Survivors of Homophobic Attacks

Although the UK is considered a liberal country with good LGBTQ+ human rights, Stonewall (stonewall.org.uk) reported some disturbing facts and figures about the lives of LGBTQ+ people living in the UK today. Here is just a snippet of the report:
• One in eight LGBT people (13%) have experienced some form of unequal treatment from healthcare staff because they’re LGBTQ+.
• Seven in ten trans people (70%) report being impacted by transphobia when accessing general health services.
• Only half of lesbian, gay and bi people (46%) and trans people (47%) feel able to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity to everyone in their family.
• More than a third of LGBT staff (35%) have hidden that they are LGBT at work for fear of discrimination.
• Almost half of LGBT disabled people students (47%) have been the target of negative comments or conduct from other students.
• 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%).


These facts and figures reveal an uncomfortable truth that not all is well in a country deemed as liberal. Despite laws protecting LGBTQIA+ people in the UK, the reality of LGBTQIA+ people’s lives is quite different.