Indy Voices: Toxic

In the not-quite half-century since homosexual acts in private were legalised in most of the UK, we have seen a transformation in the fortunes of what we now call the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community...

And yet the number of homophobic attacks in England and Wales increased by almost a quarter last year, according to the Home Office. As the latest statistics demonstrate, 5,597 fellow citizens were assaulted for no other reason than their perceived sexual preferences.

Given the scale of under-reporting of such offences, especially of the more minor acts of verbal abuse, which can nonetheless be deeply hurtful and disturbing, the true scale of verbal and physical homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and other phobias is likely to be far higher. A total of 52,528 hate crimes were recorded, more than 80 per cent of which were motivated by racial prejudice...

The Independent Voices editorial.

Although the small print reads; 'The increase in recorded crime may be partly because more people are willing to come forward and complain', this is rather silly and alarmist.

But that's Indy Voices for you, a forum to revel in everyone's apparent victimhood.