Content Warning: This article includes details of a suspected homophobic hate crime West Midlands Police have a charged a teenager (17) with attempted murder, and arrested a second teenage boy (also 17), following an attack on a man in Smethwick. The victim, in his 50s, remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition after being attacked at around 8.30pm on 14th June on St Paul’s Road, Smethwick.

The organisers of Coventry Pride say they’ve received a slew of online hate, including one person who threatened to drive a car into the festival crowd. In response, the organisers have had to allocate a large percentage of the budget for this year’s event on security, to ensure the safety of those attending and their team of volunteers.

Last year, the organisers of Chesterfield Pride were targeted with homophobic abuse on social media. A year later, they reveal in a statement that the person involved has now plead guilty to the offence and has subsequently been sentenced.

George Waterfield and Darren Cunningham, co-owners of a Leicester salon – The Secret Garden – have said they refuse to be intimidated after their business was targeted twice in suspected hate crime incidents that saw damage of, and tearing down of pride flags flying outside.

Jacob Collier MP for Burton and Uttoxeter spoke in favour of an amendment to the Government’s Crime and Policing Bill, put forward by Rachel Taylor, the MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth, explaining that LGBTQ+ people “don’t feel safe in reporting hate”.

A man has been handed a three-year football banning order for shouting homophobic abuse at a Birmingham City game in December last year

West Midlands Police have confirmed they are carrying out CCTV investigation and witness enquiries to identify a possible suspect, following an assault on trans activist in Birmingham on Saturday 26th April.