Patrol cars in the UK go for rainbow look

The police in Great Britain want to draw more attention to the problem of homophobia. Therefore, there are now, among other things, a few police cars in the "rainbow look". In this way, the LGBTQI+ community should be supported and a sign should be set.

Reactions to this action vary. While some celebrate the fact that the British police have decided to speak out against homophobia in this conspicuous way, there are others who criticize the action.

 With rainbow look against hate crime

Colorful patrol cars with a special message

The patrol cars of the British police in rainbow look contain several messages. On the one hand, it's a statement for more tolerance and support for the community.

At the same time, however, the cars are intended to serve another purpose. They are intended to encourage people to report hate crimes. Unfortunately, there are still many people who have been victims of homophobia but are ashamed of this and therefore withdraw instead of contacting the police directly.

This makes it all the more important to bridge the gap between the police and victims in such a conspicuous way and to show that the officers are the right people to talk to.

More details around the LGBTQI+ Cars

With rainbow look against hate crime

Meanwhile, a representative of the British police has spoken out on social media. In an emotional video, she explains how important it is for victims of homophobia to come forward. Just how extensive hostility in this area can be can be seen, among other things, in the fact that said police chief explains that people should report "if something is not right." In other words, homophobia - whether expressed verbally or physically - should never be trivialized.

There are no official figures yet on how many cars have now been wrapped in the "Rainbow Look". One of the reasons for this is that the campaign is (firstly) still running and (secondly) it is up to the various departments themselves to decide how many cars they want to "restyle".

Not all find the action good

Of course, it should not be concealed in this context that there are some people who are less comfortable with the action.

For example, according to a report in the Telegraph, one police officer has already spoken out, suggesting that there are other types of crimes that would play a bigger role in the day-to-day life of British police than violence against LGBTQI+.

And in this country, too, voices are being raised again and again that addressing the problem in such a present way is possibly a wrong signal, since "marginalized groups" could be pushed even more into the category of "fringegroup" in this way.

Either way: the action around the LGBTQI+ police cars, which by the way are called "Hate Crime Cars", has caused a sensation. So far, the accompanying post on Instagram has already been liked well over 1,200 times. The hashtags "#DiversityMatters" and "#PolicingWithPride" also leave no doubt as to how important the topic seems to be to those responsible.

With rainbow look against hate crime

Police and queers - a sometimes difficult relationship

The relationship between queers and the police is - not only in Great Britain, but also in Germany - difficult from time to time. Especially in the context of demonstrations, CSDs and the like, there have been repeated accusations of violence against the community in the past. Unforgotten: the year 2016, in which a young man from Cologne was abused and insulted by police officers, but afterwards was himself suspected of being the perpetrator. The accusations were followed by a double acquittal.

In other countries, such as Hungary, the hatred against queers seems to be even more noticeable. Here - for example in connection with events where the community fights for their rights - there are often violent riots.

The statement of the British police could - due to the topicality - draw wide circles. Also (and hopefully) in international terms.

 

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