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A gay man is fighting for his life in Liverpool
He was attacked by 13 youths. He has multiple skull fractures and is in a life threatening condition. This was in liverpool's gay village. This was supposed to be a safe place. It's sad to say that there are no truly safe places for us and our safe communities are also hunting ground for people looking for GBLT people to abuse.
This needs to stop but by many accounts it is getting worse.
London reports an 18% increase in hate crimes against GBLT people. Now I'm hoping that's down to more GBLT people having the courage to approach the police (since many were wary of the police and are reluctant to seek help. I know when I last went to the police not too long ago they were... unsympathetic to say the least) but the fact is that such violence - up to and including murder and attempted murder - is happening. And we know it's still grossly under reported.
We need to fight this. We need to demand this stops. We need to demand that our safety be taken seriously. We need to demand that our lives should not be devalued.
Because hate like this doesn't arise from nowhere. Hate like this arises from a society that says we're less, that says we're worthless, that says we're worthy or deserving of abuse. Every homophobic comment, every bigoted clergyman or prejudiced politician or homophobic journalist, every denigrating comment and dismissive screed, every time someone sneers at us, every time someone says discrimination against us is ok, every law that allows GBLT people to be treated differently, as less - this creates the fertile soil in which hate grows. This creates the poisonous atmosphere that raises CHILDREN to think attacking us is ok. These are the words and the actions that cost our lives.
Hate doesn't appear in a vaccuum. This is why bigotry is never acceptable, othering is never acceptable and it is never, ever acceptable to diminish or devalue people or dismiss the attacks against them
He was attacked by 13 youths. He has multiple skull fractures and is in a life threatening condition. This was in liverpool's gay village. This was supposed to be a safe place. It's sad to say that there are no truly safe places for us and our safe communities are also hunting ground for people looking for GBLT people to abuse.
This needs to stop but by many accounts it is getting worse.
London reports an 18% increase in hate crimes against GBLT people. Now I'm hoping that's down to more GBLT people having the courage to approach the police (since many were wary of the police and are reluctant to seek help. I know when I last went to the police not too long ago they were... unsympathetic to say the least) but the fact is that such violence - up to and including murder and attempted murder - is happening. And we know it's still grossly under reported.
We need to fight this. We need to demand this stops. We need to demand that our safety be taken seriously. We need to demand that our lives should not be devalued.
Because hate like this doesn't arise from nowhere. Hate like this arises from a society that says we're less, that says we're worthless, that says we're worthy or deserving of abuse. Every homophobic comment, every bigoted clergyman or prejudiced politician or homophobic journalist, every denigrating comment and dismissive screed, every time someone sneers at us, every time someone says discrimination against us is ok, every law that allows GBLT people to be treated differently, as less - this creates the fertile soil in which hate grows. This creates the poisonous atmosphere that raises CHILDREN to think attacking us is ok. These are the words and the actions that cost our lives.
Hate doesn't appear in a vaccuum. This is why bigotry is never acceptable, othering is never acceptable and it is never, ever acceptable to diminish or devalue people or dismiss the attacks against them