Homophobic crime on the rise

[martok]

This sort of crime is occurring more because of growing intolerance in society. It is no use pointing at any one group in particular as responsible for this, the simple fact is that we have a disjointed and ill-functioning society and we need to collectively take steps to fix that. One first step would be to stop trying to blame party X or Religion Z.

 

Does intolerance increase as population density and diversity increases?

[monkey104]

Bear in mind that anyone in the gay community can have offences committed against them wether it be assault, criminal damage or theft, just like any other member of the community.

It is only if they have been targeted because of or when words of a derogatory nature with regards to their sexuality are used in the commission of the offence that it becomes a hate crime.

I think there is a view amongst some that probably feel that there are gangs going around targeting gays.

[tzijlstra]

Does intolerance increase as population density and diversity increases?

 

No, classic example for that is the United States. Intolerance increases as people get scared of other people, usually driven by both irrational response to reporting and by a decrease in personal circumstances.

 

That intolerance should go up in the UK is not surprising, have a look at the red top headlines of the past fifteen years or so. There is a concerted agenda to increase fear in the population (fear sells, whether that is newspapers or reasons to go to war).

[martok]

No, classic example for that is the United States. Intolerance increases as people get scared of other people, usually driven by both irrational response to reporting and by a decrease in personal circumstances.

 

That intolerance should go up in the UK is not surprising, have a look at the red top headlines of the past fifteen years or so. There is a concerted agenda to increase fear in the population (fear sells, whether that is newspapers or reasons to go to war).

 

So the irrational fear is likley to increase as density and diversity increases.

 

Someone that has an irrational fear of spiders is likley to be more fearful if the number and types of spider increases, this is likely to increase their intolerance and violence towards spiders.

 

Would the same not apply if spiders are replaced by people?

[tzijlstra]

So the irrational fear is likley to increase as density and diversity increases.

 

Someone that has an irrational fear of spiders is likley to be more fearful if the number and types of spider increases, this is likely to increase their intolerance and violence towards spiders.

 

Would the same not apply if spiders are replaced by people?

 

No you are twisting my point, quite expertly one might add, there is no causal relation between increase of population and intolerance, there is a causal relation between fear and intolerance.

[Mister M]

No it's clearly about all those nasty right wingers, have you seen all the Nazis stomping around the streets these days

The whole thread is suffering from a big dose of Guardianista style hyperbole, I have to admit I have seen incidents of violent crime over the years but never seen anyone attacked just for being gay !

 

But you wouldn't deny the fact that anti gay hate crime still happens, even though you haven't seen or experienced it?

[martok]

No you are twisting my point, quite expertly one might add, there is no causal relation between increase of population and intolerance, there is a causal relation between fear and intolerance.

 

But if a community isn't experiencing expansion and increased diversity what would cause the increase in fear?

 

---------- Post added 27-11-2014 at 10:33 ----------

 

Its not just a UK problem, so what is the common demonstrator?

 

EU survey reveals widespread LGBT hate crime and discrimination.

http://www.euronews.com/2013/05/17/eu-poll-reveals-levels-of-violent-homophobia/

Europe’s largest ever survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people reveals that just over a quarter of LGBT people have been attacked or threatened with violence in the past five years.

 

The results of an online survey of some 93,000 people last year have been released by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights at a conference in The Hague.

 

Some 80 per cent of the most serious incidents of violence suffered by respondents were never reported to the police, often because they did not believe the police would do anything to help them. Conference participants are calling for urgent action.

 

Some 47 per cent of those surveyed said they had been discriminated against or harassed on the grounds of sexual orientation in the year before the survey, while 19 per cent said they felt discriminated against at work or when looking for a job.

 

The report also reveals that 66 per cent of LGBT people are afraid to hold hands in public with their partner and this rises to 75 per cent for gay and bisexual men. Negative comments and bullying in schools are also widespread, with 80 per cent of those surveyed saying they recall this happening at school.

[Michael_W]

But you wouldn't deny the fact that anti gay hate crime still happens, even though you haven't seen or experienced it?

 

No more than you wouldn't deny there is violent crime within the gay community or that some gay people are right wing, how would that fit in with your hyperbolic 1930s Nazi Germany analogy ?

[Mister M]

No more than you wouldn't deny there is violent crime within the gay community or that some gay people are right wing, how would that fit in with your hyperbolic 1930s Nazi Germany analogy ?

 

Of course I wouldn't deny that there is violent crime within the gay community, or that there are gay people with right wing opinions: my reference to what happened in Germany in the 1930s was a reference to how some people blame and scapegoat marginalised groups for their own or society's problems. And how attacks on disabled people through the use of words such as scrounger and skiver in the press are happeneing at the same time as disabled people are facing a rise in hate crimes against them.

[tzijlstra]

But if a community isn't experiencing expansion and increased diversity what would cause the increase in fear?

 

---------- Post added 27-11-2014 at 10:33 ----------

 

Its not just a UK problem, so what is the common demonstrator?

 

EU survey reveals widespread LGBT hate crime and discrimination.

http://www.euronews.com/2013/05/17/eu-poll-reveals-levels-of-violent-homophobia/

Europe’s largest ever survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people reveals that just over a quarter of LGBT people have been attacked or threatened with violence in the past five years.

 

The results of an online survey of some 93,000 people last year have been released by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights at a conference in The Hague.

 

Some 80 per cent of the most serious incidents of violence suffered by respondents were never reported to the police, often because they did not believe the police would do anything to help them. Conference participants are calling for urgent action.

 

Some 47 per cent of those surveyed said they had been discriminated against or harassed on the grounds of sexual orientation in the year before the survey, while 19 per cent said they felt discriminated against at work or when looking for a job.

 

The report also reveals that 66 per cent of LGBT people are afraid to hold hands in public with their partner and this rises to 75 per cent for gay and bisexual men. Negative comments and bullying in schools are also widespread, with 80 per cent of those surveyed saying they recall this happening at school.

 

If you have an irrational fear of spiders, does it matter whether there is one or whether there are 500? You'd still run away.

 

I reiterate, the problem is that as a society we are becoming increasingly unhinged.