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Gay news: Home secretary announces £250,000 fund to help victims of homophobic crime
Blow the whistle on gay hate crime
Alan Johnson launches Stonewall's anti-gay hate crime guide
Home secretary Alan Johnson has assisted in the launch of a Stonewall guide which encourages people to identify and report homophobic crime.
In booklet form, Blow the whistle on gay hate will be distributed in bars, clubs and student unions, and will also be available online. It defines hate crime and advises victims on how to speak to the police when reporting it.
In 2008, Stonewall reported that one in five of lesbian, gay and bisexual people had been a victim of a homophobic hate crime or incident in the preceding three years and that three-quarters of those did not report it to the police.
At the launch in central London, Johnson said: "It's unacceptable that anyone should live in fear of attack and abuse simply because of who they are.
"Stonewall's new hate crime guide is both timely and welcome and I'm delighted that the Home Office Hate Crime Victim's Fund has been able to support it.
"I'm also pleased to announce that from today more victims of hate crime and their families will benefit from this year's fund of £250,000 which will provide increased access to the support, giving people the confidence to report crimes, knowing they will be taken seriously and acted on.
"The fund is an integral part of the government's Hate Crime Action Plan which was launched last year and sets out our response to the challenges we face."
Ben Summerskill, Stonewall's chief executive, added: "Hate crime and the fear of hate crime overshadow the lives of too many lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain.
"We hope this guide will encourage more people to report anti-gay hate crime, and will help the police to respond and target their work more effectively."
