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"As a gay man in London, I would point out that some of the most homophobic people I have had the misfortune to encounter are police people. It is no wonder that gay men and women don't want to report crimes against them, because they often believe, and in my opinion rightly so, that they will not be treated in a sympathetic manner, indeed quite the reverse."—Nick, London, United Kingdom

What is Homophobia or Homophobic Abuse?

  • Homophobia is a resentment or fear of gay and lesbian people. This could be shown as a passive dislike of gay people, or active victimisation.
  • Transphobia is a resentment or fear of transgender or transsexual people.
  • A Hate Crime is any incident which constitutes a criminal offence, perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by prejudice or hate.

A hate crime may be committed on grounds of gender, sexuality, disability, race or religion. For the purposes of this website we are focussing on hate crimes against sexuality—homophobic hate crimes and incidents. However, that does not mean you cannot use this site if you have been a victim of any other sort of hate crime. Equality should be for everyone.

A homophobic hate crime is any criminal offence committed against a person or property that is motivated by the offender's hate of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This can include verbal, physical or emotional abuse by an individual or group; but always directed specifically at someone who is—or who is thought to be—lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Help Us Tackle Homophobia

Are you being...

…because you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender? Then this is a homophobic incident, and it could well be a hate crime. Tell someone about it.

The incident may not, in the eyes of the law, be an actual criminal offence, but you should still inform the police. The more information the police can gather, the easier it will be to stamp out homophobia—and, in many cases, the resulting hate crimes.

Homophobic Bullying

Bullying can have far reaching and serious effects. Everyday taunts and verbal abuse is a scary experience which can knock your confidence and make life a misery. In some cases, it is so bad, the victims feel so alone and unhappy. They don't want to admit to anyone what they're going through, so they take their own lives. Teenager Laura Rhodes, who died after taking an overdose in September 2004 because of anti-gay abuse at school, is a recent example. Click here for more information on Laura's tragic death.

Although bullying is often associated with education, it does not apply to people of a certain age in a certain situation. Anyone may be bullied, at any age, in any situation. If bullies are making your life difficult, chances are, they're making other people's lives difficult too. Someone needs to speak out against them.

No-one should have to put up with the stress, pain and fear that homophobia creates. Everyone is an individual, everyone is different; and no matter who you are, you have the right to live your life without fear or prejudice.

If You Are A Victim

  • say something
  • make as much noise as possible, and attract the attention of others
  • as soon as you have the opportunity, go somewhere safe
  • get help immediately—in an emergency, dial 999
  • if you have been attacked, store your clothes in a plastic bag and don't shower until you've talked to the police; it may destroy evidence
  • take photographs of any injuries or damage to property to use as evidence
  • get medical attention for any injuries
  • if your keys have been taken, change the locks
  • don't drink alcohol, as you will need to give clear details of the incident
  • report the incident to the police, making sure they give you a crime reference number
  • if police come to the scene of the crime or incident, get the officers' names and badge numbers
  • tell the police that you want the incident or crime recorded as homophobic
  • try to tell the police as much as you can about the attack

If You Are A Witness

  • say something
  • in an emergency, dial 999
  • be on the alert and try to stay safe
  • don't physically get involved, as you could get hurt
  • write down as many details as you can about the incident
  • report the incident to the police