Although Belgium is generally considered to be a progressive country when it comes to LGBTQI+ rights, new figures show that members of the LGBTQI+ community here continue to face worry levels of violence, intimidation and hate crime.
Figures from the Equal Opportunities Centre Unia and the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men say that among the LGBTQI+ community, gay men and transgender people in particular are increasingly the target of discrimination and physical aggression.
Unia reports that it has dealt with 136 cases of discrimination related to sexual orientation in the past year. In 35% of these cases the act went further that discrimination alone and was in fact a hate crime involving physical assault. A further 35% of cases involved serious intimidation.
Dating apps used to find victims
The perpetrators of the violence are often young men that sometimes operate in groups. They deliberately target gay men. One recurring pattern involves so-called “dating app traps”. Here gay men are lured via dating apps. When they go on what they think is a date they are ambushed, beaten and in many cases robbed.
A particularly high-profile dating app trap case will be heard at Brussels Criminal Court from 14 May. 3 men that allegedly used a dating app to lure at least 8 victims will stand trial accused of homophobic violence. Unia is a civil party in the case as it has been in 10 other similar cases so far this year.
Discrimination against transgenders
Meanwhile, the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men highlights what it describes as the disproportionate levels of discrimination faced by transgender people in their everyday lives.
The situation is particularly acute in the fields of employment, insurance and healthcare. The Institute for the Equality of Women and Men that discrimination of this nature often goes unreported and as such remains difficult to address.