For all LGBT+ people (& allies!) who live, work or study in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Author:thLGBTvoices
The Forum is for all LGBT+ people (& allies!) who live, work or study in the London borough of Tower Hamlets - discussing & influencing issues that affect us
Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans women and non-binary people (LBT+) are the least visible in LGBT+ research and advocacy and remain invisible in terms of access to safe public spaces, healthcare services and rights.
A new report by Human Rights Watch in February 2023 found that global discrimination and violence against queer women and non-binary people have “fallen through the cracks”. Their report emphasises the intersection of discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation which impacts lesbian, bisexual and trans and non-binary people with double discrimination. However, there are many other intersections such as class, race, nationality, disability and more which can create an intersection of specific double discrimination. Various themes are explored including the discounting of lesbian, bisexual and trans women in law, forced marriage, conversion practices and violence against masculine-presenting queer women.
Research shows that women who identify as LBT+ endure disproportionately high rates of discrimination, harassment, and domestic violence, as well as impediments to accessing support services. A 2022 LGBT+ National Partnership publication, states that 42.8% of LBT women said that they had experienced sexual violence compared to an estimated 20% of all women in the UK.
In 2019, a violent homophobic hate crime took place on a London bus by a group of teenagers against a lesbian couple that left the women bloodied and needing hospital treatment for a fractured jaw and broken nose. The group of male attackers demanded that the women kiss and when they refused, assaulted them. It was specifically this gendered expectation of women’s sexuality needing to serve heterosexual cis men that resulted in a hate crime that straddled both misogyny and homophobia.
It is of vital importance that we continue to increase the visibility of lesbian, bisexual, trans women and non-binary people and raise awareness of the issues that affect this community both nationally and locally in Tower Hamlets. Previously, the Tower Hamlets Women’s Network reached out to local partners and organised an event for LBT+ women to bring their experiences and found that there were concerns around the invisibility of LBT+ women in accessing groups, services and spaces in Tower Hamlets.
elop we have launched our own online survey on the topic of LBT+ women’s inclusion to gather further information, please take two minutes to complete this here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/D8V879B
If you’d like to hear more or have your say on your experiences, come along to our March Forum Meeting to discuss LBT+ Women’s Inclusion in Tower Hamlets and hear from a representative from LGBT+ Hate Crime charity, Galop, about violence against LBT+ Women and non-binary people. This is a chance to have your voice heard and feedback on what events and activities you would like to see happening for LBT+ Women in Tower Hamlets.
Get involved in our Forum activities this 2024 – find out about our upcoming forum meeting, events and opportunities to get your voice heard in our January Newsletter below.
After five years of delays by four Prime Ministers, the UK Government has failed to deliver legislation to ban conversion therapy. Prior to October’s King’s Speech, it was reported that the Government would re-confirm its pledge to ban conversion therapy. However, the final speech neglected to make any mention of the long-awaited ban on the use of conversion practices.
So-called ‘conversion therapy’ or conversion practices, which include any interventions “that seek to change, ‘cure’ or suppress the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of a person”, have been shown to be harmful and are not effective in changing sexual orientation or gender identity. These practices are unethical, harmful and widely refuted by evidence. In addition, over 60% of the British public think that conversion therapy should be banned(YouGov, 2022).
There is a surprising proportion of LGBTQ+ people in Britain that have been encouraged to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. Galop’s recent study found 18% of LGB people (nearly 1 in 5) and 42% of trans people experienced conversion practices. Conversion practices can have devastating impact on the mental health of those who experience them. The mental health charity Mind, published a report on the devastating impact on the mental health of those who have experienced conversion practices “have reported having suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and feelings of guilt, shame, and self-hatred.” A study conducted by Blosnich in 2020 found that people who had undergone conversion practices were twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts and 75% more likely to plan to attempt suicide. These startling statistics show the severity of the impact of these practices and why there is such an urgency from campaigners and LGBT+ charities to call on the government for an immediate and comprehensive ban.
Former PM Theresa May first promised to ban conversion therapy five years ago in July 2018 and the Government has repeatedly failed to act on this promise. Since then, they have held two separate consultations in 2021 and a further in 2022 and former PM Boris Johnson U-turned twice on the government’s promises and offered a ban excluding transgender people. Consequently, Theresa May delivered a warning in June 2022 that the Government needed to avoid backsliding on the issue and stick to its commitment while at three advisors on the government’s LGBT advisory panel advisory quit since 2021 over the lack of a conversion therapy ban being delivered.
Britain is increasingly isolated in this position with eight other countries including France, Germany, Canada and Spain all delivering a ban on abusive practices since the UK Government promised a ban in 2018. Conversion therapies are widely considered to be a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights outlined that so-called conversion therapies are inappropriate, damaging, and should not be allowed.
Jayne Ozanne, a leading campaigner for a ban and a survivor of conversion practices, said: “I’m extremely angry that the government has continued to promise action, but has consistently delivered only obfuscation and delay. It would seem that this government has no intention of protecting them [LGBT+ youth] and cannot be trusted to deliver on their promises. To be aware of harm, to have the power to protect and to choose to do nothing is a total moral failing.”
The continued practice of conversion therapy impacts LGBT+ communities everywhere. Let’s come together as a community in Tower Hamlets to stand together alongside campaigners and charities calling upon the government to deliver a ban on conversion therapy. Let’s also stand together in solidarity with the trans+ community to ensure their safety and rights are not cast aside.
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Check out our most recent Newsflash about our Insights Survey on the Cost of Living for LGBT+ Tower Hamlets residents which you could receive a £20 gift voucher for here! https://mailchi.mp/024bf46921da/newsflash-insights-survey
Do you want to find out more about what kind of events and activities we’ve organised or promoted this year so far? Then take a look at our monthly newsletters last Quarter:
In March 2023, the Baroness Casey Review was released, finding London’s Metropolitan Police Service (Met) to be institutionally homophobic, racist and sexist and suggested the force is in need of a “complete overhaul”.
The Review was commissioned by government official, Baroness Louise Casey, following the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by Met Police Officer Wayne Couzens in 2021. The report highlights a culture of discrimination and bullying within the Met across marginalised communities. With regards, to the LGBT+ community, the review found that “There is deep seated homophobia within the Met, as shown by the fact that almost one in five lesbian, gay and bisexual Met employees have personally experienced homophobia and 30% of LGBTQ+ employees have said they had been bullied”. Furthermore, it is worth noting that sexism, racism and homophobia/transphobia intersect and therefore some individuals may experience double discrimination due to their dual identities.
Trust, confidence and fairness scores among LGBTQ+ Londoners have also fallen significantly. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crimes (MOPAC) Public Attitudes Survey showed that between 2015-16 and 2021-22, the general trust score for LGBT+ respondents fell 20%. For those who do not identify as LGBT+, the fall was 12%. The gap is even wider when asked if the police treat everyone fairly; LGBT+ fairness scores have dropped 20% since 2014-15 from a similar start to non-LGBT+ scores to considerably lower (-13%).
One of the most pressing issues explored in the Baroness Casey Review was the increase in hate crimes. She particularly highlights the Met’s failures in stopping serial killer Stephen Port due to homophobic attitudes and stereotyping. Nancy Kelley, Chief Executive of Stonewall, said the report’s findings are “shameful” and show that “London’s police force has not made meaningful progress” since the murders by Stephen Port.
From the perspective of the LGBT+ community, the report reiterates what many, particularly marginalised communities, have been trying to communicate to the police for many years. Further, the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop criticised the Review for its erasure of the force’s treatment of trans people. The 363-page report has a lot to say about homophobia, but the word “transgender” is mentioned just once, and it says nothing about the specific ways trans people are mistreated by the police.
In Tower Hamlets, the rise in hate crime continues to impact the LGBT+ community’s sense of safety. According to statistics from the Metropolitan Police, Tower Hamlets had the third-highest number of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes reported in any London borough between November 2021 and October 2022, behind Westminster and Lambeth.
We have seen another serious incident recently in April 2023, in which an ongoing investigation into an arson attack on an LGBT+ household in Whitechapel is being carried out by police and being treated as a transphobic hate crime.
In addition, Erik Feld was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years following a hearing at the Old Bailey on Wednesday 14 June for the murder of Ranjith Kankanamalage in August 2021. While this is a positive step in gaining justice for this brutal violence and hate, Jack Gilbert from the LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group (IAG), which worked closely with the local police and the homicide team to ensure they incorporated recent learning, stated that they are seeking a multi-agency review linking a range of aspects of the case to ensure LGBT+ trust and confidence. He stated about the sentencing;
“Whilst we saw Feld stride out of the witness stand to express homophobia during testimony, the CPS and Met were unable to find sufficient evidence for homophobic motivation for the crime. It may well be that the law and/or CPS guidelines themselves present a high barrier to convicting hate-related homicide.
“To satisfy LGBT+ trust and confidence, we are therefore seeking a multi-agency review linking a range of related aspects of the case. We would like to capture the innovations and to explore whether they are any opportunities for improvement, including in how the multi-agency processes monitors and manages the risk of hate crime.”
While Sir Mark Rowley, The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, has not conceded that the Met Police’s discrimination is institutional, he apologised for past failings on 7th June 2023, stating, “I am clear that there is much for us to do. I am sorry to all of the communities we have let down for the failings of the past and look forward to building a new Met for London, one all Londoners can be proud of and in which they can have confidence.”
In response to the Casey Review, Sir Mark Rowley, launched his Turnaround Plan, which details how the Met will achieve ‘More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards’. The Plan also looks at refreshed values for its people and sets out nine priority areas that require specific attention. The Met has been engaging with LGBT+ communities to get their feedback, particularly on changes related to the Met’s approach to neighbourhood policing, community engagement and diversity and inclusion. Following this, in early June, the Met announced that it would restore LGBT+ Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) to support their initiatives around rebuilding trust within the LGBT+ community in London. The CLOs will work closely with community members and the LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group and will support the public on LGBT+ issues in addition to their day-to-day duties.
Peter Tatchell, Human Rights activist and LGBT+ equality campaigner, stated, “The restoration of LGBT+ Community Liaison Officers is a good start. We know from past experience that when the police have specialist officers, LGBT+ people have greater confidence and are more likely to report violent attacks, domestic violence and sexual assaults.”
A new LGBT+ Community Liaison Office, PC Andrew Colclough, has been appointed in Tower Hamlets to offer advice and support to their peers and the public on LGBT+ issues. PC Andrew Colclough stated, “Everyone deserves to feel safe and accepted for who they are. I am incredibly passionate in being there to help and support the LGBT+ community and I want to build bridges to ensure that the community are aware we are here for them. I look forward to working with the local community!”
Come to our July Forum Meeting on the topic of LGBT+ related Hate Crime to find out more about what the Met Police in doing locally to address the recommendations of the Casey Report and find out more about the Turn Around Plan.
We will also be holding a Meet & Greet with the new LGBT+ Community Liaison Officer, PC Andrew Colclough.
July Forum Meeting – LGBT+ related Hate Crime & LGBT+ Liaison Officer Meet & Greet
Wednesday 26th July Meeting: 6pm Positive East, 159 Mile End Rd, London E1 4AQ
Topic: LGBT+ related Hate Crime
The Tower Hamlets LGBT+ Forum continue to work on the topic of Hate Crime and Community Safety. In light of the Baroness Casey Review and MET Turn Around Plan, as well as new MET LGBT+ Hate Crime Liaison Officers in each borough, we want to hear how your are feeling about the rise in hate crime and relationship with the police.
This is a chance to share your experiences of LGBT+ related hate crime and community safety in Tower Hamlets and an opportunity to have your say on what needs to improve and change.
If you are LGBT+ and live, work or study in Tower Hamlets then come along to share and take part in conversations about LGBT+ related hate crime.
Tower Hamlets LGBT Community Forum 