LGBT in Scotland - Hate Crime (2017)

• One in five LGBT people (20 per cent) have experienced a hate crime or incident due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the last 12 months.
• Almost half of trans people (48 per cent) have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their gender identity in the last 12 months
• More than four in five LGBT people (87 per cent) who experience a hate crime or incident did not report the incident to the police.
• One in eight LGBT people (13 per cent) who visited a café, restaurant, bar or nightclub in the last 12 months have been discriminated against based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

LGBT in Scotland - Hate Crime and Discrimination is Stonewall' Scotland's new research highlighting the shocking levels of hate crime and discrimination that LGBT people still face in Scotland today.

Based on YouGov polling of 1,260 LGBT people in Scotland, the research reveals that anti-LGBT abuse extends far beyond acts of hate and violence on our streets. Many LGBT people still endure poor treatment while using public services and going about their lives, whether in their local shop, gym, school or place of worship. 

Key findings

• Hate crime: One in five LGBT people (20 per cent) in Scotland have experienced a hate crime or incident due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the last 12 months
• The number of lesbian, gay and bi people in Scotland who have experienced hate crime has increased by 89 per cent in five years, from nine per cent in 2013 to 17 per cent in 2017
• Almost half of trans people (48 per cent) have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their gender identity in the last 12 months
• More than four in five LGBT people (87 per cent) who experienced a hate crime or incident didn’t report it to the police
• More than a third of LGBT young people in Scotland age 18-24 (35 per cent) have experienced a hate crime or incident based on their gender identity and/or sexual orientation in the last year
• Safety in public: A quarter of LGBT people (26 per cent) avoid certain streets because they do not feel safe there as an LGBT person. More than a third of LGBT people (36 per cent) don’t feel comfortable walking down the street while holding their partner's hand
• Bars and restaurants: One in eight LGBT people (13 per cent) have been discriminated against because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity when visiting a café, restaurant, bar or nightclub in the last year
• Over a third of LGBT people (37) per cent) avoid certain bars and restaurants due to fear of discrimination. This number significantly increases for trans people, more than half of whom (57 per cent) avoid certain venues
• More than half of trans people (55 per cent) do not feel comfortable using public toilets because of fear of discrimination

What you can do

• Take a visible stand against LGBT hate crime, join Stonewall Scotland’s ‘Come Out for LGBT’ campaign and show your support for LGBT equality in all forms. Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to join the campaign
• Call out online anti-LGBT abuse whenever you see it, so long as it is safe to do so. Support those being targeted by letting them know you are an ally
• Let local business owners know if you witness an anti-LGBT incident from staff or other customers so that they can tackle it. Make clear that they could risk losing you and others as customers if they don’t
• Report incidents of homophobic, biphobic or transphobic discrimination you experience when accessing public services like housing or social services to the service provider or local council so they can take action. Contact Stonewall’s Information Service on 08000 50 20 20 for advice and support

Download research (PDF)