- Ankush Bahuguna was in London to attend a Huda Beauty event
- While walking in London, he was subjected to homophobic abuse by a group of men
- While women complimented him, men and even children hurled abuse at him on the streets of London
It's 2026, and a man is being hurled homophobic slurs and mocked for wearing a pink power suit. Sounds bizarre, right? Wait until you realise that it happened on the streets of London.
Taking to Instagram, beauty content creator Ankush Bahuguna shared his experience of encountering homophobia in London simply for wearing a pink power suit, which he aced with his makeup on point.
He was in the capital of England, attending a Huda Beauty event for which the theme was pink. Hence, he wore a pink suit and finished the look with flawless, pink-toned makeup.
Beauty Content Creator Encounters Homophobia In London
On May 17, 2026, he shared a video titled 'Homophobia on the streets of London'. The caption read, "What weak, insecure men sound like."
While Ankush was walking on the streets, he passed a group of men, dressed in boring black, brown, and blue suits, and one of them shouted from behind, "Welcome to the parade," implying that he was wearing pink, so he belonged to the LGBTQ+ community. Others started hooting, but Ankush continued walking.
Since when did wearing pink become a welcoming sign for mockery and abuse? And if the group of men thought that Ankush belonged to the LGBTQ+ community, what was insulting about it?
The influencer added, "It's 2026 for f**k's sake, and this is what happens on the street if you just wear pink. This is sick."
"You think since this is London, it would be more progressive, more open-minded, more modern... but clearly not," he added.
"There is so much I could have said in that moment, but obviously I got intimidated because there were so many of them hooting and yelling at me," he said.
He further shared that it wasn't the only time this happened to him. He had been encountering homophobia since morning. "That's the only incident I could capture on camera, but it's been happening constantly. Every time I pass a group of guys, they make these comments," he added.
He also noted that while women complimented him, men of all age groups, including children, hurled homophobic abuse at him. "Even kids have walked past me and said absurd s**t," he added, pointing out that even in today's day and age, people feel threatened by someone who does not conform to the idea that colours define whether a man is cisgender or belongs to the queer community.
After 10 minutes, he realised that he had good comebacks and wanted to go back and give the hooting men a piece of his mind. However, he was in a foreign country; hence, he prioritised his safety.
"I am laughing about it, but it is not funny," he said, concluding, "If a guy just minding his own business is making you feel uncomfortable, it's not his masculinity that's weak."
Content Creators, Celebrities, And Social Media Users React To Ankush's Viral Video
Reacting to Ankush's post, Kusha Kapil wrote, "I am so sorry this happened to you, Ankush. Most men who feel the need to do this have probably never given themselves the freedom to wear beautiful clothes."
Celebrities and content creators reacted to Ankush's video. Photo: Ankush Bahuguna/ Instagram
She added that many men have rigid ideas of masculinity, which "stop them from dressing, expressing, and living as freely". She also added that many Indians live in London, and if he asked them for help, they would gladly take a stand for him.
The Sukhee actor quipped that he should refrain from shooting a video on the streets of London, else someone would steal it. "There's plenty of eve-teasing in London too. The place really isn't all that," she added.
Actor Swara Bhaskar commented, "Wow! I'm so sorry, Ankush! More power and fabulousness to you."
Content creator Shibani Bedi wrote, "I am shocked and yet not... what you said in the end is everything."
Actor Shibani Dandekar Akhtar sympathised with Ankush and added, "I'm so sorry this happened to you, sending love."
Calling out homophobia in London, content creator Dolly Singh commented, "Disgusting behaviour."
Author and sex educator Seema Anand wrote, "This is horrid. It's the remnants of the Tony Robinson/Reform Party sickos parade from earlier."
Asmita Upadhayay pointed out in the comment section that men have a problem with what women wear. They also have a problem with what men wear. "Clearly, the problem is a section of men," she pointed out.
Creator Zarah said that the men hooting clearly show who was fragile.
Ankush Bahuguna's account of experiencing homophobia in London, which is often described as a melting pot of cultures and portrayed as a "modern" city, highlights that it is not always as inclusive or progressive as it is perceived to be.
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