LGBT Discrimination – referral information
In 2017, LGBT people enjoy more legal rights than ever before, including same-sex marriage, adoption rights, and the ability for transgender people to change their legal gender. Yet according to Galop, an LGBT anti-violence charity, 4 in 5 LGBT people have experienced a hate crime related to their sexual orientation or gender identity. 1 in 4 experienced violent hate crime; 1 in 3 experienced online hate crime; and 1 in 10 experienced sexual hate crime. According to Stonewall’s ‘Homophobic Hate Crime’ report, the UK’s leading LGBT rights charity, 1 in 6 LGBT people have experienced a hate crime in the past three years alone.
Homophobic and transphobic hate crime can take many forms, from verbal abuse to physical violence and murder. It can also take the form of harassment, such as hate mail, phone calls, texts, emails, graffiti, repeated name calling, following, pestering or repeated theft or damage to property – though physical violence often has devastating effects on people, harassment can be very damaging to the victim too as they feel constantly unsafe.
Being the victim of a homophobic or transphobic hate crime can be incredibly traumatic, but there are many different resources available, the first of which is always:
The Police
Ring 999 if a hate crime is currently in progress, violence is being used or threatened, or there is danger to life.
You can report a hate crime by contacting your local police force, either by telephone or by visiting your local police station. Details on how to contact your local police station can be found at www.police.co.uk.
You can also contact the police using the non-emergency number 101.
True Vision, www.report-it.org.uk/home
True Vision are an online resource that provides information on hate crimes, ways you can report them, an online reporting method, and information on help and support for victims of hate crimes.
To report a hate crime through their online form, go to https://beta.met.police.uk/true-vision-report-hate-crime/
Crimestoppers, 0800 555 111, https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
You can anonymously report a hate crime to Crimestoppers, an independent crime charity, via their number or via their online form found here: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information-online/.
Galop, http://www.galop.org.uk/
Galop are a leading LGBT anti-violence charity, independently run and not connected to the police. They provide information about homophobic and transphobic hate crimes, and have their own online report form found here: http://www.galop.org.uk/online-report-form/.
Stonewall, http://www.stonewall.org.uk/help-advice/hate-crime/what-hate-crime
Stonewall, the UK’s leading LGBT rights charity, provide an information resource on the different varieties of hate crime and what to do if you are a victim.
Switchboard: 0300 330 0630, www.switchboard.lgbt, chris@switchboard.lgbt
Switchboard provide an information, support and referral service for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. They run a helpline, email and instant messaging service from 10am to 10pm every day, and are supportive and non-judgemental. They will be able to support you as a victim of hate crime, and be able to refer you to specific services to aid you further.
