Sam Smith is 22-years old, gay and happy but not everyone finds it cool.
In a recent interview with The Sun, the four-time Grammy winner has revealed he was physically assaulted shortly after moving to London in an unprovoked homophobic attack.
“When I moved to London I got punched in the neck walking back from work. It was definitely homophobic. I was on the phone speaking quite loudly and had pink headphones on so it was pretty clear I was gay,” the ‘Stay With Me’ singer told the magazine.
Smith admits his torture began when he 11 when he would be teased by other children at school. He admitted the insults continued throughout his teenage years.
“A bunch of boys from a rival school would shout insults at me as I walked from my home to the train station. I remember walking to the station getting ‘f*****’ shouted at me all the time. It was the most mortifying thing. Not so much for me. I knew these people were stupid, uneducated t****.” he recalled.
Smith believes it will take a longer time for others to fully accept and understand gay people. “I knew then it was going to take a lot longer to be accepted. There’s a lot of homophobia and bullying in the gay community,” he said.
Speaking at The Metro Centre in London, which provides help to young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people who have been outcast by their families, he says it’s vital the gay community supports each other.
“There’s also a lot of body dysmorphia in the gay community, which means if you’re not toned and skinny it can be awful.”
