‘It’s 2026 for f***’s sake’: Indian influencer Ankush Bahuguna faces homophobic abuse on London streets over pink suit

NEW DELHI: Indian influencer and beauty creator Ankush Bahuguna recently shared his experience of facing ‘homophobic abuse’ on the streets of London after attending a Huda Beauty event in a pink suit and makeup look.

Ankush took to Instagram to post a video titled ‘Homophobia on the streets of London’, where he spoke about being mocked by a group of men while walking in the city. The influencer had worn a pink power suit for the event, which had a pink theme. In the video, Ankush said a group of men passed comments and hooted at him because of his outfit.

Reacting to the incident, Ankush said, “It’s 2026 for f**k’s sake, and this is what happens on the street if you just wear pink. This is sick.” He also spoke about how surprising it was for him to face such behaviour in London. “You think since this is London, it would be more progressive, more open-minded, more modern… but clearly not,” he said.

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Ankush further shared that he felt intimidated at that moment because several men were yelling at him together. “There is so much I could have said in that moment, but obviously I got intimidated because there were so many of them hooting and yelling at me,” he added.

The influencer also revealed that this was not the only incident he faced that day. He said similar comments were made by different groups throughout the day whenever he walked past them. While sharing more about his experience, Ankush said women appreciated his look, but many men and even children passed rude remarks at him. “Even kids have walked past me and said absurd s**t,” he said. “I am laughing about it, but it is not funny,” he added.

He ended the video with a strong message on masculinity and judgment. “If a guy just minding his own business is making you feel uncomfortable, it’s not his masculinity that’s weak,” he added.

Several celebrities and creators supported Ankush in the comments section. Content creator Kusha Kapila wrote, “I am so sorry this happened to you, Ankush. Most men who feel the need to do this have probably never given themselves the freedom to wear beautiful clothes.”

Actor Shibani Dandekar Akhtar also reacted to the incident and wrote, “I’m so sorry this happened to you, sending love.” Content creator Dolly Singh called the behaviour “disgusting.”

Ankush Bahuguna is one of India’s most popular digital creators and beauty influencers. He is widely known for breaking stereotypes by normalising makeup and skincare for men on social media. (ANI)