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Man Who Punched Drag Race UK's The Vivienne Charged For Bigoted Attack
"I will not, and will never stop SCREAMING ABOUT EQUALITY FOR EVERYBODY!" The Vivienne wrote on X.
Yesterday police charged the man accused of a homophobic attack against UK Drag Race winner The Vivienne that occurred during Pride month this year.
While at a McDonalds in Liverpool, England on June 16, The Vivienne was attacked by a man who hurled homophobic remarks at her before punching her in the face and fleeing the scene.
Alan Whitfield, 50, of Everton, has been charged with assault and must appear in front of magistrates on September 5.
"No-one, no matter what their background or religious beliefs, should be assaulted, threatened, or subjected to any form of hate crime,” Detective Inspector Alan Nuttall said, according to reporting from the BBC. "Please be reassured that we thoroughly investigate reports of those targeted through hate crime and will be relentless to bring offenders to justice."
The Vivienne took to X (formerly Twitter) yesterday to respond to the news and let her followers know that she won’t stop fighting for equality. “With hate crimes on the rise. I will not, and will never stop SCREAMING ABOUT EQUALITY FOR EVERYBODY! At least some good news has come today,” she wrote. ”Thanks again to@MerseyPolice who have been fantastic and who I will be working with in the future to make sure we battle this head on.”
With hate crimes on the rise. I will not, and will never stop SCREAMING ABOUT EQUALITY FOR EVERYBODY! At least some good news has come today. Thanks again to @MerseyPolice who have been fantastic and who I will be working with in the future to make sure we battle this head on https://t.co/zLMAFKqLl5
— TheVivienne (@THEVIVIENNEUK) August 15, 2023
The queen, who won the very first season of Drag Race UK, opened up about the harrowing experience on a recent episode of the British talk show This Morning.
“It was in broad daylight. I wasn’t in drag. I was getting a burger, and what happened, happened, but the police were fantastic, and it did kind of shake me up a little bit,” she said as reported by the Gay Times.
“Because I’ve always been, from a young age, so confident and didn’t care what anyone thought. But then I found myself, even after the attack, I was like, ‘Oh, it’s fine, I’ve dealt with this for years,’ but then going on a train and hiding around a corner — it did shake me up a bit.”
The Vivienne also told the hosts that she was glad the attack had happened to her and not a young member of the LGBTQ+ community. “You know, we’re fine, and we get through it, but I’m kind of glad it happened to me, who is able to deal with it than, say, a 15 or 16-year-old gay youth who’s come to terms with themselves it would have really affected them for life,” the Dancing on Ice alum said.
This is a sentiment The Vivienne also wrote about directly after the attack. "I’m a tough cookie, I’m on with my day, punch to the face or not," she posted on X. "Not everybody is as big/strong/tall as me. I [fear] for the [others] that aren’t able to handle themselves and shouldn’t have to."
I’m a tough cookie, I’m on with my day, punch to the face or not. Not everybody is as big/strong/tall as me. I fears for the other that aren’t able to handle themselves and shouldn’t have to
— TheVivienne (@THEVIVIENNEUK) June 16, 2023
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
