RuPaul's Drag Race UK season one winner The Vivienne took to Twitter today to speak out about suffering a horrific homophobic attack while at a McDonald's in Liverpool, England.
“Just been attacked in McDonald’s, Police on way,” she wrote. “Homophobia [is] alive and well folks! First time I’ve never retaliated in a fight because I’m not gonna punch somebody in front of kids and women. #pieceofsh**.”
The Drag Race UK winner was punched by a man at the fast food chain after he made a homophobic comment, according to the Merseyside Police as reported by the Metro.
The Vivienne received an outpouring of support from fans and has continued to update her Twitter throughout the day, next writing, “Thank you all for your concern, the police have been great and I believe the culprit has been found.”
The drag queen is best known for winning the very first season of Drag Race UK, but has since competed on Drag Race All Stars 7, appeared in drag on the medical drama This is Going to Hurt, and finished in third place in the most recent season of Dancing on Ice where she was the first contestant to ever skate in drag.
Although the attack was clearly harrowing, The Vivienne also tweeted about the positive experience that happened afterward, “Two lovely ladies just came and complimented my hair and said I look lovely, what a stark contrast of people we have on this planet! All in a day huh? A punch and a compliment.”
Her next update was to thank the staff at the McDonald’s where she was attacked, who “acted fast and removed the idiot from the premises and did everything in their power to make sure I was ok and waited for police with me,” she wrote.
Thankfully the man who punched the iconic queen was arrested shortly after the attack on suspicion of assault.
“He’s been arrested and in custody,” her update read. “Result, it’s so important that as a community we report and take action on hate crimes. Otherwise it continues to happen. Time to set an example!
Detective Inspector Alan Nuttall from the Merseyside Police strongly condemned the attack while speaking with the Metro. “This was a shocking attack which happened in broad daylight in what would have been a busy venue,” he said. “There is no place for hate crime in our city and Merseyside Police has a zero tolerance approach to these incidents.”
Drag bans and homophobic rhetoric having been spreading like wild fire across the US and UK and an attack like this one feels like it's a direct result of the unfettered hate.
"I’m a tough cookie, I’m on with my day, punch to the face or not," the Vivienne tweeted. "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."
