The equalities minister, Nicky Morgan, said: “The Equality & Human Rights Commission has my full support in its campaign to encourage LGB&T people to report hate crimes to the relevant authorities, and they deserve to know that when they report these abhorrent crimes they will be taken seriously and dealt with fairly.” |
So why don't people report hateful messages or actions more often? Surely the process is there, available for all to use? The way to report it seems quite easy: http://www.report-it.org.uk/report_a_hate_crime or you could use http://www.stophateuk.org/report-lgb-and-t-hate-crime/ |
The Equality & Human Rights Commission report found 88% of LGBT people they spoke to had experienced some form of hate incident leaving them with emotional and physical scars. (quote taken from here)
Surely one of the concerns is that of revenge, retribution? What if the Police action is to delay proceedings or even not to take action?
The online forms to report hate crime require your name. This places you on course to be eventually named.
But so many don't report hate crimes. According to the Stonewall Report issued in 2013 they said that:
This comment from their report is awful:
Victims gave a variety of reasons for not reporting a hate crime or incident but the overriding message is that many lesbian, gay and bisexual people still feel they have to reconcile themselves to abuse and that if they do complain their complaints will not be taken seriously by those in authority.
To say this has to stop is an understatement and doesn't even start to rectify generations of hatred.
We need to focus our energy, utilising the trend of using social media, to ensure that our voice is heard, and that action is taken.
People need to stop being bystanders and stand up for people who are harassed or attacked.
Petitions and writing to our MP does not seem to have the same effect now as in the past.
Rather than direct action perhaps we should adopt the #LoveWins hashtag. Churches need to welcome the LGBTQ+ community more, promote conversation to break down the possible stereotypical views developed over many decades. Schools need to educate the children that diversity is acceptable and that parental views, again developed over many decades, from generation to generation, need to be addressed and changed. The Government need to take steps to ensure that the people can raise concerns and especially incidents when they are attacked/harassed, and that they will be taken seriously and the incidents actioned. One report suggested:
We need to focus our energy, utilising the trend of using social media, to ensure that our voice is heard, and that action is taken.
People need to stop being bystanders and stand up for people who are harassed or attacked.
Petitions and writing to our MP does not seem to have the same effect now as in the past.
Rather than direct action perhaps we should adopt the #LoveWins hashtag. Churches need to welcome the LGBTQ+ community more, promote conversation to break down the possible stereotypical views developed over many decades. Schools need to educate the children that diversity is acceptable and that parental views, again developed over many decades, from generation to generation, need to be addressed and changed. The Government need to take steps to ensure that the people can raise concerns and especially incidents when they are attacked/harassed, and that they will be taken seriously and the incidents actioned. One report suggested:
- There should be more engagement with the LGBT community, and not just through a limited group of representatives
- There should be more effective awareness campaigns which focus on successful prosecutions
- Allow people to report hate crime anonymously