June is recognized as Pride Month, which is the celebration of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning and Two Spirit (LGBTQ2S+) Communities.
During this month we want to increase awareness of crimes our friends and family in the LGBTQ2S+ communities experience, and how you can stop them.
Whether it is a sexual assault, threatening harm, damaging property or any other criminal act, victims from these communities are often reluctant to come forward and report the crimes committed upon them. For many reasons. This is where you come in.
If you are aware of someone who is committing crimes against members of LGBTQ2S+ groups, please contact Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington (CSGW) at 1-800-222-TIPS or www.csgw.tips . No one will know you reported a crime confidentially and most importantly, you will stop someone from being a victim of crime. You will also stop someone from spreading hate.
According to Statistics Canada, sexual orientation-related crimes tend to target youth, citing; “Multi-year analysis shows that victims of police-reported violent hate crimes targeting sexual orientation and the Indigenous population tend to be the youngest among hate crime victims and sustain the highest rate of injury.”
Sadly, we know that only a fraction of these crimes is actually reported to police. This is where you can help.
Protecting victims and stopping crimes against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, 2 Spirited and others on the gender/sexuality spectrum isn’t just being an ally, it’s what a safe and caring community must do. Happy Pride Month!
Remember, if you have information about a crime and wish to remain anonymous, submit a tip at www.csgw.tips or call 1-800-222-TIPS. Your information is confidential and if your tip leads to an arrest, you receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.
