LGBTQ+ hate crimes rose sharply after lockdown
The monthly average of offences rose to 2,110 after restrictions eased
Reports of homophobic and transphobic hate crime offences significantly rose, after lockdown eased, between May to August.
A new analysis showed that at least 14,670 sexual orientation hate crime offences were recorded from January to August 2021 across the UK, compared with 11,841 in the same period of 2020 and 10,817 in 2019.
While offences averaged 1,456 a month from January to April this year, they jumped to 2,211 on average from May to August.
There is a similar trend for transphobic offences, which averaged 208 a month from January to April, but 324 for May to August.
The figures were obtained by the PA news agency, based on freedom of information responses from 37 of 46 police forces.
However, many cases of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes during that period were under-reported.
LGBTQ+ people "still at risk of attack because of who we are"
Charity Stonewall described the rise as "worrying" and said the figures are a "stark reminder" that LGBTQ+ people are "still at risk of attack because of who we are".
The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) strongly encouraged victims to come forward and said officers are highly trained and will "treat everyone with respect and dignity and handle cases sensitively".
Details from the figures:
- 24 forces recorded their highest monthly number of homophobic offences since the start of 2019 during the period May-August 2021
- Some 2,129 transphobic offences were recorded in January to August this year - well above the equivalent period in 2019 (1,602) and 2020 (1,606)
- At least 6,985 homophobic hate crimes classed as violence against the person were recorded from January-August 2021 - almost matching the whole of 2019 (7,078) and close to the 2020 total (7,944)
- Violent transphobic crimes are also on course to exceed previous years, with at least 1,207 recorded to August 2021 compared with 1,216 and 1,354 for all of 2019 and 2020 respectively
Leni Morris, chief executive of Galop, the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, said it launched its hate crime helpline in February 2021 "because we saw a real impact on the community from the pandemic itself".
She said same-sex couples were more visible when out in public during periods of restrictions, and others faced "escalating violence" when locked down with homophobic or transphobic neighbours.
"We have some people who were victims of abuse and attacks because of being blamed for the pandemic itself, either because perpetrators thought the pandemic was an act of God - because of the existence of LGBT+ people - or because of the community's association with the last major pandemic in people's minds, and that's the HIV Aids pandemic."