this is happening throughout the world as we speak
it was only about 50 years back in britain that people could still be put in prison JUST FOR BEING GAY!
some countries have taken steps backwards recently in their treatment of gays - russia especially, but even more countries are still extremely anti-gay due to strong religious perspectives, like a whole lot of the african continent, parts of deep-south america, huge swathes of the middle-east, and brazil which is currently suffering a huge epidemic of anti-gay violence. the fight is everyday, lives are lost to the violence of others, lives are lost to suicide where a person feels death is better than living as they are forced to - in fear that being themselves means torment, attack, and frequently worse.
in this country, gay rights and acceptance has moved forward so well so fast that many of the younger gay/trans/other-identifying gender population are ABLE to live life without fear of harm or shame. it's not wrong to want that same lifestyle for people globally.
again, not so 'very far back' at all. though legally, the sentence for sodomy/buggery was changed from death by hanging to life imprisonment back in 1861, it wasn't until 1967 that it was decriminalised between consenting adults in britain. and just because jurisdiction says it's okay, there are still murders and attacks that happen on our streets on a regular basis just because someone is, or is thought to be, gay.
these attacks are just from 2000:
2000–2009
Damilola Taylor was attacked by a local gang of youths on 27 November 2000 in Peckham, south London; he bled to death after being stabbed with a broken bottle in the thigh, which severed the femoral artery. The BBC, Telegraph, Guardian and Independent newspapers reported at the time that during the weeks between arriving in the UK from Nigeria and the attack he had been subjected to bullying and beating, which included homophobic remarks by a group of boys at his school. "The bullies told him that he was gay."[22] He "may not have understood why he was being bullied at school, or why some other children taunted him about being 'gay' – the word meant nothing to him."[23] He had to ask his mother what 'gay' meant, she said "Boys were swearing at him, saying lots of horrible words. They were calling him names."[23] His mother had spoken about this bullying, but the teachers failed to take it seriously. "She said pupils had accused her son of being gay and had beaten him last Friday."[24] Six months after the murder, his father said, "I spoke to him and he was crying that he was being bullied and being called names. He was being called 'gay'."[25] In the New Statesman two years later, when there had still been no convictions for the crime, Peter Tatchell, gay human rights campaigner, said, "In the days leading up to his murder in south London in November 2000, he was subjected to vicious homophobic abuse and assaults,"[26] and asked why the authorities had ignored this before and after his death.
In July 2005, Lauren Harries, a transwoman, was attacked along with her father and brother in their home in Cardiff by eight youths who shouted the word "******" while beating their victims. One youth pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm and was sentenced to two years probation; his accomplices were not formally identified or charged.[27][28]
In April 2006 a man was jailed for a homophobic attack on an openly gay Anglican priest. Rev Dr Barry Rathbone was sitting in a park in Bournemouth, Dorset when Martin Powell and his girlfriend approached and spoke to him. Rathbone informed them that it was a cruising area, then Powell produced a 3-foot-long (0.91 m) metal baseball bat, called him a 'queer', and started to hit him.[29]
On 25 July 2008, 18-year-old Michael Causer was attacked by a group of men at a party in Liverpool, and died from his injuries. It is alleged that he was killed because he was gay.[30] On 23 October 2008, 23-year-old gay hairdresser Daniel Jenkinson was the victim of a homophobic attack in a Preston club. His attacker, Neil Bibby, also from Preston, was sentenced to 200 hours' unpaid work, a three-month weekend curfew, and ordered to pay £2,000 compensation after he pleaded guilty to assault. Daniel needed facial reconstruction surgery after the attack, and said he was too scared to go out in the city.[31]
On 3 March 2009 in Bromley, south London, UK, 59-year-old Gerry Edwards was stabbed to death by an assailant shouting homophobic abuse. His partner of over twenty years, 56-year-old Chris Bevan, was also stabbed and admitted to hospital in a critical condition.[32][33] The police dealing with the case said they had an open mind, but were treating it as a homophobic murder. Two men were subsequently arrested.[34]
On 15 May 2009, An English court found two football fans guilty of shouting homophobic chants at footballer Sol Campbell during a match [35] This was the first prosecution for indecent chanting in the UK.[36] The police reported that up to 2,500 fans shouted chants at the match that included "Sol, Sol, wherever you may be, Not long now until lunacy, We won't give a **** if you are hanging from a tree," the footballer commented "I felt totally victimised and helpless by the abuse I received on this day. It has had an effect on me personally".[36] Three men and two boys were given cautions after the match.[36]
In September 2009, 62-year-old Ian Baynham was attacked outside South Africa House in Trafalgar Square in London by three youths shouting homophobic abuse.[37] Joel Alexander and Ruby Thomas were found guilty of manslaughter at the Old Bailey and sentenced to six and seven years imprisonment respectively. A third accomplice, Rachael Burke was found guilty of a lesser charge of affray and sentenced to two years of imprisonment.[38]
2010 – present
In 2012, Giovanna Del Nord, a 46-year-old trans woman, was attacked minutes after entering The Market Tavern, a pub in Leicester City Centre.[39] Without warning she was punched in the head and knocked unconscious.[40]
In June 2012, Steven Simpson, an autistic, openly gay 18-year-old, had homophobic slurs written on his body and was set on fire at his birthday party by Jordan Sheard, 20, who was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in jail in March 2013
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor...United_Kingdom
of course it is
Alex,
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