Inquiry into the Reporting of Homophobic Hate Incidents in Scotland

The equalities landscape is a dynamic area of work for most public services, none less so for the Scottish Police Service. Dramatic changes in legislation, from the decriminalisation of gay male sex in 1980 to the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007, mean that now, more than ever, lesbian and gay people's freedoms and protections are enshrined in law. There is, however, a disparity in how accessible the police service is to the lesbian and gay community, specifically in relation to the reporting of homophobic hate incidents. In addition, the legacy of discriminatory laws and practice remains in the consciousness of many lesbian and gay people. This research identifies problems around the awareness and recognition of what constitutes a homophobic hate incident, the difficulties of accurately capturing trends in prevalence of these incidents and the challenge of encouraging people to report to the police. The results show that through sustained effort to engage the community, the police service has a real opportunity to influence the lesbian and gay community's perception of the police and subsequently the outcomes of reporting hate incidents.