This is why Stonewall is telling people to come out for LGBT
Most hate crimes against LGBT people go unreported.
More than a fifth of LGBT people have been victims of hate crimes, such as insults, unwanted sexual contact, or even violence in the last year.
For trans people, that figures doubles to 41%, according to LGBT charity Stonewall.
Most of these incidents are in the form of insults, harassment and intimidation, which account for 87%.
Researchers spoke to more than 5,000 people in the UK to gauge how anti-LGBT hate crimes are affecting people.
So in response, Stonewall is encouraging people to “come out for LGBT”, by standing up as allies, donating to the charity, making a stand at work or educating young people.
Many celebs have come out in support of the cause, including comic actress Dawn French, Sherlock actor Andrew Scott, presenter Denise Welch and Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain.
Referee Ryan Atkin, who became the first openly gay professional official when he came out last month, explained why he was taking part in the campaign.
“Someone had texted a friend to say, ‘You know Ryan is gay, don’t you?’,” he said.
“The friend just replied ‘Yes. It’s 2017, it doesn’t matter!’.
“I hope in years to come, we won’t need these campaigns,” he said.
But while 36% of LGBT people still aren’t happy to hold their partners’ hands in public, and one in 10 have been discriminated against over housing, there’s plenty more still to do for the cause of equality.
