except ignoring their hateful comments, as we may be in a vulnerable and/or risky position at the time.
Idk, he is a random person on the bus. And I am not sure if he even care about you yet. Just avoid that guy as much as you can, sit at the back. Don't draw attention to you. Don't worry about him on the bus, it is public space, worry if he gets off the bus with you and follow.
