For some people the simple act of walking down the street as a gay person can get you verbally and physically abused due to ignorance, like in recent weeks or days with Ian Baynham in London and James Parkes in Liverpool.
You become so immune to Hate Crime, you have too, as how would you find emotional reserves to get angry or upset each and every time it happens. You also take steps to avoid victimisation including hiding your identity and changing your behaviour. You do become very complacent even though times have moved on! The threat of violence seems astonishing in the 21st century. Laws have changed although attitudes haven’t. It is hard to believe someone could be moved to violence simply by seeing two men or two women holding hands!
This is why it is so important for us to be visible in society. If it takes to start the change one day a month holding hands on SSHH! Saturdays, then I believe this needs to happen to change society and attitudes towards LGBT people.
Here is what the lovely Dean wrote about the day:
"We were four gay men, a gay woman, and a borrowed straight sister. We decided that East London needed to be brought up to date and so we decided to silently stand - hands held - in the most public place we knew - slap bang outside of Stratford Underground and Train Station on a Saturday afternoon. Curious glances and polite avoidance of getting in the way of the camera was the reaction. Actively participating in the Sshh Campaign went from being Queer Terrorism to being a rather pleasant afternoon in our own home town."
"Whilst we were there the square was dominated by a 'Jesus is Real' troop of evangelicals. The reaction? One of them joined in and gladly had her photo taken holding hands."
SSHH! Saturday for us was equally important because of below:
Around 10,000 people took part in a Candle Light Vigil on Friday evening in London’s Trafalagar Square.
Broadcasters Sandi Toksvig and Sue Perkins introduce a two minute silence at London's Trafalgar Square at 9pm on Friday 30 October 2009 as thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (and their friends) conduct a two minute silence on behalf of those who have died as a result of gay-hate crimes.
After the two minute silence, Sue Perkins reads out the names of those who have died at the hands of homophobes over the last ten years in the UK.
Watch the Video of the Silence here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YW431OpPYg
The vigil was organised after Ian Baynham, a gay man walking through the square recently, was subjected to a gay-hate attack.
In this video Sandi Toksvig introduces the Vigil and Mark Healey and David Watkins talk about 17-24-30 and A Day in Hand campaigns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2je-T-4vHVM
How will you be remembered?
Are you going to be someone who let’s others do it for you or will you be someone who stands up and fights the fight?
MAKE A STAND, JOIN HANDS and help STAMP OUT HOMOPHOBIA and TRANSPHOBIA.
