Birmingham’s first and only openly gay MP says there has been an increase in abuse and threatening behavior directed at people enjoying a night out in the city’s gay village.
Several sick homophobic attacks have been committed in and around the gay village, an area around Hurst Street, in the past few weeks. There were also demonstrations to show solidarity with the LGBTQ + community and Birmingham Live launched our # HandsNotHate campaign saying enough is enough.
Birmingham Northfield MP Gary Sambrook (Con) has been going to club bars on Hurst Street since he was 18, trying to intimidate people who are enjoying a night out.
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He said, “As someone who has met regularly on Hurst Street since I was 18, it’s sad to see these attacks happening regularly.
“It’s hard to understand why groups of young men purposely go out of their way every weekend to scold people who are enjoying a night out.”
He said the problem was noticeably worse when the venues reopened after the Covid lockdown than before the lockdown.
The MP welcomed the pledges made by the Birmingham Police and City Council to tackle homophobia.
“The police and the city council have put together a plan of action that I really hope will have an impact on rooting out this blatant homophobia.
“Birmingham has not long had one of the most successful and greatest Pride’s we have ever seen. This public demonstration of equality and love will always drown out any hatred we see, but we also need to make sure people are safe who they are.” they are all year round. “
Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, Birmingham Council Chairman Ian Ward, and West Midlands Mayor Andy Street issued a joint statement in October condemning the abuse. They said: “The recent heinous, vicious homophobic attacks in Birmingham disgust the three of us equally.
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“It is just unacceptable for someone to be attacked because of their person or their love.
West Midlands Police Department has stepped up patrols in and around the Gay Village and the Police and Detective Commissioner has commissioned a new £ 200,000 service to assist victims of hate crimes.
A man had to undergo emergency eye socket surgery after being punched in the face in October. Other incidents include a major attack on a woman on Hurst Street in September, and in August a couple was bloody and injured after a shocking attack at 4 a.m.
A couple from Birmingham told Birmingham Live that they want to leave the city forever because of homophobia.
George Mattu and his partner Matthew Grocott have lived together in Birmingham for seven years, but say the incessant homophobia in the city feared them for their safety. Mr. Mattu said, “We’re used to all of the abuse and attacks, just not to this extent.”
West Midlands Police recorded 9,468 hate crimes in 2020-21, up 41 percent from 6,716 the previous year. More than 1,000 were motivated by a person’s sexual orientation, while 7,914 were due to perceptions of the victim’s race or ethnicity.
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