This article was written for Liverpool Gay Website and follows local coverage in Out NorthWest and limited coverage in the Liverpool Echo

Several weeks ago (25th January) I and about 20 plus community LGBT representatives  and equality officers of public bodies listened attentively for an hours plus feedback from research by the Stombreak Project into Homophobia in our city.

What unfolded was a horrendous analysis of homophobia throughout the city.
 The incidents of relentless abuse and violence was recorded by LGBT households , not just in the rough areas but in every postcode.

The most frightening statistic in my mind was that 14% of LGBT households were subject to attacks/and abuse from people they identified as their own neighbours.

It was not a case of violence being focused in the city centre/commercial venues or the cruising areas but in the very homes of gays and lesbians.

When it came to police response the evaluation of LGBT support officers was the only positive feedback in a series of disconcerting stats.

In the field of education , two thirds of young people who had left s school or college within the previous two years reported homophobic bullying.
Few felt any confidence to seek teaching staff support, one even reported having been treated as the problem not the victim.

If we don't challenge homophobia at school was message does that bode for the future ?

When the group discussed the feedback, it was left to me as the sole city councilor who turned up, to express the view that this homophobia was endemic in the city and only by appealing to the public from civic , religious and business leaders could start to challenge.
In this respect I was backed up by Matthew of Outsiders

The results should be an alarm bell for the city.

Totally predictably one council officer said that they should not shout aloud as it could damage the city during its capital of culture.

 Weeks have passed by and the full results have not been shared publicly despite requests from various journalists in the city I have spoken to

As a consequence our Liberal Party Group tabled motions for both Children's Services (Education) Committee and Housing and Community Safety Committee. The council officers response was to dilute the findings and somehow suggest the research was flawed

If we are ever to change attitudes in the city it is this institutionalised homophobia ,which denies the significance of the problem ,rather than challenge the public attitudes dynamically, needs robust political direction and courage at the highest levels.

Having seen how the ruling Lib Dems stalled my group's proposal to bring in a Civic Partnership Register for two years, even though it was their own official or should I say token policy, you can guess I will not be holding my breath.

Most importantly we need Lesbians, Gays and Transgendered members of community to speak out, enough is enough, or do we sit back and watch future generations of lesbians and gays leave the city rather than being treated as the community where prejudice against is tolerated and to be expected

Cllr Steve Radford
Leader of The Liberal Party Group