LONDON, September 21, 2007  –  The Green Party has again called for the rapid introduction of specific legislation for homophobic and transphobic hate crime following the murder two weeks ago of Tony Hoare.

The 49-years old man was found unconscious in Charlton Park, South East London on September 11 and died in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, that evening.

Mr. Hoare, who headed the Stormbreak consultancy which specialises in LGBT research, had recently published a report Homophobic Crime in London which claimed there was wide underreporting of homophobic crime in London.

His report found:  “The main reason for not reporting homophobic crime was because the incident had been considered insufficiently serious.  Commonplace verbal abuse, for example, was hardly ever reported.  This suggests that the London lesbian and gay community simply puts up with insults, threats and ridicule in public and (as often identified) in the workplace as a fact of everyday life.”

In July, the Green Party set up a petition on the Prime Minster’s Website calling for the introduction of specific legislation for homophobic and transphobic hate crime.  That petition has now got nearly 1,000 signatories.

“The torture and heinous murders of Jodi Dubrowski in Clapham and David Morley on London’s South Bank in 2005 have been mirrored tragically in the murder of Tony Hoare in S E London,” said Phelim Mac Cafferty of the Green Party LGBT Group.

“It is such an awful tragedy that he has paid his life for the crime that he reported.  We are now campaigning for specific homophobic and transphobic hate crime legislation to be introduced at the earliest point and we won’t stop until we are treated equally in the eyes of the law.  We now need the law to support action to stop the homophobes and their hate.

“The Green Party has stood historically for a specific amendment to be made to Criminal Justice legislation with regard to hate crimes,” he continued.

“We also want specific reference made in the law to target incitement of hatred primarily on the grounds of sexuality but as importantly on gender identity.  We believe that often some of the worst discrimination and violence is felt by trans people and for that reason Greens will push for their protection in law also.

“Greens also want to harmonise hate crimes legislation so that homophobic and transphobic crimes are dealt with on a par with racist crimes.

“In particular, this would outlaw the performance, sale, promotion and broadcasting of music and other arts which incite hatred and violence towards any oppressed group.  We also campaign for police forces to adopt and implement action plans on homophobic and transphobic hate crimes,” Mr. Cafferty added.

■  The petition to the Prime Minister is HERE.

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Posted: 21 September 2007 at 17:30 (UK time)