Stonewall: No Offence

Stonewall, the lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality charity, releases new research by YouGov today that shows offensive comments are frequently made about lesbian, gay, bi and trans people, but that very few people step in to challenge these slurs. The research comes ahead of Anti-Bullying Week.

In the past year, one in five (19 per cent) admitted to making offensive remarks about LGBT people. Almost a third (30 per cent) have heard offensive comments, or language like ‘poof’ or ‘dyke’, in the past month and half (49 per cent) have heard this sort of abuse in the past year.

Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of those who witnessed this abuse didn’t intervene, almost a third (31 per cent) said they did intervene but just three per cent said they offered support or assistance to the person targeted. The research also shows that women are twice as likely to confront someone they hear making offensive comments (27 per cent of women compared to 13 per cent of men).

Stonewall is asking people to sign up to its No Bystander pledge, and commit to calling out abuse when they hear it and to be brave, be heard and be kind. So far more than 16,500 people have signed up...

Stonewall. 

Not sure what we can deduce from this.

Does it include crap gags?

Calling someone a silly old queen?

Even if they are silly and an old queen (and you're their boyfriend)?

Going 'Whoops-a-daisy! 'in a 'comedy' camp voice?

Saying something's 'gay'?

Saying someone's gay?

Surprised it isn't higher tbh.

But hey! Why question a survey from an LGBT advocacy group who benefit from talking up a problem?

That'd be like questioning one of those endless 'surveys' from LGBT marketing groups saying we're all loaded.

Remember: 100% of surveys are 100% reliable!

PS Ben Goldacre points out some holes in a Stonewall survey about coming out.