Improving community safety for LGBTQ+ people in Redbridge
Statistics show that LGBTQ+ people are at greater risk of hate crime and abuse. Incidents have a profound affect on people and often means they do not feel able to live as they would like to.
Two-thirds (64%) of LGBTQ+ people had experienced anti-LGBT+ violence or abuse at some point.
One third (34%) of Black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBT people have experienced a hate crime or incident in the past twelve months, compared to one in five white LGBT people (20%).
Less than half (44%) of LGBTQ+ people feel safe holding their partner’s hand in public.
We know from our own surveys that LGBTQ+ people in Redbridge experience different kinds of hate crime and abuse:
‘In certain areas, I don’t feel like I can hold my partner’s hand without feeling threatened.’
‘I sometimes get a laughing reaction, or I overhear comments about me when entering certain establishments or in public places.’
‘There has been an increase of verbal homophobia.’
‘I censor some of my behaviour and couch what I say sometimes.’
Our work to increase community safety
We are working with local organisations, groups and businesses to help them to better understand hate crime and abuse against LGBTQ+ people and what actions they can take to prevent it and increase safety and confidence for LGBTQ+ people in Redbridge. We will run workshops with a group of local organisations to help them to develop a zero-tolerance approach to LGBTQ+ hate crime, as well as offering a range of resources and lower-level support to a wider group of local organisations, groups and businesses.
Contact us if you would like to discuss how your organisation could get involved.
See the Community Safety section of our Directory for ways to report hate crime, domestic abuse, places where you feel unsafe or other crimes, as well as where to get support.
This project is funded by MOPAC Community Engagement Structure Funding, overseen by the Redbridge Safer Neighbourhood Board.