Gay MP tells Parliament of homophobic attack
Stuart Andrew MP has spoken about being the victim of a homophobic attack.
The MP for Pudsey made the revelation during a call for a crackdown on anti-gay incidents in a discussion at Westminster.
He told the Commons: “One in five gay and lesbian people has experienced a homophobic attack in the last three years.
“As someone who experienced such an attack in the 1990s, I am aware of the fear that goes on after such an attack.”
Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone told him: “I’m extremely sorry to learn you had such an experience.
“The actual statistics are quite frightening in terms of hate crime: in 2010, over 48,000.”
She also added that homophobic bullying was “appalling” and the the government has issued new guidelines to tackle bullying which were “much more condensed and to the point”.
Ms Featherstone attended the launch of a new charity this week designed to help prevent homophobic bullying among students.
Mr Andrew was elected as the region’s MP last year. He praised West Yorkshire Police’s efforts to tackle hate crime, and the force’s work with the gay community to report homophobic assaults. Mr Andrew has backed a campaign for an official gay quarter in Leeds.
