Members of the LGBTQ+ communities can be reluctant to report hate crimes, reasons for this may include:

• LGBTQ+ victims perceive homophobia and transphobia as everyday occurrences and therefore not worth reporting.
• Mistrust of authority/police based on historical prejudice - particularly true of older LGBTQ+ people.
• Worries of not being taken seriously.
• Thinking that the incident isn’t important enough to report.
• Fear of victim being ‘victimised’ or blamed for the incident.

Many cases of hate crime have a contributing mental health factor for victims and/or perpetrators. It is well documented that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to experience a range of mental health problems such as depression, suicidal thoughts, self-harm and alcohol and substance misuse.

Forum+ provides support services to local adult LGBT+ victims of hate crime: Services – forum+ (forumplus.org.uk)