On May 17, content creator and Instagram influencer Ankush Bahuguna posted a video titled “Homophobia on the streets of London”.
As Bahuguna walked through the streets of London in a hot pink suit, the comments began almost immediately. “Welcome to the parade,” a man shouted repeatedly from across the street, followed by hooting, catcalls, and laughter from others.
In the now-viral Instagram reel, Bahuguna’s expression visibly changes as the shouting continues, from confusion and discomfort to shock. Alongside the clip, he wrote, “What weak, insecure men sound like.”
Not an isolated moment
Bahuguna clarified in the video that what was captured on camera was not a one-off incident. He said the incident was not isolated, but something he had been experiencing all morning, managing to capture this particular one on camera.
“Every time I pass a group of guys, they make these comments. The girls are like, ‘Love your fit’ or ‘You look so good,’ so it’s clearly a men problem. Not just grown men, even little kids have walked past me and said absurd shit,” he said.
Ankush said, “It’s 2026 for f***’s sake and this is what happens on the street if you just wear pink.”
Why he did not confront the men
Although Bahuguna wanted to respond to the men making comments, their numbers felt intimidating, and he feared for his safety. Since he was alone in a foreign country and surrounded by several hecklers, he decided not to confront them despite thinking of responses later.
He had expected London to be different. “You think, ‘This is London, it would be more progressive, more open-minded, more modern,’ but clearly not,” he said in the reel.
Ending the video on a pointed note, he said, “If a guy just minding his own business is making you feel uncomfortable, it’s not his masculinity that’s weak.”
Why he decided to share the video
In an Instagram story, Bahuguna thanked followers for their messages of support and said he had debated whether to share the video or not.
He wrote, “But I know a lot of guys follow me. And men are capable of causing so much harm (without even realising it sometimes) simply because they were never taught better. I think people should see how ridiculous and unnecessary these comments sound from the outside.”
Celebrities react
Several Indian celebrities and public figures publicly backed Bahuguna after the video spread across social media.
Actor and influencer Kusha Kapila reacted to the video and suggested that such behaviour may come from insecurity and suppression. She wrote, “Most men who feel the need to do this have probably never given themselves the freedom to wear beautiful clothes.” She further added, “There’s plenty of eve-teasing in London too. The place really isn’t all that.”
Actress Swara Bhasker commented, “Wow! I’m so sorry, Ankush! More power and fabulousness to you.”
Actress Kubbra Sait wrote on her Instagram story, “I’m sorry you had to go through this. Your eyes… I could sense the fear and lack of safety. Thank you for sharing.”
Who is Ankush Bahuguna?
Ankush Bahuguna is an Indian beauty and lifestyle content creator based in New Delhi. He is one of India’s most prominent male makeup influencers. He has made it to cover of Forbes magazine and was featured on Forbes list of India’s top digital creators of 2023.
Bahuguna initially pursued architecture before finding his calling in content creation.
His work centres on challenging gender norms, particularly around men wearing makeup and unconventional fashion.
Bahuguna’s history of facing online hate
This is not the first time Bahuguna has faced homophobic abuse. He often faces criticism, trolling, homophobic comments from netizens over his beauty reels.
In an earlier incident, he shared screenshots of abusive comments and publicly responded, writing: “If you’re going to CHOOSE to write sh*t, I’ll give you your 2 min of fame. Calling someone gay/cha**a/ladki is not an insult. Do better.”