LGBTQ Hate Crimes Are On the Rise In the UK

According to new numbers from the LGBTQ charity Stonewall, the number of attacks on queer individuals in the UK has risen at an alarming and troubling rate.

Up almost 80 percent in the last four years, Stonewall states that more than one in five LGBTQ people have experienced a “hate crime or incident due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.” The charity group used YouGov polling for more than 5000 people in the United Kingdom to identify this worrisome trend.

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Not every hate crime reported by the survey pool was a physically violent one. The most common form of intolerance people reported was being “insulted, pestered, intimidated, or harassed,” with almost 90 percent reporting being on the receiving end of this type of treatment. Transgender individuals are the most at-risk for abuse, with two in five have experienced a hate crime or incident in the last 12 months alone.

In response to these upsetting numbers, Stonewall has begun Come Out For LGBT, a new campaign they use to suggest improvements to police forces and other officials when dealing with LGBTQ-related hate crimes. “Many LGBT people still endure poor treatment while using public services and going about their lives, whether in their local shop, gym, school or place of worship,” said Stonewall Chief Executive Ruth Hunter in an introduction to the report. “These findings warn against complacency, and stand as a call to action. Building on the achievements of the past and working together as we look ahead, we can all play a role in bringing forward the day when every LGBT person, everywhere, is accepted without exception.”

Read the full Stonewall study, here.