You copped hate for being queer. Now you can report it

We've all had to take it

You've probably copped hate for being queer. Wether it's a slur yelled from a ute, a creep on the tram or physical assault.

Most of us have to shrug it off because we do not feel comfortable reporting it to the police. But when we do not report it, hate against us stays hidden.

Now there is a way for us to report our experiences without having to go to the police (which is usually unsafe for alot of us).

What is the Community Reporting Tool

The Community Reporting Tool is an online form run by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission. They deal with discrimination, hate and human rights in Victoria.

The form lets you tell the Commission what happened. You can report something that:

• happened to you
• you saw happen to someone else.

It's confidential. Your report only goes to the Commission, and no one else sees it.

You can stay anonymous, or you can leave your details if you want them to get in touch.

But your report must be about something that happened in Victoria.

What you can report

You can report hate that happens in public, or anywhere the public can see or hear it.

Think the street, public transport, social media, school or work. It also covers signs, stickers, flyers, flags, clothing and gestures.

The comission give examples like:

• abusing someone on public transport because of who they are
• spreading hate through flyers, stickers, websites or social media
• encouraging violence against people or damage to their stuff
• publicly claiming a group is involved in serious crimes, with no proof.

That last one hits home. When I wrote about the Grindr attacks on queer men last year, we saw the same old lies kept coming up. People calling us groomers, predators, or paedophiles. Spreading those lies to stir up hate against us now breaks the law.

How to report it

1. go to the reporting tool
2. write down what happened, when it happened and the laction.
3. choose if you want to be anonymous or give details for them to contact you with support
4. send it.

A few tips for you:

• write details down while they're fresh, even if it's just a few dot points
• write the time, date and location
• screenshot any online abuse and save the link incase it gets deleted.

If you want you can also talk to someone at the commission.

Call 1300 292 153, Monday to Friday. If you need an interpreter, call 1300 152 494.

If you use the National Relay Service, call 1300 555 727 and ask for 1300 292 153.

Why your reports matters, even when you feel it's pointless

I get it. Some of us feel like reporting it will not do anything or it is a waste of time. Worse we think "it wasn't that bad".

But we know hate and discrimination is cronically under reported. From the Victorian Pride Lobby pointing this out in their report around the police and our community. To the recent inquiry into LGBTQIA+ hatecrimes in Victoria.

When we do not report hate, institutions think it isn't happening.

Your reports help government, community groups and the people pushing for a better, safer Victoria see what is actually going on.

You now have a tool to report it. Using it will help build the data needed to make change.

Use it, then share it

Next time you cop it, report it. Then tell your friends about the reporting tool. The more of us who know about it, the more of us will use it.

They've been trying to shut us up for a long time. So let's be louder than ever.