Sydney radio presenter Loren Barry has publicly described a disturbing homophobic attack that targeted her housemate and his partner during a weekend walk, an incident that left her profoundly shaken and prompted an official police report.
Shocking Incident Details
Loren Barry, co-host of 2Day FM's The Hot Hits with Nic & Loren, took to Instagram to express her fury after the vile attack occurred. She shared that her housemate and his partner were walking hand-in-hand when individuals in a moving vehicle screamed homophobic slurs at them not once, but twice.
In her emotional social media post, Barry directly addressed the perpetrators: 'To the brave young men who screamed f*** you, you f***ing f***ots twice from a moving vehicle to my friends while they simply walked down the street... F*** you too.'
She emphasised the unacceptability of such behaviour, stating, 'We've filed a police report because this is 2025 and being homophobic is really embarrassing.'
On-Air Emotional Account
The radio star further elaborated on the traumatic event during her show on Monday night with co-host Nic Kelly. Barry explained the incident happened as the group returned from a pleasant breakfast outing in Sydney.
'They are two of the loveliest men you will ever know in your life, walking down the street doing literally nothing wrong,' she recounted. Initially distracted by her dog, Barry said she mistook the shouting for a general altercation before realising the venom was directed squarely at her friends.
'When we looked up, they turned the corner and screamed it again,' she told listeners. 'And when I say screamed it, I mean with this vicious tone in their voice. It was so disgusting.' The shock of the event was so severe it caused Barry to 'burst into tears' on the street.
Community Response and Police Action
Barry's distress was compounded when one of the victims tried to comfort her by saying, 'Don't cry, this happens all the time.' This revelation that such attacks are commonplace horrified her further. 'It made me even more upset because this is 2025,' she stated, noting she lives in what she considered a progressive part of Sydney.
However, she found encouragement in the police response, revealing that authorities took the report 'very seriously' and had 'even paid those people a visit today.'
Co-host Nic Kelly shared his personal connection to the story, revealing he too had been targeted in a similar fashion, agreeing that such incidents 'completely rock you.'
The segment concluded with a message of solidarity for anyone who has experienced similar hate crimes, assuring them they are 'loved and supported.' A clip of their discussion posted online drew widespread support from listeners, who praised the hosts for addressing the issue on mainstream radio and standing up for the LGBTQ+ community.
