Over Half of LGBT in Edinburgh do not feel Safe

March 04, 2010

It seems Edinburgh might be one of the most homophobic major cities in the UK. 

According to a small survey by Stonewall Scotland released on Monday, one third of LGBT in the capital have been physically assaulted, with only 15 percent reporting the crimes to police.

The findings were derived from a small sample of 70 people in Edinburgh. It found that 53 percent of respondents did not feel safe in their neighbourhoods while a whopping 66 percent had been verbally assaulted.

The full findings of the survey – a sample of 300 people across Scotland – are due to be released in the next few weeks.

Edinburgh city council is putting its weight behind a project aimed at reducing homophobia in the city. The project uses the slogan ‘Some people are gay. Get over it’.

Carl Watt, director of Stonewall Scotland said the project is needed to reduce what appears to be a widespread problem in the country. 

“There are too many homophobic and transphobic hate-crime attacks across Scotland. These incidents range from extreme verbal assaults all the way through to violent attacks. 

“By running this campaign, the Edinburgh Community Safety Partnership is sending a strong message that these crimes will not be tolerated.” 

He added: “There are many reasons why the LGBT community do not report crimes to the police. 

“People told us that they were unsure about how the police would react, that they were worried about being forced to come out and, even more worryingly, many people have become used to experiencing this form of abuse day in, day out." 

“We hope this campaign will encourage LGBT victims of hate crimes to come forward, and that those people who think this form of crime is acceptable will think twice.”