LGBTQI people feel less secure in the presence of the police

LGBTQI people feel less safe with the justice system and uniformed personnel.
This is shown by new research by Verisure in collaboration with RFSL.
– It is very important that you take this seriously and that you work with knowledge-raising measures, says Peter Sidlund Ponkala, confederation chairman RFSL.

On Monday, Stockholm Pride begins and in connection with that, the security company Verisure releases investigations in collaboration with RFSL. The general result is that LGBTQI people feel less safe in their area than the general population.

– We see that the general social climate has become rawer and there are signs that it is more okay to say almost anything about LGBTQ people today in various contexts – in a way that was not okay just five years ago, says Peter Sidlund Ponkala, confederation chairman RFSL.

Less secure in the presence of the police

Another aspect of the surveys is how safe one feels in the presence of uniformed personnel. There, 79 percent of the population at large respond that they feel more secure if police and guards are present, while the corresponding figure for LGBTQI people is 53 percent.

– There may be historical reasons, that historically you have not had the best treatment of uniformed personnel. It is very important that you take this seriously and that you work with knowledge-raising measures, says Peter Sidlund Ponkala.

Sweden drops in LGBTQ ranking

Every year, ILGA Europe releases a report on the situation of LGBTQ people’s human rights in Europe. The measurement gives each European country an index of how well it manages to ensure good and equal living conditions for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Sweden is currently placed in twelfth place, this in contrast to a sixth place two years ago.

– We have been overtaken by other countries that have more progressive legislation, says Peter Sidlund Ponkala.

Furthermore, RFSL’s chairman calls for change. Partly by strengthening the Discrimination Act to be able to follow up on more reports of abuse – but also that ordinary people can make a difference.

– In everyday life, we can all do something. If you see something that is not okay, if you hear profanity, or see someone treating someone badly, you can speak up instead of clenching your fist in your pocket.