A gay couple living in the French city of Marseille were shocked to find a hand-written letter addressed to them asking them to leave the apartment building where they live as “homosexuals are the first to be contaminated” by the coronavirus.

David is a 33 year-old caregiver who lives with his partner in the city that has been on lock-down since March 16. Last Thursday, David’s partner was leaving for work as an Uber Eats driver when he noticed the homophobic note left on his windshield. 

The anonymous letter read in; “Could you please leave the residence because we know that you homosexuals are the first to be contaminated by COVID-19. This is the first warning. Thank you.”  Despite this statement not only being untrue but also extremely homophobic, the unprovoked “warning” was a clear attack on the couple. 

Davd spoke to TÊTU about the upsetting discovery, explaining that although the letter does not have a signature, the couple believe they know the culprit based on the handwriting. The neighbour they suspect wrote the ignorant and hateful note had previously filed a complaint against newlywed Muslim neighbours for the “oriental music” they were playing. He explained; “I think he [the neighbour] is a person without intelligence and education. I think this person is certainly religious and that he truly believes in what he says.”

Upset and alarmed by the coronavirus note, the gay couple went straight to local authorities, however they were told at the police station that the letter was “not a threat but a warning”, meaning they were able to file a report, however nothing would be done about the neighbour.

Despite the failure with local police however, David received immense support on Facebook after he posted about the incident, with the story reaching Bordeaux Police’s LGBT team, who have since taken up the case. The LGBT team are taking the letter very seriously and have suggested methods such as DNA testing or hand-writing analysis to bring the offender to justice. Due to the pandemic however, French police, like all other citizens, are facing restrictions on their movement, so it is uncertain when this case will eventually be solved. Until then David and his partner must live on edge not knowing whether or not their neighbour will follow through on their promise of this being the “first warning” in an already stressful time.