Drag Race star Bimini Bon Boulash has spoken out after a boy was attacked at Great Yarmouth's Pride event.
Police are investigating an assault in St George's Park on Saturday, September 3, where a 13-year-old boy was assaulted at 8.19pm.
Great Yarmouth and Waveney Pride has said the teenager was attacked by a group of "thugs" while he was "happily expressing his sexuality and wearing a Pride Flag".
Bimini Bon Boulash, who grew up in the coastal town, said in an Instagram post: "Homophobia is still happening and and it's heartbreaking to know that these people are being attacked and we can't allow it to happen."
Overall the Pride event on Saturday was hailed by organisers as being "warm and inviting" as hundreds turned out for the parade and street party.
Speaking on the day, Bimini, who reached the final in the second season of Ru Paul's Drag Race UK, said: "It is really important to see that smaller towns embracing and celebrating pride as it demonstrates that people are becoming more accepting."
Great Yarmouth and Waveney Pride has launched a "fightback" against 'phobic behaviour towards the LGBTQ+ community and is inviting people via its Facebook page to complete a survey helping police to understand the scale of the issue.
The group said: "Great Yarmouth as a whole has become more accepting and tolerant to people of various sexualities, genders, economic backgrounds, races etc. However, we still have a long way to go in our fight for the right to live our lives in freedom and without hate."
An investigation has been opened into the assault by Great Yarmouth police and Inquiries are said to be ongoing.
A separate incident also occurred on Saturday afternoon in the Market Place when a girl in her early teens was passing a man who made homophobic and religiously aggravated comments which caused her to feel alarmed and distressed.
Chief inspector, Matthew Dyson said: “Norfolk Constabulary takes these incidents very seriously and encourages anyone who witnessed these incidents to get in touch.
"We would also urge anyone who has been a victim of a hate crime to contact us.”
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