A NEW website to help make it easy to report homophobic hate crime in Oxfordshire is online.
Members of the the county's Homophobia Awareness Liaison Team (HALT) will be out in Oxford tonight to promote the site www.oxhalt.co.uk and to mark the International Day Against Homophobia.
HALT created the site to encourage more people to report incidents of homophobia in Oxfordshire because at present it is believed that about 80 per cent of homophobic hate crime is not reported.
The website provides details of the reporting options available to people, ranging from going directly to the police, to talking it over with a representative from HALT who will be able to give independent support and information.
A HALT spokesman said: "In order to tackle hate crime we need to know when and where it is happening.
"There is definitely a problem with underreporting of homophobic crime and while people might be reluctant, it is important to tell us or the police. If it isn't reported we are missing vital intelligence to help us tackle hate crime and identify offenders."
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people can also use the website as a quick and accessible way of getting information about:
The work HALT is doing to challenge homophobia in Oxfordshire.
HALT is a multi-agency partnership which aims to challenge and eliminate all forms of homophobia in Oxfordshire.
It includes Thames Valley Police, the Terence Higgins Trust, all five district councils, the county council, Oxfordshire NHS Primary Care Trust and representatives from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community.
2:04pm Friday 16th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: ?, ox on 2:27pm Fri 16 May 08
Surely there are more important issues in the city to be dealing with.......
Surely there are more important issues in the city to be dealing with.......
Posted by: Jamie, Oxford on 2:39pm Fri 16 May 08
What, not even brave enough to put your name to that comment? I know people who've been on the receiving end of such abuse and anything that can be done to help should be.
What, not even brave enough to put your name to that comment? I know people who've been on the receiving end of such abuse and anything that can be done to help should be.
Posted by: newsjiffy, London on 6:38pm Fri 16 May 08
What issues do you think are more important, Mr "?'
Personally I think people have the right to walk around without being attacked for their sexuality.
What issues do you think are more important, Mr "?'
Personally I think people have the right to walk around without being attacked for their sexuality.
Posted by: Andrew Trinder, Oxford on 4:58pm Mon 19 May 08
I'm sure this issue would be at the very top of your agenda should it be a member of your own family who were assulted or humiliated.
When confronted by homophia I always offer the same argument. In EACH AND EVERY walk of life you will find gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender individuals - yes, every walk of life: teachers, builders, lorry drivers, police, bakers, printers, bus drivers,broadcasters
, doctors etc etc etc on and on. If every LGBT worker put down their tools and stopped work at the same time - the whole world would grind to a halt - or perhaps that should be HALT! Andrew Trinder - Community member of HALT.
I'm sure this issue would be at the very top of your agenda should it be a member of your own family who were assulted or humiliated.
When confronted by homophia I always offer the same argument. In EACH AND EVERY walk of life you will find gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender individuals - yes, every walk of life: teachers, builders, lorry drivers, police, bakers, printers, bus drivers,broadcasters
, doctors etc etc etc on and on. If every LGBT worker put down their tools and stopped work at the same time - the whole world would grind to a halt - or perhaps that should be HALT! Andrew Trinder - Community member of HALT.
Posted by: Andrew Trinder, Oxford on 6:54pm Mon 19 May 08
I should add that the views expressed above are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other members of HALT.
I should add that the views expressed above are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the other members of HALT.
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