HATE crime against lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Scotland has increased by a shocking 89 per cent in five years, according to a new report.
The research by Stonewall Scotland also shows that over the last 12 months one in five lesbian, gay and bisexual people have experienced a hate crime or incident while almost half of transgender people have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their gender identity.
They reported being spat at, verbally abused and prevented from using both female and male toilets if they were transgender.
Testimonies in the report included one from 28-year-old Dylan who said he had been “kicked out of both the women’s and the men’s changing rooms in a department store because I was perceived as not male or female enough to use them”.
A quarter of those surveyed said they avoided certain streets because they didn’t feel safe while over a third (36 per cent) said they wouldn’t hold hands in public for fear of being abused.
However, more than four in five anti-LGBT hate crimes and incidents go unreported to the authorities, with younger LGBT people particularly reluctant to go to the police.
In light of the figures, Stonewall Scotland is launching a national awareness campaign to encourage all people to “Come Out for LGBT” and show support.
“While we have come a long way in the past 25 years it is clear there is still a huge amount of work we need to do before all LGBT people can feel safe, included and free to be themselves,” said Colin Macfarlane, director of Stonewall Scotland.
“This report warns against complacency, and stands as a call to action for everyone who supports equality. We now need to work together, to bring forward the day when no individual faces hatred or discrimination simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“At Stonewall Scotland, we want everyone who feels impacted by reading this report to join our campaign and pledge to come out for LGBT people everywhere, as visible allies. Together we can create a world where LGBT people are accepted without exception.”
Based on YouGov polling of 1260 LGBT people in Scotland, the research revealed that the number of lesbian, gay and bi people who have experienced hate crime has increased by 89 per cent in five years, from nine per cent in 2013 to 17 per cent in 2017.
Young people appear to be particularly vulnerable with more than a third of LGBT aged 18-24 (35 per cent) experiencing a hate crime or incident based on their gender identity and/or sexual orientation in the last year.
One in eight (13 per cent) LGBT people said they had been discriminated against because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity when visiting a café, restaurant, bar or nightclub in the last year. Over a third of LGBT (37 per cent) said they now avoided certain bars and restaurants due to fear of discrimination. This number significantly increased for trans people, more than half of whom (57 per cent) say they avoid certain venues. More than half of trans people (55 per cent) do not feel comfortable using public toilets because of fear of discrimination.
To find out more about how to support Stonewall Scotland’s campaign go to www.stonewall.org.uk/come outforLGBT.
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