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EmailThis National Hate Crime Awareness Week, we’re launching a report with our partners Vodafone Foundation and Galop, which has analysed data generated by the Zoteria app in the first year of use and revealed vital insights into anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime.
The app, which anyone can download, allows people to flag anti-LGBTQ+ hate incidents - and connects users with support services.
The report uncovers vital insights into anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime, an issue which continues to impact the community.
This report and the data from the app sheds light on how technology and data can help tackle anti-LGBTQ+ hate in the UK. Flagging encounters on the app also helps to build a more accurate picture of anti-LGBTQ+ hate in the UK.
The app's data highlights that Zoteria is filling a gap for people who feel less able to request support or report an encounter, or who cannot access services. The report comes shortly after the Home Office’s official reported hate crime statistics were released in England and Wales, and could help us understand the full picture.
It also follows 2021 research by Galop, which found that only one out of eight hate crimes were officially reported, and just one in five hate crime victims and survivors were able to access support. In this report, Galop – which runs the UK’s National LGBTQ+ Hate Crime Helpline – said that verbal abuse from strangers is often normalised and dismissed and not reported. Research from the government’s National LGBT Survey (2017) also showed that over 90% of respondents hadn’t reported their most serious instance of hate crime.
Zoteria report key findings
For those who wish to access support, apps like Zoteria provide a discreet and safe means to direct users to appropriate services.
The report finds that:
- Of all reports made on the app three in five were made outside of major queer cities.
- Trans victims and survivors request support in greater numbers: 20% of those with a trans history requested support from Galop, contrasting with 13% of those with non-trans history.
- Verbal abuse was, by far, the most frequently reported type of encounter (459 encounters), followed by hate speech (307 encounters).
Klara Wertheim, Head of Global Programmes at Stonewall, said: “The Zoteria app has been a vital tool in supporting LGBTQ+ people affected by hate and helps us better understand where hate occurs and who it affects. This report is a vital reminder of how mobile technology can provide far greater accessibility to reporting hate and accessing advice.
“What's clear from these findings is that anti-LGBTQ+ hate permeates everywhere. This work could help us tackle anti-LGBTQ+ hate by preventing it happening in the first place and provide better tailored support services to victims. Zoteria is proof that, LGBTQ+ or not, we can all play a role in standing up to hate whenever we see it.”
Zoteria is available to download in the UK, for free, on Apple App store and Google Play Store.
We’re also tackling anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime with our Hold My Hand campaign, get involved today.
It’s important to note that Zoteria is not linked to the police and is not an emergency app. If you, or anyone you are with, are in danger, you should still call 999 for emergency services.
