The crime concerns of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals are to be put before senior North Yorkshire police officers at a special Speak Out For Safety Conference which will be held in York later this month.

Much of the violence and abuse suffered by the gay community goes unreported, according to Darrell Gale, of the men's sexual health charity, Yorkshire MESMAC.

He hopes the one-day conference, which will be held at the Priory Street Centre on March 27, will open up new lines of communication. He also supports a police plan to train some officers to become a first point of contact for the gay community.

"Queer bashing and repeat victimisation continue to be issues for the gay and lesbian community," said Darrell.

"And sexual attacks on men - regardless of the sexual orientation of the victim - still largely go unreported because there's a perception that the police are homophobic.

"As an organisation we have been writing to the police for years to try and discuss these matters but it was not until David Kenworthy became chief constable that things began to move forward.

"The Association of Chief Police Officers and the national crime audit have both prioritised the policing of the homosexual community and we do believe the culture is changing."

Research carried out by Yorkshire MESMAC shows patterns of abuse and violence in York and North Yorkshire closely resemble national trends with 34 per cent of men and 24 per cent of women reporting having experienced violence because of their sexuality.

"We also have anecdotal evidence of a gay couple being forced off a York housing estate after being repeatedly harassed, burgled and beaten up by their neighbours," said Darrell.

"And there are other gay men in the city whose homes have been broken into and anti-gay graffiti sprayed up their walls and whose cars have been damaged while parked outside gay pubs.

"Obviously not everyone will want to stand up and discuss their experiences at this conference but we believe this is a way of breaking down the barriers and coming along just to listen will be just as valuable.

"I am committed to getting the gay community the level of policing it deserves - and North Yorkshire Police are committed to that as well."

North Yorkshire's community safety officer, Inspector Steve Walters, said: "The conference aims to give a voice to the lesbian and gay experiences of community safety in North Yorkshire and develop a dialogue."

For more information about the conference call Yorkshire MESMAC on (01904) 620400.

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