This week is National Hate Crime Awareness Week. Jo Kelly talks to Citizens Advice Darlington about its work to fight inequalities

WHEN Bob Miller was a youngster, being gay was illegal. It wasn’t until the Sexual Offences Act 1967 that homosexual acts between two men over 21 was decriminalised in the UK and Wales.

Despite the legal landmark, Bob, who was 16-years-old when the Act was passed, did not discuss his sexuality with his family until he was in his mid-30s.

“Even after the 1967 Act, being gay was not spoken about. I didn’t really publicise it among my friends until my late 20s, and didn’t tell my family until I was in my 30s,” he says.

“Since the turn of the 21st Century, LGBT rights have increasingly strengthened in support and today, generally, LGBT citizens have most of the same rights as non-LGBT citizens, however, there are still people in our community who feel isolated or who feel they are victims of inequality.”

Bob, a former primary school teacher who moved to Darlington from Blackpool in 1983, has been a volunteer advisor for Citizens Advice Darlington for the past nine years. The charity, which became a dedicated hate crime reporting centre in 2016, continues to support people across the board to tackle inequality, and its latest project is a drop-in service for the LGBT community in Darlington.

Bob says: “While Darlington is ‘gay’ friendly, there are still people in the community who feel isolated. The idea behind the drop-in is that it’s somewhere to meet new people, talk about the issues faced and just enjoy a cuppa and chat.

“We just want to provide a safe space, for both men and women, and help support people to improve their lives. It’s all about empowering communities. It will be up to the users as to how the drop-in develops.”

Colleague Sandra, 64, from Middlesbrough, who has been an outreach advisor, specialising in mental health, for Citizens Advice Darlington for 15 years, adds: “I was lucky because my family, who moved to the UK from India after the Second World War, was accepting of who I was, but some people, men particularly really suffered. Luckily, the future generations are much more tolerant, plus families are becoming more diverse. It’s very rare to find a family without a gay, disabled, black relative.

“The drop-in group will go some way towards getting rid of stigmas attached to being lesbian or gay, transgender or bisexual.”

THE launch of the drop-in service coincides with National Hate Crime Awareness Week, which is organised by the anti-hate crime charity 17-24-30 No Hate Crime Campaign, in partnership with Stop Hate UK, the leading national hate crime charity.

Neeraj Sharma, Citizens Advice Darlington’s chief executive, and the first North East BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) chief executive for Citizens Advice, says: “We all have the right to live free from violence, harassment or hostility, but over the years we have seen how devastating hate incidents can be to individuals, families and the wider community.”

A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, while a hate incident is any non-criminal incident based on the above.

Crimes can include physical attacks, offensive graffiti and arson, threat of attack, such as inciting hatred by words, pictures or videos or offensive letters. Hate incidents can include verbal or online abuse, insults or harassment and bullying at school or in the workplace.

Rachel Tempest, 44, from Darlington, who has worked for Citizens Advice Darlington for ten years and is the Macmillan Welfare Rights Adviser, says: “I have been told by friends and clients (in other ethnic groups or of a different nationality) in confidence about their incidences of racial discrimination and heard of verbal comments and certain behaviour against people and groups that are more susceptible to hate crimes.

“I think the Darlington community benefits from a hate crime reporting centre at CAB because it’s a central and confidential way of being able to report a hate crime – hopefully the CAB name and ethos demonstrates trust, impartiality, confidentiality and support, which is very important for people.”

THE aim of the national week-long hate crime awareness campaign is to highlight what hate crime and hate incidents are and to encourage communities to report these issues when they take place.

Neeraj says: “By reporting hate crimes and incidents when they occur, our residents and communities are helping in the fight against crime. Whether you are a victim or a witness to hate crime, adult or child, please report it, we want to stop this – together.

“If you aren’t comfortable reporting it to the police, then come to Citizens Advice Darlington and we can show you what choices you have to report incidents and how to use the hate crime website.”

The charity’s principles of supporting and helping people will also enable it to continue to raise awareness of inequality and hate, not only during this national awareness week but into the future.

l Report Hate Crime via Citizens Advice Darlington, Horsemarket, Darlington, or by telephoning 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.