Homophobia and Transphobia have no place in Croydon, says Fiona Twycross AM
Homophobic and transphobic hate crime will not be tolerated in Croydon, London Assembly Member, Fiona Twycross AM has said. Her comments coincided with the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, which aims to tackle violence and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ+ people. Cumulatively, there were over 2,200 incidents of homophobia and transphobia in the capital last year.
There were 2,094 incidents of homophobia reported in London in 2017/18, a slight rise of 2.5% on the previous year. This included 59 in Croydon. Transphobia has fallen by 13% in the capital, but 174 incidents were recorded across London last year.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has advocated a “strict zero tolerance approach to hate crime”. Subsequently, the Metropolitan Police have set up a dedicated online hate crime unit to tackle online incidents.
London Assembly Member, Fiona Twycross AM, said:
“It is horrendous to think that people in our community are being subjected to this disgusting abuse. In Croydon, we pride ourselves on being a diverse community, in which all are welcome.
“My message to those on the receiving end of any abuse is to always seek help and do not suffer in silence. I know that local people will join me in saying we won’t tolerate any homophobic or transphobic abuse in our borough.”
ENDS