A 36 year old man was stabbed early on Monday morning by Camden Lock Bridge after he was approached by four black men, between the ages 20 and 25, who first inquired if he was gay and then, after walking off, returned stabbing the victim in the chest and leg.

Taken to hospital, where he is said to be in a stable condition, police are investigating attack which they are treating as homophobic and are urging anyone who may have seen something to contact Camden police on 020 8733 6474 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Via Pink News / Photo credit: Gerardofegan

A new report,obtained by Dee Doocey, a Liberal Democrat member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, has shown that homophobic incidents have risen by an incredibly depressing 28% over the last four years with 1,545 homophobic incidents reported to police officers in the last year alone.

Speaking about the findings, which also showed a rise in racist cases Dee Doocey commented:

“These figures are clear evidence of a very disturbing rise in hate crime. I am especially concerned about the huge rise in homophobic incidents.

“Some of the rise may be down to an increase in reporting of incidents, but I fear this may not be the full explanation. It seems only now that we are starting to discover the real numbers of such serious offences.”

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of charity Stonewall also spoke of his worries about the figures stating:

“We’re deeply concerned that hate crime continues to overshadow the lives of so many gay Londoners. We hope the Mayor will commit to becoming personally involved in tackling this blight. The Met has taken huge steps forward but there’s still too little evidence of real commitment from the very top.”

Via The London Evening Standard / Photo credit : LWY

Following the recent spate of gay suicides many actors and musicians have been moved to record short messages as a way of showing their support to those with the LGBT community bullied over their sexuality and to try and convince them that suicide is definitely not the solution. Marsha Ambrosius, formerly of Floetry, though has taken this a step further and to make sure everyone who can make a difference, gay or not, gets the message has made her new video for “Far Away” from her upcoming solo album “Late Nights, Early Mornings” all about just what the gay community have to suffer ranging from homophobia to bullying and even suicide.

Saying that she wrote the song after a close friend committed suicide, Marsha said the reason for the video was to give a voice to those who don’t have it, including her many gay fans who had supported her through career, something she reiterates to the end of the video with a personal message reading “Dear friends, every year over 1 million people commit SUICIDE. Some were BULLIED because of their SEXUALITY. I lost a friend to SUICIDE, and I’m asking all of you to support alternative lifestyles. Don’t put up with or join in with BULLYING. It’s time we become more aware in this WORLD. Take a responsibility to make a difference. So if my MUSIC can save one life, I’ve done my job.”

Despite work by local police to try and create better links with minority communities a new report has shown that hate crimes in Norfolk have risen sharply.

Marking an increase of 40% from last year the report shows there were 167 more hates crimes reported last year, however Norfolk’s police force’s diversity manager Abraham Eshetu said he believed the increase was more to do with people feeling less reluctant about talking to police adding:

“We have worked hard to build trust and confidence. Examples involve specific events such as Operation Nicole which has provided an opportunity to develop a relationship with the Muslim community and the chief constable speaking at the Norwich Pride event. We’ve recognised this gap and tried to address it.

“These figures should be seen as progress but I would like to see them increase even further. There is no doubt that many more offences are happening which we never get to hear about.”

Offences included under the hate crime category included attacks, threats and abuse based directed at victims because of their perceived disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Via EveningNews24| Photo credit: Banspy.

A Christian couple who refused to allow Martyn Hall and his civil partner, Steven Preddy, to stay in the same room at their seaside hotel, Chymorvah Private Hotel in Cornwall are heading to court next week following the lodging of a complaint by Hall and Preddy.

Facing having to pay up to £5,000 in damages for alleged sexual orientation discrimination, hotel owners Peter and Hazelmary Bull deny the claim saying the hotel has a long-standing policy of banning all unmarried couples from sharing a bed with the decision based on a belief in marriage and not being concerned with sexual orientation.

The Bulls legal defence is supported The Christian Institute who said that “..Equality laws are being used as a sword rather than a shield.”

Via Worksop Guardian / Photo credit: Modomatic.

A new study in Germany has found that the German middle and upper classes have become increasing hostile towards minorities and the poor, but don’t go thinking that they’re to blame for this because apparently the reason they don’t like us gays is because of the global economic crisis.

Yes that’s right. Researchers from the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence (IKG) at Bielefeld University believe the “freezing of the social climate“, because of the economic downturn, has turned people homophobic because they begin to experience what financials losess mean and begin to let go of learned social norms and values and instead adopt survival of the fittest (Social Darwinism) approaches.

And it’s not just the LGBT community that they’re turning against, the study, lead by Wilhelm Heitmeyer, found increased levels of anti-Islamic sentiments – one in four agreed to the statement, “Muslims should be prevented from immigrating to Germany” – as well as negative attitudes towards the jobless and homeless.

The study began in Germany in 2002 with an objective to see how different social, religious and ethnic backgrounds are received in by the country’s citizens.

Via The Local. / Photo credit: neoliminal

Met by criticism on his own page, McCance didn’t appear to feel he was doing any wrong saying: “Being a fag doesn’t give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then don’t tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. I don’t care how people decide to live their lives…It pi–es me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags can’t procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you aren’t against it, you might as well be for it.”

Following the outrage from anti-bullying and LGBT organizations following his posting McCance has now handed in his resignation telling CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360″ that he was sorry for what he had said. The school board have distances themselves from his comments saying that McCance “does not represent the board or speak for the board when he posts on his Facebook page” and that “every student life is equally valuable without regard to race, sex, or sexual orientation, religious belief or affiliation,” Stanley wrote. “Everyone really is someone special and deserves to be treated with care and respect.”

Via Washington Post / Photo credit: dave_mcmt

Clint McCance, the vice-president of the Arkansas school district has found himself at the centre of some very heated criticism after using his Facebook page to announce that he thought that all ‘fags’ and ‘queers’ should kill themselves, that all gay teenagers have sinned and he would disown any of his children if they turned out to be gay. On top of that he also commented on how he was pleased that HIV was killing gay men.

Despite being met by criticism on his own page, McCance still did not feel that he was wrong saying that “Being a fag doesn’t give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then don’t tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. I don’t care how people decide to live their lives…It pi–es me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags can’t procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you aren’t against it, you might as well be for it.”

McCance has now handed in his resignation and told CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360″ that he was sorry for what he had said. The school board have distances themselves from his comments saying that McCance “does not represent the board or speak for the board when he posts on his Facebook page” and that “every student life is equally valuable without regard to race, sex, or sexual orientation, religious belief or affiliation,” Stanley wrote. “Everyone really is someone special and deserves to be treated with care and respect.”

Via Washington Post / Photo credit: dave_mcmt

Cher’s son Chaz Salvatore has added his voice to the “It Gets Better” campaign. Talking about how he can relate to the feelings of not belonging or feeling like things aren’t ever going to improve, Chaz speaks about how things do get better and how as you grow up you begin to discover there are people and communities around you to “embrace and support you”.

Going on to discuss about how he personally has gone through a lot of what those suffering from homophobic bullying are, Chaz speaks out about how it was only a year and a half ago that he came out as a transgender man, how he went from feeling “weird” to “great” when he was open about his feelings, before pleading with those struggling now to “hang on in there” saying:

“If I’d done something drastic and missed out on that I would have been missing out on the greatest life and the best times of my life, so don’t let anybody tell you that there’s something wrong with you if you’re different. There’s not.”

Too busy to spend time looking round all the LGBT sites to find out what you should be keeping up to date with? Fear not Queeried are here to do it for you with our Friday round up of the five GLBT stories you need to be reading.

1. Senate Aide Sacked Following Blog Comment That “All Gays Must Die”

Politico reports on the sacking of a Senastor Saxby Chambliss aide who posted as blog response on a website that read “All [gays] must die”. Tracked back to them via an IP address that ended up in the Senator’s office, Senate Sergeant in Arms Terry Gainer, who was in charge of investigation, said he’d apologised to Joe Jervis, the owner of the blog where the comment was posted. It’s positive news that the aide got fired for this one comments, but if he can be then why can’t Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shervill be sacked for his continually homophobic blog?

2. New York Times Looks At What Can Be Done To Curb Homophobic Bullying

The New York Times looks, in response to a spate of gay teen suicides, at tools to try and prevent further deaths. Offering tips on sites to visit, resources to read and also highlight the hugely important work being done by Dan Savage with his “It Gets Better” campaign it’s this kind of reporting we need to see more of.

3. You Can’T Stop Homophobic Bullying Without Talking About It

Ex-Gay Watch again looks at the issue of homophobic bullying and how a number of ex gay Christian and p0litical groups are looking for schools to stopped from using the term homophobic bullying when educating children about it. Highlighting that by doing this far from helping the problem it acts to just reinforce negativity and ignorance, Dave Rattigan shows sadly how there is no quick fix to the crisis that the US is currently in.

4. Wisconsin Gay Couples Seek to Defend Domestic Partner Law

WEAU reports on how five gay couples and gay rights group Fair Wisconsin are asking to intervene into a lawsuit brought by Wisconsin Family Action in August that looks to prevent same sex couples from having some legal rights such as the ability to visit each other in hospital, a lawsuit brought because they feel it makes domestic partnerships too much like marriage.

5. Does Tyler Clementi’s Suicide Highlight That Cyber Bullying Is As Big An Issue As Homophobia?

TIME looks at whether the unregulated nature of the internet was as much to blame for Tyler Clementi’s suicide as the homophobia that lead his roommate and friend to broadcast Clementi with another man across the internet. Questioning whether more needs to be done to regular the internet, especially concerning when it is used by school children, the article raises a host of very important issues. It is beyond sad though that someone had to die in such awful circumstances before anyone felt these issues were worth talking about.

Photo by Alex Barth