He then defended his comments
A bus driver is being disciplined after he allegedly used homophobic slurs over an open radio channel during Belfast Pride.
The Translink bus driver is reported to have told his supervisor, on the company radio, that he couldn’t get his bus through the city’s streets because there were “too many bum-busters” in the road.
The Belfast Telegraph reports that the driver repeated the slur and then defended his comments to his supervisors, the other bus drivers who heard him on the radio and Translink passengers who were in his vehicle.
In a statement to the BBC, the bus operator apologised to its passengers and staff for the driver’s “offensive language”.
They said: “We take incidents of this nature very seriously and we expect all our staff to deal with their passengers and colleagues in a friendly, helpful and professional manner at all times.
“A full investigation has been carried out and appropriate action is being taken.”
John O’Doherty from the Rainbow Project spoke to BBC Radio Ulster’s The Stephen Nolan Show saying that this was the kind of “everyday homophobia” that “still exists within our society” and which “in many ways is tolerated”.
He went on to say: “It shouldn’t be tolerated in the workplace especially in relation to public employers but the reality is in too many places and too many parts of our society it is still acceptable.”
Image Belfast Pride Instagram
Words Iona McGregor – Nelson, @i0na95