Hate Crime - Why?

The overriding feeling of those of us at the Anti-Hate Crime Protest in Trafalgar Square last week was, "Why is this still happening?" The memorial to Ian Baynham coincided with another attack on a gay policeman called James Parkes the week before, and the bigoted hate-ridden post by Jan Moir in the Daily Mail. It all served as a chilling reminder that although we take it for granted sometimes that we have almost achieved parity in the eyes of the law, in reality certain segments of society are far from accepting.

So it was rather heart warming that so many people showed up in Trafalgar Square that cold Friday night to light a candle to remember not just Ian, but all those who have died in homophobic attacks around the country in the last decade. And while there was dismay as the names were read out, anger at those in the public eye who continue to spew hatred and frustration that we, as a community, were still standing on those steps, still having to fight for those basic human rights we all deserve, there was also a sense of pride. Pride that we could come together and pride that there continues to be something worth fighting for.

When we sang Seasons of Love, Something Inside So Strong and You'll never Walk Alone, the Pink Singers, together with LGMC, Ddiversity and voices from Brighton and Birmingham, and joined remotely by others in other cities around the country, I felt a sense of cohesion I don't often feel. This is a source of strength and something to hold on to.