We need your help to support people affected by LGBTQ+ hate crimes
Here at Stop Hate we are committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community in fighting against all types of gender and sexuality hate.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community are too often the victims of hate crimes
Everyone deserves to live openly, safely and with dignity. No one should face abuse, discrimination, harassment or violence because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
Stop Hate UK supports LGBTQ+ people affected by hate and discrimination. We provide a space for people to talk about their experiences, access information and explore their options for reporting incidents and obtaining support.
Hate directed at LGBTQ+ people can take many forms, including homophobic, biphobic and transphobic abuse, threats, physical attacks, harassment, online abuse and discriminatory treatment.
These experiences can affect people’s safety, wellbeing, relationships and ability to participate fully in society. They can also reinforce wider prejudice and make people feel that they must conceal their identity to avoid hostility.
We believe LGBTQ+ people deserve equal dignity, respect and opportunities. Our work is focused on challenging prejudice, supporting people affected by hate and helping create communities where everyone can feel safe and included.
What Is LGBTQIA+ Hate?
LGBTQ+ is an umbrella term that includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual and other people whose sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristics differ from social expectations.
Hate and discrimination can affect people across these communities, although their experiences and the forms of hostility they encounter may differ.
Homophobia refers to prejudice, hostility or discrimination towards gay people or people perceived to be gay.
Biphobia refers to prejudice, hostility or discrimination towards bisexual people or people perceived to be bisexual.
Transphobia refers to prejudice, hostility or discrimination towards transgender people or people perceived to be transgender.
People may also experience hostility because they are lesbian, queer, intersex, asexual or have another sexual orientation, gender identity or sex characteristic. Some people experience several forms of prejudice at the same time.
Examples of LGBTQIA+ hate and discrimination include:
Verbal abuse, slurs and humiliating remarks about someone’s identity.
Threats, harassment, intimidation or physical violence.
Online abuse, threatening messages or targeted harassment.
Discrimination in employment, education, housing or the provision of services.
Deliberately outing someone or threatening to disclose private information about their identity without their consent.
Excluding, isolating or mistreating someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Targeting couples who show affection in public, such as holding hands.
Encouraging others to harass or intimidate LGBTQ+ people.
Some incidents may constitute criminal offences or unlawful discrimination. Others may involve harmful prejudice or hostility that does not meet the legal threshold for a particular offence. Regardless, people affected by hate should be able to seek support and explore their options.
The Impact of LGBTQ+ Hate
Hate and discrimination can affect people’s safety, confidence, relationships, wellbeing and sense of belonging.
People targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender expression can experience fear, humiliation, isolation, distress or a loss of trust in their surroundings. Repeated incidents can make it difficult to feel safe at home, at work, in education, online or in public spaces.
Some people may feel pressure to conceal their identity or avoid activities and places where they fear being targeted. Others may worry about seeking help because they fear being judged, dismissed or outed without their consent.
The impact can extend beyond the immediate victim. Attacks on LGBTQ+ people can intimidate others who share their identity and reinforce the message that they do not belong or should not express themselves openly.
Hostility can also affect partners, families, friends and wider communities.
Everyone should be able to participate in society without being targeted because of who they are or whom they love. Challenging LGBTQ+ hate means taking people’s experiences seriously, supporting those affected and addressing the prejudice and discrimination that allow hostility to continue.
Hate Crimes Against the LGBTQ+ Community
The Home Office’s hate crime figures, in the year ending 2026, show:
21,407 sexual orientation hate crime offences in England and Wales in the year ending March 2026.
This was a 1% decrease compared with the 21,527 offences recorded in the previous year.
3,955 transgender identity hate crime offences were recorded separately, a 4% decrease from the previous year.
Once again, these figures relate to offences recorded by the police. They do not capture the actual landscape of incidents and crimes experienced by LGBTQ+ people, hence should not be interpreted as a complete measure of prevalence.
Supporting victims of Hate Crimes when they need it most through our support line
We support people directly affected by Hate Crime, help them cope with the incident, and navigate their options.
Stop Hate UK’s helpline service provides confidential and independent support, and people can report anonymously. We provide our callers a safe space to tell us about their experiences and let us know what they need and want to happen. We will then explore options and next steps with our caller.
Stories from callers
Caller was holding hands with his male partner when they were targeted by a religious group in the street. They were told by the group that it was a sin they were together. Members of the public circled the pair and also started making similar remarks. The first man’s comments had almost given other bystanders permission to join in and intimidate the pair in the incident.
The helpline team member listened carefully to the caller describing the incident and how it made him feel. They provided important emotional support, reassurance that what happened was a Hate incident, logged it and provided guidance on what to do if something like this happened again.
One caller was a gender fluid teenager who after coming out to their parents, didn’t get the support they needed from their family. They were very reluctant to engage in support for fear that their family may find out and further ostracize them. Cut off from their family support system and unsure how to get help, they reached out to Stop Hate UK.
Our helpline team built up a relationship using the caller’s preferred method of communication (email), and ultimately facilitated a referral to a local LGBT Youth Support group so they could build relationships with other people of a similar age who could relate and provide advice, emotional support and connection. They appreciated that Stop Hate UK was one of the only services to not force them into anything, and let them communicate the way they felt comfortable.
Improving understanding of gender and sexuality driven discrimination and hate
We believe in driving towards change for the future, providing education and communication aimed at decreasing hate crime against the LGBTQ+ community. It’s critical that we address prejudice and hate at its source in the current climate of hate.
Stop Hate UK tackles LGBTQ+ Hate and discrimination by educating organisations and communities through bespoke training programmes delivered to a range of corporate and community groups including police, schools, housing providers, local authorities and corporations. We also develop and promote online educational resources which help people to understand LGBTQ+ Hate Crimes.
Our work is impacted by our conversations with LGBTQ+ organisations and individuals, as well as our participation in campaigns that aim to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community or raise awareness about the issues faced by the community.
To be able to support and provide specialised services, we continually build our relationships with LGBTQ+ individuals and organisations.
Why Support Us
Acceptance and freedom for the LGBTQI+ community has progressed over the years, but hate incidents and crimes towards the community remain frequent.
This year, we saw a shocking spate of homophobic and transphobic attacks in Liverpool and across other UK cities during Pride Month. This showcases the continued need for our vital reporting services and advocacy support to be there for people affected by LGBTQI+ Hate incidents and crimes.
If the LGBTQI+ movement over the last decade has shown us anything, it is that community and collective people power can change our social justice landscape drastically. It is with your collective support that we can ensure that no one suffers alone when they experience or witness a Hate Crime.