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Tina C & Ida Barr get jiggy
Home and Shop 3SIXTY Away
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fe\/'Yi`^_kfe Issue 50 • Fri 12 June - Thu 25 June 2009
QUEER BASH THREAT
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Revenge’s new roof terrace: first look - inside!
Police ‘exceptionally concerned’ at spiralling anti-gay attacks SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS are urging gay people to be extra vigilant following a worrying increase in anti-gay attacks. The Metropolitan Police says it is “exceptionally concerned” about spiralling homophobic violence, which has included the murder of a man and stabbing of two others in the past month alone. ““Homophobia cannot be considered a thing of the past, it’s on the increase,” warns Acting Detective Superintendent Gerry Campbell, of the Metropolitan Police. “We retain a relentless commitment to tackling all forms of violence, homophobic and transphobic hate crime, whilst continually improving our services to victims and potential victims.” Scotland Yard statistics reveal
a 9% rise in homophobic and transphobic offences to 1,372 in the year to April, with nine “critical incidents” recorded since March 2008, compared with just five incidents from 2001 to 2005. Last month, Daryl Phillips, 39, a gay man, was murdered in Tottenham, north London. He had been stabbed in the leg in an apparent homophobia-motivated attack. Earlier in the year, Gerry Edwards, 59, was stabbed to death at his home in south London. In May, police launched at stinging attack on anti-gay hate crime in a bid to stamp out the problem. Codenamed Operation Athena, cops conducted a series of raids on homes across the capital, arresting more than one hundred suspects accused of being driven
by hate to attack gay people. “[Operation Athena] sends out a clear message: violence in any form is unacceptable. We will continue to proactively identify, arrest and seek the prosecution of violent people,” says Campbell. “We now have public protection groups in every London borough, dedicated to proactively investigating a wide range of domestic violence, hate and sexual crimes perpetrated by violent and dangerous offenders.” To cope with the growing problem, the Metropolitan Police Service has recruited 215 dedicated lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender liaison officers working across all of London’s 32 boroughs advising, guiding and supporting police officers and staff in
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