Brooke Cleal Details Horrific Homophobia Post-Bachelor 2021
“Being stuck on a boat with a bunch of homophobes was not on my bucket list.”
The Bachelor Australia 2021 runner-up, Brooke Cleal, has detailed her recent experience of “homophobia” with her girlfriend, Alyssa Viktoria.
In August 2023, Brooke hard-launched her romance on Instagram, detailing her “struggles” with coming to terms with her sexuality before finding a “loving, liberating and empowering” relationship with Alyssa.
Now, she’s taken to her Instagram to tell followers of the “worst homophobia” she and Alyssa have been victims of.
Explaining that they have “experienced the highs and lows of [their] sexuality”, Brooke said it was nothing compared to what they experienced while out for dinner recently.
“We were seated next to a family of four: two kids, husband and wife. The daughter was taking Snapchats of me and Alyssa holding hands and kissing through our entire entree,” she recalled.
“At this point, I was eating with a phone directly in front of us with them laughing and screaming ‘lesbians’, ‘get them on Snapchat’.”
The Bachelor star continued: “When I confronted them to stop they recoiled, so I flagged it with one of the staff members who should be commended on how wonderful she handled the situation. She moved us away from them, feeling hurt and upset for us (probably feeling helpless at this point).”
The Bachelor‘s Brooke Cleal admits ‘homophobic’ encounter ‘won’t be the last’
Brooke — who vied for Jimmy Nicholson‘s heart on the dating show — explained that the “dad then started yelling ‘paranoid lesbians’” as they moved tables while the family sat “laughing”.
“They partnered up with another couple whilst disembarking with their phones up, yelling, ‘OOO Snapchatting the lesbians’,” she said. “At the end of the cruise, we waited with the staff until we felt safe to leave the dock.
“Let me tell you, being stuck on a boat with a bunch of homophobes was not on my bucket list.”
Brooke confessed this experience was “probably the worst” homophobia she’s come across. However, she deduced it is “most likely not the last of it”.
“I’m not writing this for sympathy but to share and use my platform [to] create inclusivity and alert others homophobia is still very real and sometimes right in front of us,” she concluded.
“I feel like this situation would have beaten me down, but if anything, I just feel stronger and proud that I can stand up for myself, my partner and the community despite the emotional hangover today.”
