The 1967 Sexual Offenc Act was a game-changer for gay men. Our wrers reflect on what changed, and what didn’t
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'IT’S BEE THE "TWILIGHT ZONE" UP HERE': RISE ANTI-GAY ATTACKS UNSETTLE U.K. ADVOT
The btal attack was, police believe, motivated by homophobia and a man has been arrted on spicn of murr. A day earlier, a uple lled Rob and Patrick were attacked wh broken bottl Birmgham’s gay village, leavg one unnsc and the other wh extensive cuts.
Three men have been arrted on spicn of robbery and 30 July, Edburgh, a married gay uple were punched, kicked and spat at as they walked down a by cy centre street. Three men have been charged nnectn wh alleged asslts and homophobic Liverpool, durg Pri month, hundreds of people joed a prott on 22 June after at least three street attacks on young men wh the space of a few activists and natnal mpaigners have told the Guardian that this spate of attacks across the UK, while unnnected, unrsr a climate of fear endured by the LGBTQ+ muny on the 2015, hate crim related to sexual orientatn and genr inty have creased year on year, acrdg to ernment data for England, Wal and Stland. In the year to March 2020 England and Wal, sexual orientatn hate crim rose by 19% to 15, 835, and transgenr inty hate crim by 16% to 2, 540 – averagg more than 50 reports each Misra, the associate director of mpaigns at the LGBTQ+ rights chary Stonewall, said: “The recent cints Edburgh, Birmgham, Liverpool and London are a stark remr that 2021, lbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people do not feel safe to be ourselv.
“Tradnally, homophobic and transphobic hate crim have been signifintly unrreported, ” he said, though he argued that the work of LGBTQ+ liaison officers wh specific rponsibily for buildg muny lks was among iativ that were payg off. Lawrence Barton, the director of Birmgham Pri, who ns a number of venu the gay district, said: “There has been an crease this type of activy, lolly and natnally.