21 Nov One in five LGBTQ+ people experienced hate crime on transport network in the past year
Our latest survey ‘Out In London – LGBTQ+ people’s safety on the London transport network’ reveals the extent of abuse, harassment and violence faced by the LGBTQ+ community when travelling in and around the capital:
One in five (21%) survey respondents said they have experienced hate crime in the past year while travelling on public transport in London
Four in five (82%) respondents change their behaviour or appearance to ‘fit in’ so they avoid abuse or harassment when travelling
65% of respondents who had experienced abuse or harm when travelling in London said bystanders witnessed the incident but did not intervene
Many LGBTQ+ people we spoke to have little confidence or trust in the police, so incidents on London’s public transport network often go unreported
Passenger watchdog London TravelWatch is today (Thursday 16 November) calling for urgent action to tackle abuse and hate crime against LGBTQ+ people on the capital’s transport network.
The latest report on personal security shows that many LGBTQ+ people have an underlying yet serious concern for their everyday safety. Two-thirds of those asked felt there is always a possible threat of violence or harassment when using public transport. Some felt this more than others, with trans+ people, Deaf and Disabled LGBTQ+ people and LGBTQ+ People of Colour more likely to express this view than the overall sample.
Given this pervasive sense of concern for their safety, many LGBTQ+ people feel they have little choice but to be extra vigilant and change their behaviour when travelling in and around London. The most common precautions are to hide or disguise LGBTQ+ identities, to avoid interacting or making eye-contact with strangers, and to maintain constant alertness.
Understandably, many LGBTQ+ people surveyed (75%) say they themselves would not feel safe intervening in an incident on public transport. The high proportion of LGBTQ+ people who had experienced abuse or harm, and who said that other people watched but did nothing, underlines our previous call to encourage more Londoners to become active bystanders.*
The report also reveals a lack of confidence or trust in the police among many LGBTQ+ people. Nearly half of respondents said that seeing the Metropolitan Police did not help them feel safer on public transport. 84% of respondents who said they were victimised on public transport in the past year did not report their experiences to the police, either because they felt they would not be able to do anything, or for fear about how they or their report might be handled.
Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of London TravelWatch, said:
We already knew that LGBTQ+ people had serious concerns about their personal security on public transport, but our findings lay bare the scale of the problem.
Two-thirds of LGBTQ+ people reported that they had experienced at least one form of victimisation on public transport in the last year. Worryingly, more respondents said London had become less safe in the past five years, than those who thought it had become safer.
Our report highlights a community on constant alert when travelling around the capital, unable to express its identity and feeling unsupported by the wider public and the police.
This situation should not be accepted anywhere in a tolerant society and certainly not in a vibrant, diverse world city such as London.
Some of the answers lie in tackling anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice, while others such as improved security at stations would benefit all transport users. We urge transport providers and the police to act now so we can create a transport system that really does work for everyone.
Siwan Hayward, TfL’s Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, said:
We want everyone to feel safe and be safe when travelling around London at all times without fear of abuse, and hate crime has absolutely no place on our network.
We are committed to ensuring all passengers and staff are protected from harm and we have a bold and clear campaign across our network which encourages customers and staff to stand in solidarity against hate and abusive behaviour.
TfL’s staff are also trained in how to support our customers and deal with reports seriously and with compassion, and earlier this year we also set out clear guidance on how customers can safely intervene if they witness incidents of hate crime.
We will continue to work closely with LGBTQ+ groups and stakeholders in response to the London TravelWatch recommendations to ensure that no one ever faces abuse or discrimination for who they are.
