DUP accused of stalling trans hate crime protections
In Long's letter, she said the measure would "increase protection for transgender people who have been subjected to hate crime... and provide parity of protection against hate crime across the LGBTQI+ community".She cited Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) statistics that said there had been "close to 100" transgender identity incidents or hate crimes between July 2024 and June 2025, and that there was likely to be an "underreporting" of the true prevalence."There is clear evidence that transgender persons require protection in law based on the evidence collated by the PSNI on hate crimes and hate incidents relating to those who are transgender," the letter added.She went on to say that she appreciated the consideration of protection for transgender people comes at a time when trans identity is " the focus of ongoing public and political debate".It comes after a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that said a woman is defined in law by biological sex.The ruling had significant implications for single-sex spaces in Great Britain, such as female changing rooms and toilets.The court had been asked to decide on the proper interpretation of the 2010 Equality Act, which applies across Great Britain but not in Northern Ireland.Long said that hate crime was a criminal offence separate from equality law and that therefore, she believed it was important to "address the gap" in providing protection for victims of transgender hate crime.
