The number of reported hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in England and Wales has dropped slightly in the past year but campaigners say the figures are still “deeply worrying”.

New research published by the government on Thursday (10 October), showed that hate crimes based on a person’s sexual orientation dropped by eight per cent in the year 2023-2024, compared with 2022-2023, while transphobic hate crime fell by two per cent.

In the year ending March 2024, there were 22,839 reported hate crimes involving a person’s sexual orientation, and 4,780 transphobic crimes.

The Home Office defines a hate crime as “any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic.”

Those characteristics include race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, disability, and gender identity.

While there was an overall five per cent decrease in offences based on all characteristics, religious hate crimes rose by 25 per cent, which the Home Office believe could have been driven by increased antisemitism, and, to a lesser extent, hatred towards Muslims, in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Stonewall chief executive Simon Blake said that while there was a slight drop in reported hate crime involving a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity, the rise seen in incidents motivated by religion in the past year was deeply worrying.

“A rise in hatred towards one marginalised group is harmful to everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community, and has a corrosive effect across society,” he added. “We stand together with everyone affected by hate crime, whatever community they are part of.

“We need to stand hand-in-hand against hate crime and report it when we see it happen. We know hate crime reported to the police is only part of the picture, so it’s vital all those affected have access to support. The fight against hatred is shared, so we must work together to build a society where everyone is safe, respected and free from harm.”

Reporting must be “as accurate as possible”, and more must be done to “ensure those affected by hate crime can access support”.

Despite the recent slight drop in hate incidents, a study last year showed that fear of discrimination continues to have an impact on how safe queer people feel. It revealed that 67 per cent of LGBTQ+ people had avoided holding hands in public over the previous year out of fear of a negative response.

Queer Brits also opened up to PinkNews about the ways they hide their identity in public to feel safer, with podcast host James Barr saying he is “often concerned” about what he’s wearing while in public alone.

“It even comes down to rainbow socks,” he said. “I’ll be really nervous to put rainbow socks on. I don’t even know why. You just think: I don’t want to give someone an excuse.”

Anyone who has witnessed or experienced a hate crime is urged to call the police on 101, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit the True Vision website. In an emergency, always dial 999.