MELBOURNE comedian Joel Creasey says he is unlikely to return to Colac after being abused and chased by an aggressive mob of homophobic teenagers on the weekend.
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While touring Colac as part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow in June, an audience member's homophobic slur shocked the gay 21-year-old.
In response to the incident he returned to the country town on Saturday for the Straight Shooters anti-discrimination event, held by local community group Dynamic (Diverse Youth Networking Against Discrimination In Colac).
Despite his previous altercation with prejudice in Colac, nothing prepared Creasey for what happened afterwards.
"There were two guys hanging around inside teasing the gay youth and they were eventually kicked out," he told The Standard.
"When I was leaving with my friends there were about 10 aggressive teenagers, in a wider group of 20 or even 30 turning up, just wanting to abuse us and beat us up.
"They shouted out 'Come back here, we'll bash you faggots', and lovely things like that.
"We had to run to the car.
"They were kids, from probably 16 to 19-years-old, but they need to be named and shamed because they were threatening to hurt us because of who we are.
"If that's what they're going to do at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon in broad daylight, what are they going to do at other times?"
The irony of being abused outside an anti-homophobia event wasn't lost on Creasey, who still praised the work of south-west sexual diversity groups DYNAMIC and YUMCHA in Warrnambool.
"It really makes me want to help them even more.
"I think it highlights the work they're doing, and how it's so vital.
"Something needs to be done.
"These people need to be educated about how how wrong they are, if they can be, because that was Neanderthal behaviour."
After the incident Creasey took to Twitter to share his experience and found support from fellow comedians Tom Ballard, Felicity Ward and Catherine Deveny.
"I've spoken to Tom Ballard on the phone and he's had similar experiences.
"I can handle it going out there but I'd hate to think what gay youths in Colac and other regional towns have to put up with, with these thugs.
"You've got people like Bob Katter earlier in the week saying gay marriage should be ridiculed, and he's not directly responsible, but that's bullying and he doesn't realise what effect his words can have.
"I don't think I'll be going back to Colac - it would take lot of convincing and a lot of change."
